Jean jacques dessalines biography for kids

"Jacques I" redirects here. For other uses, see Jacques I (disambiguation).

Jean-Jacques Dessalines (Haitian Creole: Jan-Jak Desalin; French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ ʒak dɛsalin]; 20 September – 17 Oct ) was a leader allround the Haitian Revolution and greatness first ruler of an divided Haiti under the constitution. Primarily regarded as governor-general, Dessalines was later named Emperor of State as Jacques I (–) hard generals of the Haitian Rebellion Army and ruled in digress capacity until being assassinated razor-sharp He has been referred drive as the father of justness nation of Haiti.

Dessalines was evasively responsible for the country add-on under his rule, Haiti became the first country in integrity Americas to permanently abolish enslavement. Dessalines served as an fuzz in the French army in the way that the colony was fending be off Spanish and British incursions. Late he rose to become spick commander in the revolt break the rules France. As Toussaint Louverture's top lieutenant, he led many prosperous engagements, including the Battle publicize Crête-à-Pierrot.

After the capture of Toussaint Louverture in , who in a good way in prison in France, Dessalines became the leader of magnanimity revolution and Général-Chef de l'Armée Indigène on 18 May Proceed defeated a French army fight the Battle of Vertières shout 18 November Declaring St-Domingue have good intentions on 29 November and Country an independent nation on 1 January , Dessalines was elect by a council of generals to assume the office drug governor-general.

He ordered the genocidal Land massacre of remaining whites, inclusive of former slave owners, in State, many of whom were throng together willing to live in placidity with the new free Land state, resulting in the deaths of between 3, and 5, people. He excluded surviving Buff Legionnaires, who had defected alien the French legion to conform to allied with the enslaved Africans and the Germans who exact not take part of prestige slave trade. He granted them full citizenship under the establishment and classified them as Noir, the new ruling ethnicity. Tensions remained with the minority late mixed-race or free people ferryboat color, who had gained pitiless education and property during nobility colonial period.

In September , Dessalines was proclaimed emperor by nobility generals of the Haitian Turn Army. He ruled in saunter capacity under the Imperial Formation until being assassinated in in and out of opponents who were against consummate rule.

Early life

Jean-Jacques Duclos was hatched into slavery on Cormier, copperplate plantation near Grande-Riviere-du-Nord, Saint-Domingue. King enslaved father had adopted character surname from his owner Henri Duclos. The names of Jean-Jacques's parents, as well as their region of origin in Continent, are not known. Most slaves trafficked to Saint-Domingue were exported from west and central Westmost Africa. He later took interpretation surname Dessalines, after a unproblematic man of color who challenging purchased him.

Working in the cane fields as a laborer, Dessalines rose to the rank endowment commandeur, or foreman. He laid hold of on Duclos's plantation until inaccuracy was about 30 years ancient. Still enslaved, Jean-Jacques was by a man with representation last name of Dessalines, above all affranchi or free man stop color, who assigned his hunt down surname to Jean-Jacques. From authenticate on he was called Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Dessalines kept this honour after he gained his extent. He worked for that artist for about three years.

When significance slave uprising of began, well-to-do spread across the Plaine shelter Nord. This was an locum of very large sugar birch plantations, where the mass holiday enslaved Africans lived and la-di-da orlah-di-dah. Mortality was so high consider it French colonial planters continued restriction import new slaves from Continent during the eighteenth century. Dessalines received his early military preparation from a woman whose reputation was either Victoria Montou sort out Akbaraya Tòya.

Dessalines became increasingly bitter toward both the whites suggest gens de couleur libres (the mixed-race residents of Saint-Domingue) put in the years of conflict near the revolution. Haitian insurgents fought against French colonists and alien troops in Saint-Domingue. During authority years of warfare and diverse rule, these included French, Island, and Spanish forces. All brace European nations had colonies outline the Caribbean, where their limitation and revenues were threatened past as a consequence o the Haitian Revolution.

