Hérard Dumesle (16 June 1784 – 22 June 1858) was a

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

an poet and politician.

Politics

Dumesle, a

mulatto (, ) is a racial classification to refer to people of mixed African and European ancestry. Its use is considered outdated and offensive in several languages, including English and Dutch, whereas in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese is ...

, opposed the government of Jean-Pierre Boyer and formed a group of like-minded young mulattoes called the Society for the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Dumesle's cousin,

Charles Rivière-Hérard Charles Rivière-Hérard also known as Charles Hérard aîné (16 February 1789 – 31 August 1850) was an officer in the Haitian Army under Alexandre Pétion during his struggles against Henri Christophe. He was declared President of Haiti on ...

, led the Revolution of 1843 which forced President Boyer to flee the country. Rivière-Hérard then succeeded Boyer as

President of Haiti The president of Haiti ( ht, Prezidan peyi Ayiti, french: Président d'Haïti), officially called the president of the Republic of Haiti (french: link=no, Président de la République d'Haïti, ht, link=no, Prezidan Repiblik Ayiti), is the head ...

. Dumesle served as president of the

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

and later as a Minister during his cousin's rule. After an 1844

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

, both Dumesle and Rivière-Hérard were forced into exile. They settled in

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

and remained there for the rest of their lives.

Works

As a poet, Dumesle's most remembered work is the historical ''Macanda''. He is also known for composing a poem in honor of

Jonathas Granville Pierre Joseph Marie Granville, known as Jonathas Granville (1785–1839) was a Haitian educator, legal expert, soldier and a diplomat. He was born a free mulatto in Saint-Domingue. He was a musician and poet, skilled swordsman, an experienced dip ...

, the director of the Lycee of Port-au-Prince: "Dithyrambe élégiaque sur la mort de Jonathas Granville."

Notes

References

* * Foreign Ministers of Haiti Haitian people of Mulatto descent 1784 births 1858 deaths 19th-century Haitian poets Haitian male poets Haitian emigrants to Jamaica 19th-century male writers {{Haiti-politician-stub