Politic 1.1 HAITI
Who was the first leader of independent Haiti in 1804 ?
75% of players answered correctly.
THE CORRECT ANSWER: Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Jean-Jacques Dessalines, central figure of the Haitian Revolution, proclaimed the country's independence on January 1st, 1804 in Gonaïves. Former lieutenant of Toussaint Louverture, he was able to unify black and mulatto forces against Napoleon's French army after the reestablishment of slavery. Upon becoming Jacques I, Emperor of Haiti, he took radical measures to protect the young sovereignty, notably by prohibiting land ownership by whites. His vision of a more equitable distribution of land, expressed by his famous phrase about "sons whose fathers are in Africa", however, created major tensions with the land-owning elite.This deep division led to his assassination at Pont-Rouge in 1806. His legacy, however, remains the bedrock of Haitian national identity, symbolizing absolute freedom and the refusal of all forms of colonialism.