Haitian Culture Curriculum Guide

Jean-Jacques Dessalines In June 1802, after Toussaint’s arrest, he made the following prediction
to his captors, “In overthrowing me, you have cut down in St. Domingue only the trunk of the tree
of liberty. It will spring up again by the roots, for they are numerous and deep.”
This prediction was soon to be fulfilled. The arrest of Toussaint caused great alarm among the
Haitian generals. When it was revealed that Napoleon had planned to re-introduce slavery, war
broke out again. Dessalines, one of Toussanint’s former generals, assumed the position of
leadership.
The war between the French and the Haitian forces was intense. Over a hundred thousand French
and Haitians died; some as casualties of war and others from yellow fever. On November 30, 1803,
the Haitian leaders declared their independence from France, and on January 1, 1804, Haiti
celebrated its first Independence Day. It was on that day that Dessalines re-named the former
French colony - St. Domingue as Haiti. This was the name of the island before the arrival of the
Spaniards.
Dessalines became Governor General in 1804. Throughout his reign, he spent much time fighting
against the mulattos and whites. In 1806, he was killed by enemy soldiers. Dessalines was
succeeded by Henri Christophe.
The economy of Haiti was wrecked after many years of war. Haiti had won her independence.
Slavery had ended. Freedom was won. The direction Haiti would take would be dependent on
future trends - nationally and internationally.
Cecile Fatiman is highly ranked among the women who played a significant role in the history of
Haiti. She was a key figure at the meeting where the sons of Africa's Guinea gathered to form a
strategy to take Haiti out of slavery. Cecile later married Pierrot, who became a President of Haiti.
She lived until the age of 112.
Catherine Flon will forever be associated with the Haitian flag. She offered to reunite the two
pieces of the flag right before the fight for independence. The tri-colored flag symbolized the unity
of the three different social classes of the colony. Dessalines decided to take out the white portion
of the flag; he ripped the flag in two. Catherine Flon reunited the blue and red pieces and sewed
them, using strands of her hair as threads.
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