Final answer:
L'Ouverture suggested that Haitians supported slavery for economic stability and prosperity. They eventually rebelled, influenced by French revolutionary ideals and led by L'Ouverture to gain independence from colonial powers.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Toussaint L'Ouverture, Haitians were supportive of slavery in the past due to the economic stability and prosperity it seemed to offer. Prior to the Haitian Revolution, the colony of Saint-Domingue was a major producer of sugar due to the labor of hundreds of thousands of African slaves, providing enormous profits for French plantation owners. Furthermore, the plantation economy entrenched the system of slavery within society.
The French Revolution provided a language of liberté, égalité, and fraternité that inspired slaves and freed people alike in Saint-Domingue to challenge their oppression. L'Ouverture, among others, seized upon this inspiration to unite and lead the revolution in Haiti. France's initial abolition of slavery in 1794 and the events of the Haitian Revolution resulted in a deep-seated fear among other slaveholding societies, which concerned Haitians as well.