Revolutionary leaders proclaimed Dessalines emperor in September 1804, consolidating authority in the new state. His coronation took place on 8 October. The empire asserted Haiti’s sovereignty in a...
The Constitution of 1805 prohibited slavery and affirmed the independence of Haiti under Emperor Jacques Dessalines. It defined the state’s citizenship and authority while seeking to prevent a...
A group of Haitian officers and political opponents assassinated Emperor Jacques Dessalines near Pont-Rouge outside Port-au-Prince. His rule had defended independence and emancipation but also...