The first Republic of Haiti (; ) controlled the southern portions of

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

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 southern Republic of Haiti was ruled by General

Alexandre Pétion Alexandre Sabès Pétion (; 2 April 1770 – 29 March 1818) was the first president of the Republic of Haiti from 1807 until his death in 1818. One of Haiti's founding fathers, Pétion belonged to the revolutionary quartet that also includes ...

, a

free person of color In the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, free people of color (; ) were primarily people of mixed African, European, and Native American descent who were not enslaved. However, the term also applied to people born free who we ...

, 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: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

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 the 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 ann ...

. 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. Born in the British West Indies, British Caribbean, Christophe was possibly of Senegambian descent ...

ruled over the north of the country as President of the

State of Haiti The State of Haiti (; ) 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 Haiti. The northern State of Haiti was ruled by Hen ...

until 1811 when he proclaimed the

Kingdom of Haiti The Kingdom of Haiti, or Kingdom of Hayti (; ), 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 the northern part of the ...

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, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

, with the president having the power to appoint his successor. Furthermore, he found the constraints imposed on him by the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

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. 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, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

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 Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...

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 to liberate the countries of what would make up

Gran Colombia Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), also known as Greater Colombia and officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central ...

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) 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