What made the “horrors” of the insurrection even worse was the betrayal of especially trusted slaves such as drivers and domestics. … It was a “heart-breaking discovery” to the planters, who would see nothing but despair in the future were it not for certain acts of “invinci-ble fidelity” by certain slaves. Such loyal slaves had received their liberty in thanks, but—and this was crucial—this liberty was “the gift of their masters.” Seeking to hold onto a world that was burning all around them, white masters sought relief in stories of fidelity that provided the consoling mirage that their world could once again be as it had been.

Dubois, Laurent, Avengers of the New World_ …, loc. 165