Victoria "Abdaraya Toya" Montou (Circa 1739–1805) was a Dahomey warrior and

freedom fighter A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objectives ...

in the army of

Jean-Jacques Dessalines Jean-Jacques Dessalines (Haitian Creole: ''Jan-Jak Desalin''; ; 20 September 1758 – 17 October 1806) was a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent First Empire of Haiti, Haiti under the Constitution of Haiti, 1 ...

during the

Haitian Revolution The Haitian Revolution (french: révolution haïtienne ; ht, revolisyon ayisyen) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt ...

. Before the Revolution she and Dessalines had been enslaved on the same estate, and the two remained close throughout her life, with Dessalines calling her his aunt.

Early life

Montou is believed to have been born in the

Kingdom of Dahomey The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a region ...

, in present-day Benin. Some sources indicate that she was a soldier there. It is unclear precisely when she was abducted and enslaved, or when she arrived in Haiti. Before the revolution, Montou worked alongside Dessalines as a slave on the estate of Henry Duclos. She was described as intelligent and energetic, and shared a close relationship with Dessalines and the same hatred toward slavery. Dessalines called her his aunt, which may have reflected their closeness as expressed within the traditions of African diasporic kinship, rather than a direct biological link. Montou was reportedly a skilled warrior, midwife and healer, who organised several rebellions before the momentous meeting at Bois Caiman in 1791.

The Haitian Revolution

During the

slave rebellion A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by enslaved people, as a way of fighting for their freedom. Rebellions of enslaved people have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery or have practiced slavery in the past. A desire for freedo ...

and civil war, she fought as a soldier in active service; on at least one documented occasion, she commanded soldiers in action during battle. During the revolt, at the head of about fifty slaves was Toya, with a faulx in her hand, a hoe on one shoulder and an indigo knife hanging from the belt of her camisole. On Toya's command, one part is sent to deforestation, another to plowing, others to harvest and put in large baskets of cereals. She had a strong voice, her commands were identical to those of a general. A small number of rebels, under the command of Toya, was quickly surrounded and taken prisoner by the regiment. During the struggle, Toya runs away pursued by two soldiers; a clinch took place between them and Toya; one of them was seriously injured by Toya and the other, helped by a few other soldiers who arrived in time, Toya became a prisoner.

Post-Revolution

In 1804 Dessalines became

Emperor of Haiti The monarchs of Haiti (french: monarques d'Haïti, ht, Monak Ayiti) were the heads of state and rulers of Haiti on three non-consecutive occasions in the 19th century. With complete independence achieved from France in 1804, Haiti became an inde ...

, and he gave Toya the title of Duchess. When Toya was dying, the emperor urged a French doctor to save her life, stating that she was his aunt who had shared his feelings since before the revolution. She was given a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

with a procession of eight sergeants and Empress Marie-Claire Heureuse Felicite dressed in black between two non-commissioned officers led the convoy.

Legacy

The names of few women soldiers who served in the Haitian army during the revolution have been remembered. Toya is amongst the very few exceptions, alongside

Marie-Jeanne Lamartiniére Marie-Jeanne Lamartinière (fl. 1802), known in history only as "Marie-Jeanne", was a Haitian soldier, and reportedly a "dazzling beauty." She served in the Haitian army during the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). Haitian Revolution service Mari ...

and Sanité Belair. Toya is also remembered for her role in raising and teaching Dessalines. Kersuze Simeon-Jones writes that "For her lasting influence on Dessalines, Abdaraya Toya shall be remembered as the grandmother, mother, and aunt-figure who helped prepare the Liberator of African descendants enslaved throughout the Americas".

References

* http://www.haiticulture.ch/Toya.html * http://www.haiticulture.ch/Marie-Jeanne.html * Jean-Baptiste Mirambeau, Victoria, dans Le Document, no.2, Février 1940, p107. 1805 deaths Haitian rebel slaves Haitian independence activists Women of the Haitian Revolution Year of birth uncertain {{NorthAm-mil-bio-stub