Question

Do they think that men who have been able to enjoy the blessing of liberty will calmly see it snatched away? They supported their chains only so long as they did not know any condition of life more happy than that of slavery. But today when they have left it, if they had a thousand lives they would sacrifice them all rather than be forced into slavery again. But no, the same hand which has broken our chains will not enslave us anew... But if... this was done, then I declare to you it would be to attempt the impossible: we have known how to face dangers to obtain our liberty, we shall know how to brave death to maintain it."

Toussaint Louverture, Letter to the French Directory, 1797
Which statement summarizes Louverture's central idea in this letter?
Freed men and women can never return to being enslaved

Answer 1

Toussaint Louverture expresses the irreversible dedication of free men to maintain their liberty, vehemently rejecting any possibility of returning to slavery.

Step-by-step explanation:

Toussaint Louverture's central idea in his letter to the French Directory is that men who have experienced freedom will never accept the return to enslavement. Having broken the chains of slavery, they would sacrifice anything to maintain their liberty, and the same force that had liberated them would not be the one to re-enslave them. He speaks with fervor about the irreversible shift in consciousness and determination among his people, insisting that they have faced danger to gain their freedom and will confront death to keep it. The letter further emphasizes the importance of maintaining independence and sends a clear message that any attempts to re-impose slavery would be met with the fiercest of resistance.