The first Republic of Haiti (french: link=no, République d'Haïti; ht, Repiblik d Ayiti) controlled the southern portions of Haiti from 1806 until 1820. The republic, commonly referred to as South Haiti during its existence, was created on 17 October 1806, following the assassination of Emperor Jacques I and the overthrow of the

First Empire of Haiti The First Empire of Haiti, officially known as the Empire of Haiti (french: link=no, Empire d'Haïti; ht, Anpi an Ayiti), was an elective monarchy in North America. Haiti was controlled by France before declaring independence on 1 January 180 ...

. The southern Republic of Haiti was ruled by General Alexandre Pétion, a

free person of color In the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, free people of color (French: ''gens de couleur libres''; Spanish: ''gente de color libre'') were primarily people of mixed African, European, and Native American descent who were not ...

, as

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

from 9 March 1807 until his death on 29 March 1818. He was succeeded by

Jean-Pierre Boyer Jean-Pierre Boyer (15 February 1776 – 9 July 1850) was one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution, and President of Haiti from 1818 to 1843. He reunited the north and south of the country into the Republic of Haiti in 1820 and also annexed ...

. While the Republic of Haiti had control in the south,

Henri Christophe Henri Christophe (; 6 October 1767 – 8 October 1820) was a key leader in the Haitian Revolution and the only monarch of the Kingdom of Haiti. Christophe was of Bambara ethnicity in West Africa, and perhaps of Igbo descent. Beginning with ...

ruled over the north of the country as President of the

State of Haiti The State of Haiti (french: link=no, État d'Haïti; ht, Leta an Ayiti) was the name of the state in northern Haiti. It was created on 17 October 1806 following the assassination of Emperor Jacques I and the overthrow of the First Empire of Hai ...

until 1811 when he proclaimed the

Kingdom of Haiti The Kingdom of Haiti (french: Royaume d'Haïti; ht, Wayòm an Ayiti) was the state established by Henri Christophe on 28 March 1811 when he proclaimed himself King Henri I after having previously ruled as president of the State of Haiti, in th ...

with himself as King Henri I. Following King Henri's death in 1820, Haiti was unified as a single republican state under Boyer.

Domestic policies

Initially a supporter of democracy, Pétion modified the terms of the presidency in the Revision of the Haitian Constitution of 1806 on 2 June 1816, making the post of president a position for

life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...

, with the president having the power to appoint his successor. Furthermore, he found the constraints imposed on him by the Senate onerous and suspended the legislature in 1818. Pétion named General

as his successor; the Senate approved his choice. Boyer took control in 1818 following the death of Pétion from

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...

. After Henri I and his son died in 1820, Boyer reunited the two parts of the country in 1820; he went on to unify the entire island of Hispaniola under his rule in 1822, and presided over the unified

Republic of 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 so ...

until his overthrow in 1843.

Economic policies

Pétion seized commercial plantations from the rich gentry. He had the land redistributed to his supporters and the peasantry, earning him the nickname ''Papa Bon-Cœur'' ("good-hearted father"). The land seizures and changes in agriculture reduced the production of commodities for the export economy. Most of the population became full subsistence farmers, and exports and state revenue declined sharply, making survival difficult for the new state.

Foreign relations

Pétion gave sanctuary to the independence leader Simón Bolívar in 1815 and provided him with material and infantry support. This vital aid played a defining role in Bolivar's military career, and ensured his success in the

campaign Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed *Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * Bl ...

to liberate the countries of what would make up

Gran Colombia Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), or Greater Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central Ameri ...

Gallery

File:Alexandre Petion président de la République d'Hayti BNF Gallica (cropped).jpg, 1st President Alexandre Pétion File:President Jean-Pierre Boyer of Haiti (Hispaniola Unification Regime) Portrait.jpg, 2nd President Jean-Pierre Boyer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Republic of Haiti (1806-1820) Republic of Haiti (1806–1820) Republic of Haiti (1806–1820) 1800s in Haiti 1810s in Haiti 1820s in Haiti 1806 establishments in Haiti Republic of Haiti (1806–1820) States and territories established in 1806 States and territories disestablished in 1820

Domestic policies

Economic policies

Foreign relations

Gallery

See also

References