Empire of Haiti: Map & History
The First Empire of Haiti, officially known as the Empire of Haiti, was an elective monarchy in North America.
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The First Empire of Haiti, officially known as the Empire of Haiti, was an elective monarchy in North America. Haiti was controlled by France before declaring independence on 1 January 1804. The Governor-General of Haiti, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, created the empire on 22 September 1804. After being proclaimed emperor by the Generals of the Haitian Revolution Army, he held his coronation ceremony on 6 October and took the name Jacques I. The constitution of 20 May 1805 set out the way the empire was to be governed, with the country split into six military divisions. The general of each division corresponded directly with the emperor or the general in chief appointed by the emperor. The constitution also set out the succession to the throne, with the crown being elective and the reigning emperor having the power to appoint his successor. The constitution also banned white people, with the exception of naturalised Germans and Poles, from owning property inside the empire.
Modern Countries Once Part of Empire of Haiti
At its mapped extent, Empire of Haiti covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Empire of Haiti's borders of that time.
- Santo Domingo 1822–1845 CE
- Port-au-Prince 1805–1915 CE
- Santiago 1822–1845 CE
- Cap-Haïtien 1805–1915 CE
- San Pedro de Macorís 1822–1845 CE
- La Romana 1822–1845 CE
- La Vega 1822–1845 CE
- San Cristóbal 1822–1845 CE
- San Francisco de Macorís 1822–1845 CE
- Higuey 1822–1845 CE
- Puerto Plata 1822–1845 CE
- Barahona 1822–1845 CE
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Empire of Haiti in Depth
History
Fearing the return of the French to the island, Dessalines and Henri Christophe built forts to fend them off.
On October 8, 1804, he was crowned Emperor under the name of Jacques I of Haiti, in Cap-Haïtien under the title His Majesty Jacques I, Emperor.
At the end of February 1805, Jean-Jacques Dessalines and his troops left in two directions: one part towards the north (Dajabón-Santiago-La Vega-Saint Domingue) commanded by Henri Christophe, and another towards the south (Hinche-San Juan de la Maguana-Azua-Baní-Saint-Domingue) commanded by Dessalines himself.
On February 25, 1805, Dessalines at the head of 30,000 men captured Santiago.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: First Empire of Haiti (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Empire of Haiti: Key Facts
| Capital | Port-au-Prince |
|---|---|
| Official languages | French, Haitian Creole |
| Form of government | elective monarchy |
| Founded | 1804 |
| Dissolved | 1806 |
Succeeded by
- State of Haiti
Facts from Wikidata Q2006756 (CC0).
Interactive map
Empire of Haiti on the World War I map →
See Empire of Haiti’s territory change day by day from 12 July 1918, with every battle it fought.
Empire of Haiti Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Empire of Haiti appears, with the other states of the time.
Empire of Haiti Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 83,656 km² in 1834 CE.
Empire of Haiti: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Empire of Haiti exist?
The Empire of Haiti is dated to 1805 CE – 1915 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of the Empire of Haiti?
The capital of the Empire of Haiti was Port-au-Prince.
How large was the Empire of Haiti at its peak?
At its peak in 1834 the Empire of Haiti covered about 83,656 km².
How did the map of the Empire of Haiti change over time?
The Empire of Haiti appears on 3 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1850 CE to 1914 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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