I’m making a leap here, so give me some grace.
While several sources confirmed that Toussaint used this phrase in a letter to Laveaux on this date, the specific event or issue that triggered this “bilious anger” within the context of that particular letter is not explicitly detailed in any of the sources i’ve consulted. However, the sources do provide context for the general circumstances Toussaint was navigating in early 1795, which were rife with potential reasons for frustration and anger. Here are just some key events going on around Toussaint at the time that could’ve justifiably pissed him off.
Uncertainty about Emancipation:
The first eight months of 1795 saw a “rancorous debate” raging in the French parliament about the colonies, where conservative deputies were denouncing the abolition of slavery. Toussaint was aware of this political threat and had “good reason to fear for his and the colony’s future”. The possibility that France might restore slavery would have been a significant source of stress and anger.
Ongoing Conflicts
Toussaint was actively involved in “hard-fought defensive battles against the British Army” at this time. The pressures and losses of warfare could easily lead to anger.
Internal Challenges and Rivalries
The sources describe Toussaint dealing with unrest and disloyalty among the nouveaux libres and rivalries with other black or mixed-race leaders around this period. His efforts to impose order and loyalty often met resistance, which could provoke frustration and anger. Toussaint had also experienced significant conflict and a rupture with former allies like Jean-François and Biassou, whose actions (including involvement in the slave trade and attempts to undermine him) would have been enduring sources of “indignation” and anger.
Therefore, while the precise incident behind the “Colère bilieuse” on February 6, 1795, is not specified, Toussaint was operating in a high-pressure environment marked by external military threats, internal disunity, and significant political uncertainty regarding the core principle of liberty, all of which could contribute to such “bilious anger.”
