Black Crown, the Haitian Revolution and the Caribbean’s Forgotten Kingdom
by Paul Clammer, Hurst, £25

MAYA ANGELOU, renowned US poet and civil rights activist, said: “The more you know of your history the more liberated you are.” Clammer’s book, a biography of Henry Christophe, helps to fill the enormous gap in material available to those wishing to learn more of Haiti’s history, the first country to overthrow slavery.

This adventure begins with the American War of Independence where Christophe, Toussaint Louverture and many other former African Caribbean slaves joined the colonists in their fight against Britain. Returning to Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) Louverture, inspired by the French Revolution, led a series of slave revolts eventually overthrowing French rule in 1801. Christophe was one of his top lieutenants. 

Louverture died in captivity in France following a failed attempt to negotiate independence. His successor Jean-Jacques Dessalines finally declared independence in 1804.   

The constitution of the new republic stated: “Slavery is forever abolished.” However, plantation workers were still required to remain and work on their plantations. It was not an easy path forward with divisions between north and south, revolts by maroons (escaped slaves who set up their own statelets) and power struggles amongst revolutionary leaders.

The struggle took place against a background of attempts by former plantation owners to regain control and re-establish slavery.  As Britain, France and Spain fought in Europe they tussled for dominance in the Caribbean. Eventually all their armies were driven out of Haiti. 

Dessalines was assassinated in 1807 whereupon Christophe was elected president. 

Sadly the country split in two. Christophe, ruling in the north declared himself king, claiming sovereignty over the whole of Haiti including the “republic” in the south. 

According to Clammer, although Christophe was seen by many as a ruthless dictator, this may be too simplistic. He defended the Haitian revolution against internal intrigues and strategically switched alliances between France, Spain and Britain to protect Haiti’s independence. 

Christophe established an educational system for his people and introduced a system of labour and land ownership, replacing the former slave plantations. It regulated working hours, banned corporal punishment and provided for 25 per cent of the income from the plantations being retained by the plantation workers. 

Christophe’s suicide in 1820, during an army coup, brought an end to the Kingdom of Haiti and the reign of its only king. The country was subsequently reunited as an independent republic.
 
The book is hard reading as it is so detailed in retelling events but, as well as being an important contribution to Haiti’s little-known history, it provides evidence of the intrigues of European imperialist states in their efforts to maintain their exploitation of the Caribbean.