1852 newspaper "Petition to Recognize Hayti"

NALs

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Great thread!

If you know of any other newspapers that their past publications are available online, share them!

You might find plenty at The New York Times website. There I found a treasure trove of historic information about the DR. NYT's goes as far back as 1851.
 

NALs

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Man!

I search for Santo Domingo and the first thing I stumble upon is this:

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This is great! Not the massacre, but that it goes so far back.

Cape Francois = Cape Haitien
 

NALs

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After reading the article, the proclammation that Dessalines made against some of my ancestors is included there.

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I know from previous research that Dessalines made similar promises of protection to the French in each town of Haiti, only to kill them once they presented themselves at the plaza in the center of the towns.

It says that the remains of the victims was thrown ina ditch at the foot of a mountain. Their bones are probably still there, but who knows what mountain.
 
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NALs

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The murder of Dessalines in 1806.

Its interesting that they mention a French/Spanish attack against Haitian troops in Monte Cristi. This hasn't appeared in any Dominican history book that I've read. Dessalines' mistreatment of his troops was very typical of him, which is why his own troops killed him. The article also mentions the massacre of the mulattoes of the Haitian town of Port-de-Paix.

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GWOZOZO

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Speaking of Desalin

"Revolutionary and First Ruler of Independent Haiti

Dessalines fought with Toussaint Louverture against the British and French. After turning against Toussaint and joining Leclerc, Dessalines eventually became the leader of the revolution. A fierce warrior, his motto was "Koupe tet, boule kay" - "Cut off the head, burn down the house." (Wilentz) Dessalines declared Saint-Domingue's independence on January 1, 1804, and became the Black republic's first leader: the self-declared Emperor of Haiti (1804?1806 under the name of Jacques I; French: Jacques, Empereur Ier d'Ha?ti). For an English translation of the Independence declaration see: Act of Independence.
"A handsome, 'red-skinned' Negro from Senegal 1, fearless in the field and unscrupulous off it." (Parkinson, p. 67)

"In a battle near Cape Fran?ois, Rochambeau took five hundred black prisoners, and put them all to death the same day. Dessalines, hearing of this, brought five hundred white prisoners in sight of the French, and hung them up, so that the cruel monster could see the result of his own barbarous example. (Wells-Brown p. 112)

"Nearly all historians have set him down as a bloodthirsty monster, who delighted in the sufferings of his fellow-creatures. They do not rightly consider the circumstances that surrounded him, and the foe that he had to deal with." (Wells-Brown p. 111)

"Insofar as we can talk intelligibly about a caste system in post-colonial Haiti, Dessalines was it's adversary." (Nicholls, p. 39)


Jean-Jacques Dessalines letter to Thomas Jefferson, 1803.On declaring independence, Dessalines is reported to have created the Haitian flag by tearing out the white out of the French tricolor. The Haitian national anthem La Dessalinienne is named in Dessalines honor.

Dessalines is widely regarded by Haitians as one of the outstanding heroes in the struggle against slavery and colonialism, in this spirit he is also affectionately called: 'Papa Desalin' (lit. Father Dessalines). He was the Governor-General of Saint-Domingue from November 30, 1803 to December 31, 1803, the day before the Haitian Declaration of Independence. In contrast many non Haitian observers have focused on Dessalines treatment of French colonialists and less on his achievements in the freedom struggle.

The Haitian Constitution of 1805

After becoming the ruler of Haiti, Jean-Jacques Dessalines promulgated the Haitian Constitution of 1805 on May 20 of that year. This constitution included the following important provisions:

Freedom of Religion (Under Toussaint Catholicism had been declared the official state religion);
All citizens of Haiti, regardless of skin color, to be known as "Black" ? including the Poles and Germans (This was an attempt to eliminate the multi-tiered racial hierarchy which had developed in Haiti, with full-blooded Europeans at the top, various levels of light to brown skin in the middle, and dark skinned "Kongo", referring tho the region of Africa where most of the slaves had arrived from, from Africa at the bottom).


Dessalines Death

A conspiracy to overthrow Dessalines included Henry Christophe and Alexandre P?tion, who both succeeded him. Dessalines was assassinated north of Port-au-Prince at Pont Larnage, (now known as Pont-Rouge) on October 17, 1806 en route to battle the rebels.
D?fil?e, a woman, took the mutilated body of Jean-Jacques Dessalines to bury him."
 

NALs

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If there is one thing I agree with Dessalines (imagine that!) is the way he described the French to Gaspar Arredondo Pichardo when he went with a delegation of Santiagueros to Cap Haitien to present the proposal the Dominicans made to Dessaliness in exchange for him to spare te destruction of the civilian Dominican population. He said that the French were false, that the moment they felt in control of the country they break every promise and impose a tyranny. Not only did General Leclerc did that once they regained control of most Haitian towns, but the French did the same in the Spanish part.