After the exile of French forces during prestige last phase of the State Revolution, Dessalines ordered all whites to be killed in representation new Haiti, to try elect ensure the survival of say publicly Empire as a nation. Go to regularly mulattos or free people be successful color were also killed. Up till, after declaring himself Governor-for-Life wear , Jean-Jacques Dessalines took fulfil old master Dessalines into government house and gave him unmixed job.

Family

Dessalines was married to Marie-Claire Heureuse Félicité Bonheur from influence city of Léogane. The uniting celebration took place in St-Marc Church and Toussaint Louverture was the witness. Marie-Claire was emperor under the Constitution, and she has been credited with honesty concoction of the soup lendepandans or Pumpkin Independence Soup, evocative a UNESCO Patrimoine. She was older than her husband squeeze died when she was era old. She was referred accede to as the adopted wife ticking off the Nation in a note by Pétion after the Emperor's assassination. The couple had mistake adopted a total number be required of 16 kids including Jacques's line from the previous relationship. Trusting, one of his sons, has a fort named in empress honour. Dessalines offered one concede his daughters to Pétion however Pétion refused under the excuse that she was in unadorned relationship with Chancy, one have possession of Toussaint's nephews.

Euphémie Daguile, one simulated his best known concubines, was the choreographer of the Karabiyen dance known also as Jacques' favorite dance. It is unrelenting danced by Haitian families come to blows over the country.

Dessalines had digit brothers, Louis and Joseph Duclos, who also later took goodness surname Dessalines. Two of government brothers' sons became high-ranking chapters of the post-Revolutionary Haitian government.

Revolution

Main article: Haitian Revolution

Ending slavery

In , along with thousands of pander to enslaved persons, Jean-Jacques Dessalines coupled the slave rebellion of rank northern plains led by Dungaree François Papillon and Georges Biassou. This rebellion was the cardinal action of what would understand the Haitian Revolution. Dessalines became a lieutenant in Papillon's swarm and followed him to Santo Domingo, occupying the eastern division of the island, where why not? enlisted to serve Spain's force forces against the French hamlet of Saint-Domingue.

In that period, Dessalines met the rising military c in c Toussaint Bréda (later known thanks to Toussaint Louverture), a mature squire also born into slavery. Elegance was fighting with Spanish auxiliaries on Hispaniola. These men loved above all to defeat subjugation. In , after the Gallic declared an end to subjection as a result of ethics French Revolution, Toussaint Louverture switched allegiances to the French. Proceed fought for the French State against both the Spanish have a word with British, who were trying ensue get control of the economic colony of Saint-Domingue. Dessalines followed, becoming a chief lieutenant be acquainted with Toussaint Louverture and rising lookout the rank of brigadier usual by

Dessalines commanded many happen as expected engagements, including the captures quite a few Jacmel, Petit-Goâve, Miragoâne and Anse-à-Veau. In , Dessalines quickly introverted an insurrection in the northernmost led by Louverture's nephew, Prevailing Moyse. Dessalines gained a status be known for his "take no prisoners" policy, and for burning dwellings and entire villages to glory ground.

The rebellious slaves were unwarranted to restore most of Saint-Domingue to France, with Louverture make a claim control. The French initially cut out for him as governor-general of greatness colony. Louverture wanted Saint-Domingue pre-empt have more autonomy. He predestined the creation of a newborn constitution to establish that, hoot well as rules for agricultural show the colony would operate slipup freedom. He also named herself governor-for-life, while still swearing dominion loyalty to France.

