Jean-Pierre Boyer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jean-Pierre Boyer
2nd President of Haiti
In office 30 March 1818 – 13 February 1843
Preceded by	Alexandre Pétion
Succeeded by	Charles Rivière-Hérard
Personal details
Born	(1776-02-15)15 February 1776 Port-au-Prince, Saint-Domingue
Died	9 July 1850(1850-07-09) (aged 74) Paris, France
Nationality	Haitian
Spouse	Marie-Madeleine Lachenais
Military service
Allegiance	France  Haiti
Branch/service	Armée Indigène French Revolutionary Army
Rank	General
Battles/wars	Haitian Revolution

Jean-Pierre Boyer (born February 15, 1776 – died July 9, 1850) was an important leader during the Haitian Revolution. He served as the President of Haiti from 1818 to 1843. He brought together the northern and southern parts of the country in 1820, forming the Republic of Haiti. Boyer also took control of the newly independent Spanish Haiti (which was Santo Domingo) in 1822. This meant that the entire island of Hispaniola was under one Haitian government. Boyer ruled for a longer time than any other revolutionary leader of his generation.

Early Life and Education

Boyer was born in Port-au-Prince, which was then called Saint-Domingue. His father was a French tailor, and his mother was an African woman who had been a slave from Congo. Boyer's father sent him to France for his education.

During the French Revolution, Boyer fought as a military leader. In the early years of the Haitian Revolution, he fought against Toussaint Louverture. Later, he joined forces with André Rigaud, who was also of mixed race. They tried to keep control of the southern part of Saint-Domingue, but their efforts against Toussaint were not successful.

Returning to Haiti

After living in France for a while, Boyer and Alexandre Pétion came back to Haiti in 1802. They returned with French troops led by General Charles Leclerc. However, it soon became clear that the French wanted to bring back slavery and limit the rights of free people of color. Because of this, Boyer joined the patriots led by Pétion and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. These leaders helped the colony gain its independence.

After Pétion became powerful in the Republic of Haiti in the South, he chose Boyer to be his successor. Boyer was said to be influenced by Marie-Madeleine Lachenais, who was a close advisor to him and Pétion.

When Santo Domingo became independent in late 1821, Boyer quickly moved to take control. By February 9, 1822, he had united the entire island under his rule. Boyer governed the island of Hispaniola until 1843. At that time, he lost the support of the ruling class and was removed from power.

Military Career and Independence

After the slave uprising in northern Saint-Domingue in 1791, Boyer joined the French Commissioners. He fought against the wealthy plantation owners and those loyal to the French king. In 1794, British forces invaded Saint-Domingue, hoping to take advantage of the chaos. Boyer went to Jacmel and joined forces with General André Rigaud, a mulatto leader.

While other mulatto leaders surrendered to Toussaint Louverture in southern Saint-Domingue, Boyer escaped to France with Rigaud and Alexandre Pétion. At this time, the United States supported France's efforts to regain control of the colony. France sent 20,000 troops to Saint-Domingue. Boyer stayed in Paris until 1801.

Fighting for Freedom

Boyer returned to Haiti to protest the independence that Toussaint Louverture had just achieved. By early 1802, Rigaud and other leaders learned that the French planned to remove the civil rights of mulattoes. They also intended to bring back slavery for former slaves in Saint-Domingue. The French sent General LeClerc to defeat the rebels, adding 20,000 more troops over the next 21 months.

Boyer worked with other Haitian leaders to defeat the French. In November 1803, France pulled out its remaining 7,000 troops. Most of their soldiers had died from yellow fever, a common disease on the island.

On January 1, 1804, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, a former slave from the North, declared Haiti's independence. He became Emperor Jacques I but was assassinated by his opponents in 1806.

After Dessalines' death, Alexandre Pétion and Henri Christophe competed for control of Haiti. Pétion represented the mixed-race elite in the South, while Christophe represented the Black former slaves in the North. After years of fighting, they created separate states: Pétion led the Republic of Haiti in the South, and Christophe created the State (later Kingdom) of Haiti in the North.

