Kingdom of Haiti
Encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Haiti was the state established by Henri Christophe
on March 28, 1811 when he was proclaimed King Henri I having previously ruled as president. This was Haiti's second attempt at monarchal rule as Jean-Jacques Dessalines
had previously ruled over the Empire of Haiti. King Henry never ruled over the whole of Haiti as following the assassination of Emperor Jacques the country was split with Henry ruling over the north of the country as President of the State of Haiti
and Alexandre Pétion
ruling as President of the Republic of Haiti in the south. As a result of the split it was only the northern part of the country which became the Kingdom of Haiti.
During his reign he built 6 castles, 8 palaces (including the Sans-Souci Palace
and the Citadelle Laferrière
fortress, built to protect the Kingdom from possible French
invasions). The King also created a noble class for the Kingdom with 4 princes, 8 dukes, 22 counts, 37 barons and 14 chevaliers.
Following a stroke and support for his rule waning Henry committed suicide on October 8, 1820 and was buried at the Citadelle Laferrière. His son and heir the Jacques-Victor Henry, Prince Royal of Haiti
was killed 10 days later at the Sans-Souci Palace
by revolutionaries. Following Henry's death the kingdom was reunited with the southern Republic of Haiti with Jean Pierre Boyer
as President.
Henri Christophe
Henri Christophe was a key leader in the Haitian Revolution, winning independence from France in 1804. On 17 February 1807, after the creation of a separate nation in the north, Christophe was elected President of the State of Haiti...
on March 28, 1811 when he was proclaimed King Henri I having previously ruled as president. This was Haiti's second attempt at monarchal rule as Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Jean-Jacques Dessalines was a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1801 constitution. Initially regarded as Governor-General, Dessalines later named himself Emperor Jacques I of Haiti...
had previously ruled over the Empire of Haiti. King Henry never ruled over the whole of Haiti as following the assassination of Emperor Jacques the country was split with Henry ruling over the north of the country as President of the State of Haiti
State of Haiti
The State of Haiti was the name of the state in northern Haiti. It was created on October 17, 1806 following the overthrow of the Empire of Haiti following the assassination of Emperor Jacques I...
and Alexandre Pétion
Alexandre Pétion
Alexandre Sabès Pétion was President of the Republic of Haiti from 1806 until his death. He is considered as one of Haiti's founding fathers, together with Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and his rival Henri Christophe.-Early life:Pétion was born in Port-au-Prince to a Haitian...
ruling as President of the Republic of Haiti in the south. As a result of the split it was only the northern part of the country which became the Kingdom of Haiti.
During his reign he built 6 castles, 8 palaces (including the Sans-Souci Palace
Sans-Souci Palace
The Sans-Souci Palace was the royal residence of King Henri I of Haiti, Queen Marie-Louise and their two daughters. It was the most important of nine palaces built by the king, as well as fifteen châteaux, numerous forts, and sprawling summer homes on his twenty plantations. Construction of the...
and the Citadelle Laferrière
Citadelle Laferrière
The Citadelle Laferrière or, Citadelle Henry Christophe, or simply the Citadelle , is a large mountaintop fortress in northern Haiti, approximately south of the city of Cap-Haïtien and five miles uphill from the town of Milot...
fortress, built to protect the Kingdom from possible French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
invasions). The King also created a noble class for the Kingdom with 4 princes, 8 dukes, 22 counts, 37 barons and 14 chevaliers.
Following a stroke and support for his rule waning Henry committed suicide on October 8, 1820 and was buried at the Citadelle Laferrière. His son and heir the Jacques-Victor Henry, Prince Royal of Haiti
Jacques-Victor Henry, Prince Royal of Haiti
Prince Jacques-Victor Henry was the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Haiti.He was the youngest child of Henri Christophe, then a general in the Haitian Army, by his wife Marie-Louise Coidavid. His father became President of the state of Haiti in 1807, and on March 26, 1811 he was...
was killed 10 days later at the Sans-Souci Palace
Sans-Souci Palace
The Sans-Souci Palace was the royal residence of King Henri I of Haiti, Queen Marie-Louise and their two daughters. It was the most important of nine palaces built by the king, as well as fifteen châteaux, numerous forts, and sprawling summer homes on his twenty plantations. Construction of the...
by revolutionaries. Following Henry's death the kingdom was reunited with the southern Republic of Haiti with Jean Pierre Boyer
Jean Pierre Boyer
Jean-Pierre Boyer , a native of Saint-Domingue, was a soldier, one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution, and President of Haiti from 1818 to 1843. He reunited the north and south of Haiti in 1820 and also invaded and took control of Santo Domingo, which brought all of Hispaniola under one...
as President.