Alliance with the Spanish: 1793–1794 Despite adhering to royalist views, Louverture began to use the language of freedom and equality associated with the French Revolution.James (1814), pp. 125–126. From being willing to bargain for better conditions of slavery late in 1791, he had become committed to its complete abolition.Bell (2008) [2007], pp. 86–87.James (1814), p. 107. After an offer of land, privileges, and recognizing the freedom of slave soldiers and their families, Jean-François and Biassou formally allied with the Spanish in May 1793; Louverture likely did so in early June. He had made covert overtures to General Laveaux prior but was rebuffed as Louverture's conditions for alliance were deemed unacceptable. At this time the republicans were yet to make any formal offer to the slaves in arms and conditions for the blacks under the Spanish looked better than that of the French.David Geggus (ed.), Haitian Revolutionary Studies. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002, pp. 125–126. In response to the civil commissioners' radical 20 June proclamation (not a general emancipation, but an offer of freedom to male slaves who agreed to fight for them) Louverture stated that "the blacks wanted to serve under a king and the Spanish king offered his protection."Bell (2008) [2007], p. 54.
Alliance with the Spanish: 1793–1794 Despite adhering to royalist views, Louverture began to use the language of freedom and equality associated with the French Revolution.James (1814), pp. 125–126. From being willing to bargain for better conditions of slavery late in 1791, he had become committed to its complete abolition.Bell (2008) [2007], pp. 86–87.James (1814), p. 107. After an offer of land, privileges, and recognizing the freedom of slave soldiers and their families, Jean-François and Biassou formally allied with the Spanish in May 1793; Louverture likely did so in early June. He had made covert overtures to General Laveaux prior but was rebuffed as Louverture's conditions for alliance were deemed unacceptable At this time the republicans were yet to make any formal offer to the slaves in arms and conditions for the blacks under the Spanish looked better than that of the French.David Geggus (ed.), Haitian Revolutionary Studies. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002, pp. 125–126. In response to the civil commissioners' radical 20 June proclama.tion (not a general emancipation, but an offer of freedom to male slaves who agreed to fight for them) Louverture stated that "the blacks wanted to serve under a king and the Spanish king offered his protection."Bell (2008) [2007], p. 54.