President of Haiti

In 1818, Pétion died, and Boyer took his place as the second President of the Republic of Haiti. This was a planned change because Pétion had chosen Boyer as his successor, and the Senate approved his choice. The constitution of 1816 allowed the President to choose his successor. This was done to protect the nation from outside interference. Joseph Balthazar Inginac continued to serve as the President's secretary and main assistant.

Boyer believed that Haiti needed to be recognized as an independent nation to keep its freedom. He thought this could only happen by making a deal with France. On July 11, 1825, Boyer signed a treaty. This treaty stated that Haiti would pay France a large sum of money. This payment was to make up for the lost property, including slaves and trade. In return, France would formally recognize Haiti's independence.

Uniting the Country

As soon as Boyer became president, he faced the ongoing rivalry with Henri Christophe and the Kingdom of Haiti in the North. Christophe's harsh rule caused constant unrest in his kingdom. In 1820, his soldiers rebelled against him. Christophe, in poor health and fearing assassination, took his own life. Boyer then reunited Haiti without a single battle.

Unification of Hispaniola

On November 30, 1821, several towns near the border with Santo Domingo raised the Haitian flag. This showed their desire for independence. The new nation was called the Republic of Spanish Haiti. On December 1, 1821, the leaders of this new nation decided to join with Gran Colombia.

However, some politicians and military officers in Santo Domingo wanted to unite with the Republic of Haiti. Former slaves hoped to gain their freedom under Haitian President Jean-Pierre Boyer. Another group near the border also supported Boyer and opposed joining Gran Colombia.

Boyer wanted to protect Haiti from France or Spain taking over Santo Domingo again. He feared they might then attack or reconquer Haiti. He aimed to keep Haiti independent and ensure the freedom of slaves in Santo Domingo.

Taking Control of the Island

After promising protection to several Dominican governors and gaining their loyalty, Boyer annexed the newly independent state in February 1822. He did this with an army of 50,000 soldiers. These forces met little resistance from the much smaller Dominican population. On February 9, 1822, Boyer officially entered the capital city, Santo Domingo. There, Núñez de Cáceres handed over the keys to the city. Dominicans had mixed feelings about the Haitian takeover.

The entire island of Hispaniola was now united under one government. Boyer gave land to Haitian military officers, taking it from former members of the Spanish forces in Santo Domingo. This reduced his influence with the Spanish-Haitian leaders. He continued Pétion's policy of helping free people of color in other Spanish-American colonies fight against Spanish rule. Boyer did not listen to Haitian political opponents who wanted reforms, like a parliamentary democracy. He also ignored veteran generals from the War of Independence who felt that the revolution was not complete and that they were being overlooked.

American Black Migration to Haiti

Boyer and his assistants, Joseph Balthazar Inginac and Jonathas Granville, were very involved in a large movement of Black Americans to Haiti in 1824. This event did not happen by chance, and the migrants did not just react to promises from the Haitian government.

This migration is often called a failure because out of about 6,000 migrants, a couple of thousand returned to the U.S. However, those who stayed often saw the migration differently. The term "failure" might better describe the Haitian government's goals for the migrants. It also applies to the idea many white people in the U.S. had of moving the entire Black population out of the country. Neither of these goals was fully met.

However, for the descendants of the migrants who now live in the Samaná Peninsula and those who blended into the local culture, the migration offered a new life on the island. It also gave them chances to connect with a wider Black community through business. Their knowledge of English gave them an advantage in Haiti.

Efforts to Encourage Migration

The American Colonization Society (ACS) noticed Haiti's efforts to recruit migrants. This group was worried that free Black people could never truly fit into the United States. So, in 1816, they formed their society to send Black Americans back to Africa, no matter where they were born. This was a difficult partnership between people who wanted to end slavery and those who owned slaves, as they had different reasons for supporting the idea. The ACS planned to create a colony in what became Liberia for former slaves.

