Final answer:
The constitution created by L’Ouverture in Haiti was significant because it abolished slavery and granted autonomy, recognizing rights irrespective of race or class, while under French rule, few rights were extended to people of color or enslaved individuals.
Step-by-step explanation:
What was significant about the constitution that L’Ouverture created for Haiti was that it provided autonomy and abolished slavery, marking a radical departure from French colonial rule. This constitution granted rights to all citizens regardless of race or social class, extended citizenship to all Black, Indigenous, and mixed-race people who had resided in the nation for at least one year, and made Louverture governor-general for life with the power to select his successor. However, despite these advancements, the constitution also forced the formerly enslaved Haitian peasants to work in the sugarcane fields, which reflected some continuities with colonial labor practices.
The rights promised under L’Ouverture’s constitution differed vastly from life under French rule where, except for a brief period, the institution of slavery was upheld, and few if any rights were extended to the enslaved or free people of color. The Haitian Revolution was the world's first successful slave revolt that established a free republic led by people of African descent, directly challenging the institution of slavery and setting a precedent that inspired future slave revolts and posed a significant challenge to European colonial powers.