In January 1812, Jean-François – one of the first leaders of the slave revolution of Saint-Domingue, former slave and maroon turned general and admiral, commander of the black auxiliaries, erstwhile defender of France’s Louis XVI and Spain’s Carlos IV – showed up in Havana. He had been there before, in December 1795, following the evacuation of Bayajá (Fort-Dauphin). That time, Havana authorities had confined him to his ship for fear that even the sight of him – black, decorated, proud – would give local people dangerous ideas. Then he was exiled to Cádiz. Still, people in Havana had seen him and his companions, and printed images of him had circulated from hand to hand. There had been ungrounded rumors of his return before. Now, in 1812, Jean-François was back, walking the streets of Havana freely. Dark in color and small in stature, he wore his uniform, a blue jacket with gold buttons decorated with anchors and eagles. He told one black resident of Havana that he wanted to be seen and recognized as an important subject, and he dressed the part, going out of his way to change into his uniform before meetings he deemed important. He visited the homes of free people of color in the city; he gathered with slaves and others in plazas and on street corners; he even saw some old acquaintances “from his tierra.”