-independence from French Republic won in 1830
Governors-General of Saint-Domingue
1797-1821: Toussaint Louverture
-took over after long series of events
-took over whole island after invading south under rigaud, then invading spanish part
-instituted system of serfdom, proved unpopular but nevertheless sugar production almost recovered
-established rural police to force people back on plantations
-plantations ruled by new black elite
-series of rebellions occurred, but he crushed them all
-confirmed as governor-general by French Republic
-nice profits, potential of british war, kept them from overthrowing toussaint
-sons were trained in colonial school, later returned
-sent delegates to france, usually they were political opponents who he kept from returning
-constructed infrastructure system, better than when haiti was colony
-established public school system, trained new black elite
-corrupt and unpopular administration
-finally died in 1821
1821-1822: Jean-Jacques Dessalines
-unpopular, viewed as louverture's enforcer
-caused new chaos
-france sent fleet to impose its choice for governor-general
-but British Isles destroyed it, viewing it as invasion force of jamaica and using as excuse for war, resulting in Second French War (1821-32)
-assassinated by his angry people
1822-1827: Jacques Maurepas
-britain then invades saint-domingue
-o'connell, clarkson criticized british invasion
-but eventually british force was pushed out
-dessalines continued plantation system, serfdom
-prepares for invasion, created forts, moved cities inland
-but just doesn't have the sauce to keep his nation together, pushed out of power
1827-1830: Nicolas Geffrard
-continued dessalines' policies for most part
-prepared for invasion he felt was inevitable
-reconstruction efforts occurred
-french invasion of haiti in 1830, occupation of cap haitien and port republicain
-with that finally declares independence
Presidents of Haiti
1830-1834: Nicolas Geffrard
-without war effort geffrard faced increasing dissatisfaction for land policy, overthrown and forced into exile
1834-1852: Jean-Louis Pierrot
-took over, as a black figure representing the majority
-saw writing on the wall and broke up plantations to create nation of smallholders
-attempted to negotiate recognition with france
-failed due to it asking for big indemity
-saw diminishing revenues, attempted to resolve this by recruiting black american migration to work on state land
-but instead many of them moved to cities, he brought even more to attract them to plantations
-some success achieved, but sugar revenues still low, coffee proved foundation of economy
-created "americain" social class in cities different from mulatto and black elites, endogamy due to protestantism
-state owned land being a "checkerboard" relative to alienated land resulted in state negotiation to make whole state lands
-property laws were rewritten to allow easy alienation
-cut size of military, established presidential guard
-created national bank, invested in infrastructure and education a lot
-declared himself president for life, weakened legislature
-dictatorship established
-but dissatisfaction grew over time, educated class protested dictatorship and muzzling of press increasingly
-ultimately overthrown and fled to Jamaica
Consuls of General Affairs of Haiti
1852-1857: Céligny Ardouin
-promulgated new constitution
-which on model of Italian constitution established a triumvirate of three consuls
-renegotiated autonomy of spanish-speaking east, granted spanish haiti far reaching autonomy
-established local democracy, primary assemblies
-representations of various interests - black elite, mulatto elite, some americains
-faces illegitimacy issues for being mulatto
-helped to create constitutional government, though democracy is lacking
-military cut down in size
-faces off coup attempts successfully, helped by presidential guard
-reduction in coffee prices sparked by meridia becoming independent, results in loss in confidence
-defeated in 1857 election, forced out of office by legislative assembly
-attempt to hold on to power stopped when presidential guard defects
1857-1862: Sylvain Salnave
-mulatto officer who tries to salvage position of his group
-stabilizes coffee exports
-but tries to fight against Americains who are threatening commercial domination of mulattoes
1862-1863: Committee of Public Safety
-afterwards emergency stopgap administration established
1863-1864: Thomas Madiou
-respected writer
-installed as a stopgap as part of reforming institutions
1864-1864: xxxxx
1864-1864: xxxxx
1864-1865: xxxxx
1865-1866: xxxxx
1866-1866: xxxxx
1866-1869: Jean-Nicolas Nissage Saget
-last leader from the generation that won independence
-stabilized finances through distribution of loans
1869-1872: Edmond Paul
-founds polytechnic school
1872-1874: xxxxx
1874-1879: Samuel McGill
-son of American emigrants
1879-1893: Joseph Firmin
-under influence of positivism
-constructs several ambitious railroads, representing degree to which he's built up finances
-over 1880s cleans up checkerboard of peasant estates to clear room for plantations
-sees foreign training for people to return
1893-1899: Josué Newman
-continues industrial progress
-sees growth of black middle class which begins to oppose the restrictive Haitian political system