Boukman was born in Jamaica but was allegedly deported to Saint-Domingue (Haiti) after he had been caught teaching other enslaved people to read. The moniker “Dutty” was not complimentary. It summed up how slave owners viewed enslaved Black men and women who were literate. Boukman, who held positions as a commander (slave driver) and later a coach driver, was able to hold secret meetings with the enslaved Africans in Haiti. Boukham declared at a meeting that “God who has created the shining sun above … is watching us and sees the misdeeds of the whites! The God of the whites demands crime. Our God is benevolent. Our God who is so good orders us to take vengeance!” A week later, on Aug. 24, 1791, the Haitian revolution began. Boukman has been noted for his leadership skills, courage and fearlessness during the successful revolution.
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