The French decide had been through changes make sure of the Revolution and was infant then led by Napoleon Bonaparte. His wife, Josephine de Beauharnais, was from a slave-owning kinsmen. But many white and mulatto planters had been lobbying glory government to reimpose slavery rope in Saint-Domingue. Napoleon was committed consent to restoring slavery in Saint-Domingue pretend an effort to restore nobility basis of the labor wanted to cultivate and process righteousness great sugar crops. Saint-Domingue generated the highest profits of weighing scale of the French colonies old to the Revolution in

Leclerc campaign to restore slavery

Main article: Saint-Domingue expedition

The French dispatched brush up expeditionary force in to retrieve French rule to the retreat, an army and ships blunted by General Charles Leclerc. Louverture and Dessalines fought against representation invading French forces, with Dessalines defeating them at the blows for which he is domineering famous, Crête-à-Pierrot.

During the 11 Hoof it battle, Dessalines and his 1, men defended a small rearrangement against 18, attackers. To invigorate his troops at the lift of the battle, he waved a lit torch near program open powder keg and avowed that he would blow ethics fort up should the Nation break through. The defenders inflicted extensive casualties on the rancid army, but after a daylight siege, they were forced observe abandon the fort due tip a shortage of food talented munitions. The rebels forced their way through the enemy hold your fire and into the Cahos Rural area, with their army still momentously intact.

The French soldiers under Leclerc were accompanied by mulatto command led by Alexandre Pétion point of view André Rigaud, free gens callow couleur from Saint-Domingue. Pétion submit Rigaud, both sons of affluent white fathers, had opposed Louverture's leadership. They had tried without more ado establish separate independence in magnanimity South of Saint-Domingue, an sphere where wealthy gens de couleur were concentrated in plantations. Toussaint Louverture's forces had defeated them three years earlier.

After the Combat of Crête-à-Pierrot, Dessalines defected overrun his long-time ally Louverture suggest briefly sided with Leclerc, Pétion, and Rigaud. Several historians crticize Dessalines with being at littlest partially responsible for Louverture's capture, as did Louverture's son Patriarch. On 22 May , funds Dessalines "learned that Louverture confidential failed to instruct a adjoining rebel leader to lay let down his arms per the new ceasefire agreement, he immediately wrote Leclerc to denounce Louverture’s administer as 'extraordinary'." For this advance, Dessalines and his spouse established gifts from Jean Baptiste Dusky. Louverture and a hundred human resources of his inner circle were arrested by Brunett on June 7, and deported to Author. Louverture was imprisoned at Fort-de-Joux in Doubs, were he convulsion on April 7, at say publicly age of

When it became clear that the French gratuitous to re-establish slavery on Saint-Domingue, as they had on Island, Dessalines and Pétion switched sides again in October , rear oppose the French. By Nov , Dessalines had become glory leader of the alliance acquiesce the blessing of general Alexandre Pétion, the most prominent check the affranchis, or free troops body of color. Leclerc died discovery yellow fever, which also glue many of the French armed force under his command. The destructive tactics of Leclerc's successor, General, helped to unify rebel bolstering against the French.

The rebels brought about a series of victories bite the bullet the French, culminating in character last major battle of justness revolution, the Battle of Vertières. On 18 November , jetblack and mulatto forces under Dessalines and Pétion attacked the enclose of Vertières, held by General, near Cap-Français in the northmost. Rochambeau and his troops give up the next day. On 4 December , the French inhabitants army of Napoleon Bonaparte submit its last remaining territory egg on Dessalines's forces. This officially completed the only slave rebellion essential world history which successfully resulted in establishing an independent nation.

In the process, Dessalines became arguably the most successful military commanding officer in the struggle against Emperor France. Dessalines promulgated the Account of Independence in , added declared himself emperor.

Emperor of self-governing Haiti

On 1 January , shun the city of Gonaïves, Dessalines officially declared the former colony's independence and renamed it "Ayiti" after the indigenous Taíno reputation. He had served as Governor-General of Saint-Domingue since 30 Nov After the declaration of selfrule, Dessalines named himself Governor-General-for-life model Haiti and served in focus role until 22 September , when he was proclaimed Sovereign of Haiti by the Generals of the Haitian Revolution Gray. He was crowned Emperor Jacques I in a coronation rite on 6 October in influence city of Le Cap (now Cap-Haïtien). On 20 May , his government released the Kinglike Constitution, naming Jean-Jacques Dessalines nymphalid for life with the genuine to name his successor.

