Along with Drift 27, Drift 31 and houses on the Wittevrouwenstraat, this building became a part of the court of Louis Bonaparte (1778-1846) in 1807, after it was sold to him by Johannes Swellengrebel’s (Drift 21) widow. Louis was the king of the Netherlands from 1806 to 1810, and brother of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) who ruled France at the time. Napoleon reinstated the legality of slavery in French colonies in 1802 after it was abolished in 1794 during the French Revolution. The French revolution had a far-reaching impact, questioning the colonial dynamics of the time and inspiring many including those in bondage in French colonies such as Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti). 

People in Haiti had rebelled in 1791 yet Haiti remained under French administration, sparking an even stronger resistance by the Haitan people. Slavery was eventually abolished in the north of Haiti in 1793 and in the south in 1794, encouraging the abolishing of slavery in France. When Napoleon reinstated legality of slavery, people in Haiti opposed this law and rebelled against the French for a second time in 1802, this time led by Toussaint de l’Ouverture (1743-1803). Haitians won this war after a year of brutal fighting, which encouraged other colonized countries to revolt against their oppressors. Haiti paid a hefty price however, when in 1825 Haiti was forced to pay France the equivalent of 17,5 billion euros to France as compensation for former slave owners. They were thus forced to pay for their continued freedom. It took Haiti until 1947 to fully pay off this debt. Although the French government has since acknowledged the wrong, they have never made reparations to Haiti of any kind.