“In overthrowing me, you have cut down in Saint-Domingue only the trunk of the tree of liberty. It will spring up again by the roots, for they are numerous and deep.”
Even with their leader captured and deported, the revolution for freedom would continue, because its roots ran throughout the enslaved population.
— Toussaint Louverture, Haiti
Source: Attributed to Toussaint Louverture upon his 1802 arrest and deportation to France; widely cited in Haitian Revolution historiography including C.L.R. James, The Black Jacobins (1938)
More Proverbs from Haiti
Beyond the mountains, there are more mountains.
No matter how great your struggle, greater ones may still lie ahead — life presents challenge after challenge.
Little by little, the bird builds its nest.
Patience and steady, small effort accomplish what haste cannot.
Many hands make the load lighter.
Working together makes any burden easier to carry.
One finger alone cannot eat okra.
No one can accomplish everything alone; people need one another.
An empty sack cannot stand up.
A person with nothing to sustain them — no food, no support — cannot function or achieve much.
Beautiful teeth do not mean a friend.
A warm smile does not guarantee true friendship; judge people by their actions, not their charm.