Why did Toussaint Louverture support France after 1794?

Toussaint Louverture’s decision to shift his allegiance to France in May 1794 was driven by both strategic calculation and a commitment to the principle of human liberty.1

While Louverture had previously aligned with Spain, he chose to support France after the French National Convention abolished slavery throughout its empire. This policy aligned with his own ideological goals, as Spain and Britain continued to uphold slave systems in their territories. By supporting the French, who had formally embraced the revolutionary principles of liberty and legal equality, Louverture strengthened his position and helped secure emancipation across the colony.12

This strategic pivot proved decisive, as it allowed Louverture to expel Spanish forces, defeat the British, and consolidate his leadership within the Haitian Revolution.21