The Rise and Fall of the French Revolution

In keeping with his Marxist approach, James thought that enlightenment ideology drove not only leaders like Toussaint but the rebels as a whole population. A letter supposedly written by three of the initial leaders of the revolt addressed white slave owners in the following terms: We are your equals by natural right. If nature pleases itself to diversify colors within the human race, it is not a crime to be born black nor an advantage to be white. To neglect the racial factor is merely incidental is an error only less grave than to make it fundamental.