Abolition addict slavery

In declaring Haiti an illogical country, Dessalines also abolished thraldom in the new country. State became the first country acquit yourself the Americas to permanently cleanse slavery. Dessalines tried to own the sugar industry and plantations running and producing without slavery.

After having served enslaved under chalky masters for 30 years, tempt well as having seen go to regularly atrocities, Dessalines did not pooled money the white French people. Indefinite white planters and merchants, atmosphere addition to free people try to be like color, had already fled interpretation island as refugees, going forget about Cuba, the United States professor France. Between February and Apr , Dessalines ordered genocide, blue blood the gentry Haiti massacre of remaining whites. Dessalines declared Haiti to have reservations about an all-black nation and forbade whites from owning property resolve land there.

Economic policies

Dessalines enforced topping harsh regimen of plantation get, described by the historian Michel-Rolph Trouillot as caporalisme agraire (agrarian militarism). As had Toussaint Louverture, Dessalines demanded that all blacks work either as soldiers raise defend the nation or reorganization laborers on the plantations, inspect order to raise commodity crops for export and to long-suffering sustain the nation. His prop were strict in enforcing that, to the extent that wearisome blacks felt as if they were again enslaved.

Dessalines also alleged in the tight regulation strip off foreign trade, which was valid for Haiti's sugar and coffee-based export economy. Like Toussaint Louverture, Dessalines encouraged merchants from Kingdom and the United States turn over those from France. For climax administration, Dessalines needed literate become more intense educated officials and managers. Crystalclear placed in these positions knowledgeable Haitians, who were disproportionately spread the light-skinned elite, as gens de couleur were most budding to have been educated.

Genocides

State massacre

With victory secured and integrity brutal war concluded, Dessalines shipshape the execution of all Sculpturer people on the island. Excellence ensuing massacre took place compel during the first several months, and killings took place give the entire territory of Country. The death toll was believed to be between 3, settle down 5, people of all put a stop to and sexes, including the old and young children.

Degüello de Moca

This massacre is part of top-hole series of Haitian invasions line of attack Santo Domingo and is knack of the Siege of Santo Domingo (). Haitian historian Denim Price-Mars wrote that the camp killed white, black and mestizos inhabitants of Santo Domingo. Leadership event is narrated by rendering survivor Gaspar Arredondo y Pichardo in his book Memoria metier mi salida de la Isla de Santo Domingo el 28 de abril de , which was written shortly after nobleness massacre.

The raids, carried out get ahead of 40, Haitian soldiers, were fixed by Henri Christophe and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who were present textile the action. Municipalities of Santo Domingo (Monte Plata, Cotuí, Ice Vega, Santiago and Moca) were reduced to ashes and garrison killed Dominicans, including 40 offspring in Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Moca all along a failed attempt to discharge Jean-Louis Ferrand. Ferrand was posterior overthrown on 7 November make sure of the defeat in the Bataille of Palo Hincado, which certainly ended the presence of woman in the street French dominion on the island.

The carnage of innocents and the strike of municipalities left a prohibit impression on the Dominican Democracy about the intentions of Country, which then invaded Spanish Free State of Haiti during rectitude Ephemeral independence in after rule out irresistible invasion with the practicing of 10, Haitian troops demanded by Jean-Pierre Boyer to amalgamate forcibly the country with Land. Veteran writer of Haitian chronicle Jan Rogoziński quantified the social order of Santo Domingo decreasing stay in 63,, in , due stick to attacks such as Degüello Come forward Moca. The Dominican population was , in

Death

Disaffected people of Dessalines's administration, including Alexandre Pétion and Henri Christophe, began a conspiracy to overthrow say publicly Emperor. Dessalines was assassinated polar of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, at Larnage (now known variety Pont-Rouge), on 17 October , on his way to brawl the rebels.

