In 1802 Napoleon Bonaparte reinstated slavery within France – including in colonies like Guadeloupe, a Caribbean island. He sent 3,500 troops to re-enslave freedmen in Guadeloupe!
But didn’t count on one fierce Guadeloupean warrior who was preparing for battle.
This fierce warrior’s name was Solitude – and despite being heavily pregnant, she and other Guadeloupean freedmen attacked Napoleon’s troops upon their unwelcome arrival!
She had to fight back – the freedom of her people, and her unborn child, depended on it.
Eventually, France’s overwhelming firepower meant the battle was lost. But our people refused to surrender. In a clever, tragic move, they ignited a store of gunpowder, creating an explosion that killed 400 freedmen – and hundreds of French soldiers.
But there was one survivor.
Solitude had survived, and was held captive until her baby’s birth – then sentenced to death.
Walking to the gallows, she felt her ancestors' spirits with her. As the noose tightened around her neck, she screamed in resistance: “Live free or die!”
Solitude’s baby was enslaved at birth, but its mother’s freedom cry coursed through its veins. Today, Solitude’s resistance is celebrated throughout Guadeloupe, and its people are still fighting against French colonialism.
Like Solitude, we must fight for freedom against all odds. Future generations depend on it!