According to William Walton, an Englishman that lived in SD during the final years of French rule of the Spanish part and played a role in attracting the British help from Jamaica that without the Dominicans would had never won the war of reconquest, to French authority began to treat the Dominican population with injustices. That's part of the reason for the Dominican revolt that finally expelled the French as rulers on the island. During the war the Dominican population of the capital resorted to eating rats and many starved to death because the French rationed the food and made sure the French families had their full share prior to giving any to the local population. According to Walton, when French authorities walked the streets of SD (modern Colonial Zone) many Dominican husbands/fathers literally begged the French authorities to give them food to take to their families and they were often denied that as long as here were French families that had not eaten anything.

That's also part of the reason for my aversion of the DR joining the Francophone organization, in addition to the fact that Dominican society was not born from France.

Despite all of that, it can't be denied that Dessalines was a cruel man even with his own soldiers. Probably explains why in Haiti Dessalines was not considered the 'father of the country' until Jean Price-Mars and Jean Francois Duvalier, with their negritude movement, took prominence in Haitian society. Before then Alexandre Petion was a much more favored character. The Haitian mulatto elite felt uncomfortable with Dessalines cruelty, especially to their own kind.
 

GWOZOZO

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Despite all of that, it can't be denied that Dessalines was a cruel man even with his own soldiers. Probably explains why in Haiti Dessalines was not considered the 'father of the country' until Jean Price-Mars and Jean Francois Duvalier, with their negritude movement, took prominence in Haitian society. Before then Alexandre Petion was a much more favored character. The Haitian mulatto elite felt uncomfortable with Dessalines cruelty, especially to their own kind.

So true.

Desalin had to be re-introduced.

In my southern home town of Les cayes, there was no streets named after Desalin.

After all he was killed after putting down a revolt in the south and said. "After what I have just done in the south, if the citizens do not rise up, they are not MEN"

The division is still there today in Haitian culture. The majority see themselves as the children of Dessalin and see the minority as the children of Petyon.

There is a new political party named "Platfom pitit Desalin" Children of Desalin platform.

Kristoff (king of the north) is the one admired by all Haitians.
 

Naked_Snake

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Sep 2, 2008
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So true.

Desalin had to be re-introduced.

In my southern home town of Les cayes, there was no streets named after Desalin.

After all he was killed after putting down a revolt in the south and said. "After what I have just done in the south, if the citizens do not rise up, they are not MEN"

The division is still there today in Haitian culture. The majority see themselves as the children of Dessalin and see the minority as the children of Petyon.

There is a new political party named "Platfom pitit Desalin" Children of Desalin platform.

Kristoff (king of the north) is the one admired by all Haitians.

You also have to remember that the task of "blooding his hands" after the contest between Toussaint and Rigaud fell on him. Southerners have long memories and all that.
 

mofongoloco

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Feb 7, 2013
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NALS, do you have the link for that JPEG. I saw that one a long time ago, but I couldn't find it again. Can you post the article?

Man!

I search for Santo Domingo and the first thing I stumble upon is this:

image.jpg


This is great! Not the massacre, but that it goes so far back.

Cape Francois = Cape Haitien
 

K-Mel

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Apr 15, 2012
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Dessalines was a bloodthirsty tiger :

- During the "racial" war between Toussaint and Rigaud , he played a huge role in punishing the mulattoes

- Toussaint used him to slaughter some whites when he was in charge

- The same Toussaint used him to punish the forced plantation workers (who hated both Dessalines and Toussaint). The Maroons leaders of that time were closed to those plantation workers ( Les cultivateurs) and joined Leclerc's army (French army) to punish Toussaint and Dessalines

- Leclerc used Dessalines to punish the black rebels, he was so effective that Leclerc nicknamed him " le boucher des noirs" or " the butcher of the blacks"

- Finally, he finished by the massacre of remaining French ( and no the whites as it is usely falsely claimed , more specially when The remaining Polish soldiers took part in that massacre) under the advice of two mulattoes ( who hated even more the whites : read Boisrond Tonnerre books who also wrote the 1804 independence declaration ) Chanlatte and Boisrond Tonnerre

But we all know the saying " Karma is a B..." and the way he was slaughtered is frightening . It is a shame that this guy loved so much spilling innocent people blood
 

mofongoloco

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Charles Boyer held as POW in Norwich ct 1799-1800

Bottom column 3.

This article states that Boyer was sailing in a French flagged vessel which was held captive during a conflict. It states that he was hosted by a local family. Twenty years later it states he sought out his hosts while he was in office as president.

Anyone ever heard of this.

I find it is often overlooked by folks that the U.S. played an important role as a refuge for many Latin American revolutionaries. Jose mart? for example. Not the case here, just an observation.

http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lc...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=2
 

mofongoloco

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Feb 7, 2013
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Hayti declares trade embargo 1823

The following article describes how Hayti was in fact an international participant I. World affairs and able to influence its own destiny, contrary to an often told tale of woe and oppression.

Hayti declares that any vessel flagged from a country which defiles Hayti, attempts to betray the liberty of Hayti or engages in slave practices with Haitians is barred from any commerce. Any vessel subject to confiscation. It doesn't bar trade with slave nations. Basically, just don't F with us.

The corrector. (Sag-Harbor, N.Y.) 1822-1911, August 10, 1822, Page 3, Image 3 - NYS Historic Newspapers