Heureaux, affectionately known as Lilís, was born in Puerto Plata. His father was José D’Assás Heureaux Fortune, who was born in Haiti (the son of Frenchman and an African-born slave). While his mother Josefa Leibert was born on Saint Thomas. Both of his parents were dark-skinned mulattoes. Due to his cultural background, he was able to speak French and English in addition to Spanish fluently. Following the annexation of the Dominican Republic by Spain in 1861 he joined the rebellion to restore independence, becoming the principal lieutenant of Gen. Gregorio Luperón. In the period following this restoration of independence, when revolutions were an annual occurrence, Heureaux emerged as one of the principal leaders of the Partido Azul. In 1876, he orchestrated an uprising that seized Puerto Plata and led to the election of Ulises Espaillat. When the nation’s leading "caudillo" Buenaventura Báez, returned to power for his fifth term and fell after less than a year, he helped overthrow the two subsequent regimes.