Black Wall News : 219 years freedom from slavery in Haiti

219 years of freedom in Haiti

The flag of Haiti was created in 1803, adopted in 1820, and made official in 1843. The 1987 Constitution of Haiti confirms in the text the historical identity of the Haitian flag, which is recognized as the emblem of the Republic.

The flag of Haiti is blue and red, arranged in two horizontal bands of equal length.

This flag is inspired by the tricolor French flag, adopted by the French Revolution, whose white part, considered the symbol of the white race and not of royalty, has been torn. On May 18, 1803, during the congress of Arcahaie, bringing together all the leaders of the Haitian Revolution, Jean-Jacques Dessalines tore off the central white part of the French tricolor flag. Catherine Flon took the two remaining pieces, blue and red, and sewed them together to symbolize the union of blacks and mulattoes and create the flag of Haiti of the Republic of Haiti. The flag presents in its center a coat of arms with rifles and cannons, copying the header of the French generals of the Santo Domingo expedition1.

Headed paper of French generals during the Saint-Domingue expedition.

Under the Duvalier dictatorship, from 1964 to 1986, it was replaced by a red and black flag.

Ten days after the overthrow of Jean-Claude Duvalier, on February 17, 1986, the historic national flag was officially rehabilitated and confirmed by the 1987 constitution voted in the referendum of March 29, 1987.

The arms of the Republic are: The palm tree surmounted by the cap of freedom and, shading with its palms, a trophy of arms with the legend: “Unity is strength”.

Since 1938, the patriotic song Fière Haïti, also known as "Hymne à la jeunesse", written in 1937 by Édouard Antonin Tardieu, following competition from the Ministry of National Education, and whose music was composed by Desaix Baptiste, is sung every May 18, Flag Day. It is also sung during the raising of flags, especially in schools. Wikipedia

The historicity of the flag

The French flag flew over the French colony of Santo Domingo for more than a century until February 1803. The black leader, the precursor to independence, Toussaint Louverture, adopted the French tricolor in 1798. In January 1801, he was appointed governor and directed the whole island, then by the constitution of July 8, 1801, became Governor for life. In June 1802, Toussaint Louverture was taken prisoner by Napoleon Bonaparte and deported to France, where he died.

In February 1803, at the Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the leader of the Black insurgents, and Alexandre Pétion, the leader of the Mulattoes, decided to no longer fight alongside the French. During the Arcahaie Congress on May 18, 1803, Dessalines removed the white band from the colonial emblem to give birth to the first Haitian standard symbolizing the union of mulattoes and blacks in the struggle for their freedom. It had the motto "Liberty or Death" written on it. Dessalines was then appointed general-in-chief of the army of the insurrection. Catherine Flon, the daughter-in-law of Dessalines' wife, was in charge of sewing the two bands, blue and red.

On November 18, 1803, the capitulation of the French troops at Vertières sealed the independence of Haiti. On January 1, 1804, the leaders of the Revolution decided to change the flag by arranging the colors horizontally. It was the first official flag of the free and independent Republic. The Constitution of 1843 will confirm this horizontal two-tone flag (article 192).

On October 8, 1804, Dessalines proclaimed himself emperor under the name of Jacques 1er. It then adopted, on May 20, 1805, a new black and red vertical flag. These colors symbolized the words: "Freedom" (red) or "Death" (black).

After the events of October 17, 1806 at Pont Rouge, where Jean-Jacques Dessalines was assassinated, the country, for 14 years, was divided into two parts, on the one hand the North and on the other hand, the South and the West. . , governed respectively by Alexandre Pétion and Henri Christophe. Alexandre Pétion redesigned the flag the same year, using the blue and red of 1804, adding "L'Union fait la force" and a square of white cloth in the middle of which were placed the arms of the Republic adorned with the cap of liberty ( Phrygian cap). This flag flew above the National Palace for 158 years until 1964.

On December 27, 1806, General Henri Christophe was appointed president and was recognized by the North, the North-West and later, in 1807, by the Arbonites. On March 28, 1811, he proclaimed himself king under the name of Henry I (1811-1820). The Emperor kept the colors of the imperial standard of the Kingdom of the North (1805) but slid the red band on the side of the mast with in the middle, an escutcheon with a phoenix surmounted by five gold stars on a blue background. A crown is arranged above the phoenix and in the circle, a Latin inscription 'ex cinerebus nascitur' "from the ashes, I will be reborn". The kingdom of Henry I was abolished in 1818 following the conquest of the North by Alexandre Pétion, proclaimed president on March 19, 1807, and who imposed the blue, red, horizontal flag. Jean-Pierre Boyer succeeded him on October 8, 1820 but kept the same flag.

On February 9, 1822, Jean-Pierre Boyer annexed the Spanish part of the island (today the Dominican Republic) which, a few months earlier, on November 30, 1821, proclaimed its independence from Spain under the name of "Republica del Haiti espanol". ""Spanish Republic of Haiti" and at the same time, its union with Gran Colombia. The flag of the Spanish Republic of Haiti was raised in the first weeks of 1822, but it was the flag of Gran Colombia in A Republic that Boyer wasted no time in dissolving.

An attempt to rehabilitate the black and red flag, undertaken in 1844, was a failure. In 1847, Faustin Soulouque was elected president and in 1849, proclaimed himself emperor under the name of Faustin I (1849-1859). In its Constitution of 1849, it adopts the blue and red flag but replaces the coat of arms with a crest. The Empire of Faustin I came to an end on January 15, 1859 and the coat of arms of the Republic returned to its original place, in the center of the flag.

François Duvalier, Papa Doc, was elected president in 1957 and in 1960 seized all the powers. In 1963, he created the single party. A new Constitution was adopted on May 25, 1964, which adopted the black and red flag. The latter was officially confirmed on June 21, 1964. However, the coat of arms of the Republic was retained. Duvalier died on April 21, 1971 and was replaced by his son, Jean Claude, proclaimed president for life. Following a popular revolt, Jean Claude left power in February 1986.

On February 17, 1986, 10 days after the departure of Jean-Claude Duvalier, the nation readopted the blue and the red which would be ratified a year later, on March 29, 1987, during the plebiscite on the 1987 Constitution.