Final answer:
Toussaint L'Ouverture was a key leader in the Haitian Revolution, representing the fight for independence and an end to slavery in Haiti. He was perceived as a threat by French authorities who arrested him, but his ideals influenced Haiti's eventual independence as the first black-led republic in 1804.
Step-by-step explanation:
Toussaint L'Ouverture was a significant figure in the Haitian Revolution. Born into slavery, he eventually led a revolt against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). His strategic acumen and vision for an independent, slave-free Haiti galvanized the revolution, making him a symbol of resistance and a key architect of the first successful slave rebellion that led to the founding of a nation.
Despite the French Revolution's principles of liberty and equality, France perceived L'Ouverture as a threat due to his growing power and his quest for Haitian autonomy. French authorities arrested L'Ouverture in 1802, and he died in a French prison. Nevertheless, his ideals lived on and influenced the revolution, which culminated in Haiti declaring independence in 1804, becoming the world's first black-led republic and the first nation born from a slave rebellion.