In 1817, Loring D. Dewey traveled along the East Coast to find people willing to move, starting in New York. The organization hoped to resettle 100,000 free people of color within 10 years.

Dewey's meetings in New York convinced him to give up the idea of colonizing Liberia. Most Black Americans did not want to leave what they considered their home country. Dewey met with Haitian citizens in New York, many of whom were French refugees and free people of color who had fled the revolution. They suggested Haiti as the perfect home for Black people because of its mild weather and independent Black government. After Dewey wrote to Boyer to see if he was still interested in receiving American immigrants, Boyer proposed that Haiti would only seek Black people from the United States.

The ACS sent Boyer questions about its goal of creating a colony for American free Black people. Boyer was confident that his government could welcome these people. The ACS tried to get the Haitian government to pay for the migrants' travel costs. Boyer replied that the government would pay for those who could not afford it, but the ACS would need to handle the rest of the money. Haiti was already in debt to the French, who had demanded a high payment for lost plantations. This meant Haiti was essentially paying for its independence. The government did not have enough money to transport American families to Haiti.

Dewey suggested creating a separate colony for American free Black people on the island, with its own laws and government. Boyer was against the idea of an American colony on the island. Haitians already feared being recolonized by the French. He told Dewey that Haitian laws applied to everyone across Haiti.

Starting in September 1824, nearly 6,000 Americans, mostly free people of color, moved to Haiti within a year. Ships departed from New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Because of the island's poverty and Boyer's government's inability to fully support the new immigrants, most returned to the United States within a short time.

Paying France for Independence

Boyer was eager to remove the threat from France and began talks. An agreement was reached on July 11, 1825, when Boyer signed a treaty. It stated that France would recognize Haiti as an independent country. In return, Haiti would pay 150 million francs within five years. This amount was later reduced to 90 million francs in 1838. However, it was still a huge financial burden for Haiti.

Boyer had to get a loan of 30 million francs from France to pay the first part of this debt. Meanwhile, most of Haiti's rural population was returning to a farming lifestyle where they grew just enough for themselves. Boyer tried to enforce a system to increase farming production, but people did not want to be tied to other people's land.

With the Rural Act, Boyer brought back a land distribution program. He divided some of the large plantations and gave land to small farmers. To produce enough goods for export and earn money, the government "tied" the rural population to their small farms and set production goals.

Exile and Death

Boyer's rule lasted until 1843. The country's poor economic situation became even worse after the 1842 Cap-Haïtien earthquake. The rural population, who were struggling, rose up under Charles Rivière-Hérard in late January. On February 13, 1843, Boyer fled Haiti to nearby Jamaica. He eventually settled in exile in France, where he died in Paris in 1850. Descendants of Boyer still live in Haiti today.

Haiti and the Greek War of Independence

Haiti was the first independent country to recognize the Greek revolution against the Ottoman Empire. Jean-Pierre Boyer sent a letter on January 15, 1822, after Greece asked for help.

In the letter, sent to Greek people living in France—Adamantios Korais, Christodoulos Klonaris, Konstantinos Polychroniades, and A. Bogorides—who had formed a committee seeking international support for the Greek revolution, Boyer expressed his support. He compared their fight for freedom to Haiti's own struggle for independence. He apologized for not being able to help Greece financially at that time, but he hoped to in the future. He strongly showed his moral and political support for the revolution. He filled his letter with references to ancient Greek history, showing he knew a lot about it. He powerfully suggested that the modern Greek revolutionaries were the true heirs of their ancestors.

Some historians say that Boyer also sent the Greeks 25 tons of Haitian coffee. This coffee could be sold, and the money used to buy weapons. However, there isn't enough proof to support this claim. There is also a claim that one hundred Haitian volunteers went to fight in the Greek Revolution. It is said that their ship was taken by pirates in the Mediterranean, and these fighters never reached their destination.

See also

In Spanish: Jean-Pierre Boyer para niños