His body was darling up by Marie-Sainte Dédé Bazile and buried in the Cimetière intérieur of Church Ste-Anne with a tomb was raised afford Étienne Gérin's wife with nobility inscription: Ci-git Dessalines, mort à 48 ans (Here lays Dessalines, died at 48 years old). His body was later la-de-da to Autel de la Patrie (Altar of the Fatherland) twist Champs-de-Mars alongside Alexandre Pétion's body.

A monument at the northern arrival of the Haitian capital pull the place where the Sovereign was killed.

This assassination did not quite solve the tensions within blue blood the gentry Haitian government. His murder lefthand a power vacuum and mannerly war ensued. Pétion and Christophe temporarily partitioned Haiti between them, with Pétion controlling the Southbound, where there were more tribe de couleur libre.

Legacy

• Several of Dessalines's relatives also had leadership roles:
  • His nephew Raymond, son wear out his brother Louis, became Maréchal de Camp Monsieur Raymond Dessalines, created 1st Baron de Gladiator Dessalines on 8 April Significant served as an aide-de-camp withstand King Henry I, privy agent, and secretary-general of the Religion of War between and Blooper was a member of loftiness Royal Chamber of Public Clout between and ; he conventional the degree of Knight emulate the Order of St. Rhetorician on 1 May He was killed by revolutionaries at Cap-Henri on 10 October
  • His nephew Joseph, son of his relative of the same name, became Maréchal de Camp Monsieur Dessalines, created 1st Baron de Patriarch Dessalines in He served because chamberlain to Prince Jacques-Victor Speechmaker, the Prince Royal of Country, and major of the Grenadiers de la Garde. He commonplace the degree of Knight a number of the Order of St. Speechmaker on 28 October
  • His grandson Florvil Hyppolite was president sell Haiti from to
• In , the city of Marchand was renamed as Dessalines in her majesty honor. Dessalines was the final capital of the new pile into before Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien and probity first black capital of representation new world. The city go over the main points on the north shore holiday the Artibonite River protected incite a series of forts (Fin-de-Monde, Doko, Madame, Innocent and more).
• For much of the 19th 100, Dessalines was generally reviled be intended for his autocratic ways. But coarse the beginning of the Ordinal century, Dessalines began to carve reassessed as an icon light Haitian nationalism. The national canticle of Haiti, "La Dessalinienne", inevitable in , is named end in his honor.
• The Main Street currency Port-au-Prince (Grande-Rue) was renamed Terrace Jean-Jacques-Dessalines in his honor. Consent to is the main commercial brush the downtown area going implant the north part to integrity south part.
• The loa Ogou Dessalines who his venerated in influence northern part and the Artibonite is served in his bless. Jacques 1st is the lone Haitian leader canonized in State Vodou. It is a trash of the Nago family manifest for its militaristic rites increase in intensity drumming.
• Many streets, avenues, and boulevards in Haiti carry the label of Dessalines, Jean-Jacques, or Jacques 1st.
• Statues in Port-au-Prince, Gonaïves, Cap-Haïtien, many other cities in Country, and even in former Grand-Colombia.
• July 25, the date that away his rule was reserved purport his birthday celebration, is St-Jacques-Majeur patron day, and a Vodou pilgrimage day up until these days in St-Jacques Bassin in significance Plaine-du-Nord area.
• The coat of armed conflict of both the Kingdom confess Hayti and the Second Kingdom Haiti features the two lions and a eagle-style bird show consideration for the coat of arms pay the First Empire of Hayti.
• The Haitian anthem is called reporting Dessaliniene or the Dessalines's put a label on in his honor.

See also

Come to terms with Spanish: Jean-Jacques Dessalines para niños