Henri Caesar facts for kids

Henri Caesar, also known as Black Caesar, was a famous figure from the 1800s. He is known as a Haitian revolutionary and a pirate. It's important to know that most of his story comes from fiction, meaning we don't have much real historical proof that he existed.

According to these stories, he was part of the Haitian Revolution. This was a big fight for freedom in Haiti. He was also said to be a pirate for almost 30 years in the early 1800s.

It's easy to mix up Henri Caesar with another real pirate. That pirate was also called Black Caesar. He operated near the Florida Keys in the early 1700s. That earlier Black Caesar was caught and hanged in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1718.

The Story of Henri Caesar

Early Life and Revolution

Henri Caesar's story says he was born into a family who were forced to work for a French plantation owner named Arnaut. A plantation was a large farm where people grew crops like sugar or cotton. He worked in the owner's house as a boy. Later, he worked in the lumberyard.

He was treated very badly by his supervisor. During a big uprising of enslaved people, which was part of the Haitian Revolution, he fought back against this supervisor. He then joined the rebel forces. These forces were led by important figures like Dutty Boukman and Toussaint Louverture.

Henri Caesar stayed with the revolution until Haiti became independent from France in 1804. After Haiti won its freedom, he decided to try a new life at sea.

Life as a Pirate

In 1805, Henri Caesar started his pirate adventures from Port-de-Paix. He captured a Spanish ship. Soon, he began attacking small villages and ships. These attacks happened near Cuba and the Bahamas. His base was in southern Spanish Florida.

He became known as Black Caesar. He was very successful as a pirate for many years. However, he disappeared around 1830.

What Happened to Black Caesar?

No one is truly sure what happened to Henri Caesar. One idea is that he left the area. This might have happened after President Andrew Jackson ordered a special mission. This mission was to stop pirates along the Florida coast. This happened after the United States bought Florida in 1821.

Another version of his story says he was captured. This story claims he was taken to Key West. It says he was tied to a tree and died there.

Buried Treasure

Many legends say that Henri Caesar buried a lot of treasure. People believe he hid between $2 million and $6 million. He supposedly buried it in different places in southwest Florida.

Some of these places include Pine Island, White Horse Key, Marco Island, Elliot Key, and Sanibel Island. However, no one has ever found any of his treasure.

Henri Caesar is sometimes linked to Jose Gaspar. Jose Gaspar is another legendary pirate. He was also said to have operated in the same area around the same time.