Louverture stayed with Spain because French abolition was unratified and he enjoyed autonomy

Evidence

Once Louverture issued his proclamation in favor of “liberty and equality” in August 1793, why did he keep fighting for Spain? Louverture had good reasons to be suspicious of the solidity of the Republic and its policy of emancipation. Sonthonax’s hold on the Northern Province was tenuous, and, like many others in mid-1793, Louverture probably thought that the French Republic was heading toward defeat in Europe as well. There was no reason to join the losing side. Sonthonax’s abolition, furthermore, was a local decision, and Louverture understood that it would not be secure until it had been ratified by the government in Paris. Louverture, meanwhile, enjoyed a great deal of autonomy, commanding—with little Spanish supervision—territory stretching from Santo Domingo all the way to the west coast of the colony. — Dubois, Laurent, Avengers of the New World_ The Story of…, 612

Categorization

• QUESTION: This suggests Louverture was already maneuvering strategically between empires — worth tracing how he ultimately switched sides to France in May 1794 and what tipped him.