This year marks the 228th anniversary of the ceremony of Bwa Kayiman, where a secret voodoo ceremony was held deep in the woods of Cap Haitien (north of Haïti), on August 14, 1791. Presided by Dutty Boukman (Jamaica-born, voodoo priest and Imam) and Cecile Fatima, it was considered to be the official starting point of the Haitian Revolution, although there were previous rebellions held on the island prior to it. Others such as Georges Biassou, Jean F. Papillon and Jeannot Bullet were leaders of the early revolution who were also attending this ceremony. This voodoo ceremony sparked the Haitian Revolution which led to the birth of the first black independent nation and slaves to freedom.
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Cette année marque le 228e anniversaire de la cérémonie du Bois Caïman, là où eu lieu une cérémonie vaudou secrète au fond d’une forêt dense du Cap Haïtien (nord d’Haïti), le 14 août 1791. Présidé par Dutty Boukman (Esclave éduqué et prêtre vaudou né en Jamaïque) et Cécile Fatima, cette cérémonie est considérée comme le moment qui  déclancha la révolution Haïtienne, toutefois, il y eu d’autres rébellions sur l’île auparavant. Parmi les gens qui étaient présent, Georges Biassou, Jean F. Papillon et Jeannot Bullet, de la première révolution qui assistaient également à cette cérémonie. Cette cérémonie vaudou a déclenché la révolution haïtienne qui a donné naissance à la première nation indépendante noire et esclave de la liberté.
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Ane sa a make 228yèm anivèsè seremoni Bwa Kayiman, kote yo te fè yon seremoni vodou sekrè nan fon bwa Okap (nan nò Ayiti) nan dat 14 dawout 1791. Prezide pa Dutty Boukman, yon prèt vodou, ak Iman ki te edike) ak Cecile Fatima, seremoni a te konsidere kòm komansman revolisyon ayisyen an, men te gen rebelyon sou zile a anvan. Georges Biassou, Jean F. Papillon ak Jeannot Bullet te lidè premye revolisyon an ki te asiste seremoni sa a tou. Seremoni vodou sa a te deklannche revolisyon ayisyen an ki te bay premye nasyon endepandan nwa e esklav lib.
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#haiti #boiscaiman #bwakayiman #ceremony #voodoo #vaudou #vodou #africa #1791 #1804 #boukman #jamaica #fatima #cecilefatima #biassou #caphaitien #okap #saintdomingue #imam #haitianrevolution #revolution

Reginald Joseph Noel grew up at a time in Haiti when talk of deforestation wouldn’t be the norm for a few more decades. He enjoyed great summer vacations on the countryside of Haiti and loved the serenity of woods, trees, and forests. Noel left Haiti for the United States in his youth to go study in New York. Initially, he was set to go in the dentistry field, but left New York for Miami, where he earned a Business Administration degree from Miami Dade College.

So much for a career in dental medicine. Mentally, Noel had detoured towards his love for nature, and more importantly the preservation of natural things in Haiti, like forests.

Noel returned to Haiti—where he currently resides—and founded Les Biocarburants d’Haïti in 2006. In addition to creating jobs in rural Haiti, the company is changing the way many see alternative energy in Haiti. Besides running Les Biocarburants d’Haïti, the environmentalist owns a car body shop. He also serves as a biofuel consultant to firms and organizations in Port-au-Prince.

Above: Reginald Joseph Noel sits in his office in Port-au-Prince, holding up a bottle of biodiesel fuel that his company Les Biocarburants d’Haiti produced.

Q&A

At which point, did you have the idea to launch a company like that?
It was by pure hazard that I became accustomed to renewable energy. A customer while waiting for his car at my shop mentioned the word” biodiesel”. I did some research on the subject and started with the help of my wife to experiment in our kitchen at home. The first try was not successful and we worked for weeks until we obtained something that looked like the pictures we saw on the internet. Once we had produced three gallons, we had to test it; my wife had a brand new car then and it was not the first choice! We put the fuel in my pickup truck…I live about 15 miles away from my workplace; she was monitoring me throughout the journey to make sure the truck wouldn’t stop! From that day on, this truck has been running on straight biodiesel—B-100.

When you started this company, you no doubt came across some skepticism. What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Fear not failure. One must have the strength to follow his or her dreams. At the beginning, most people I talked about making biodiesel in Haiti did not believe it was possible. Soon after that, with the support of family members and friends, we decided to launch the company. We began collecting used vegetable oil from hotels and restaurants in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, and thanks to a grant from the WINNER project funded by the USAID, we set up two experimental farms on 50 hectares and employ 125 people.

There’s always been this talk about deforestation in Haiti. What have you observed?
In 1924, Haiti was 60% covered with forest. Twenty years later, it went down to 20% and today we have less than 1% of forestry—which translates into chaos each hurricane season or during the rainy season of April to October. Last year, we cut 40 million trees to satisfy 75% of our energy needs in term charcoal and we are not planting any. As the local population is growing at an alarming rate 2.5% per year, we will need more charcoal. This has got to stop. It is easy to shout stop cutting trees, but what alternatives do we offer the charcoal workers to provide the basic to his family? Wood is a renewable energy. We need to set up nurseries and farms to have a constant source of such raw materials.

Do you have any counsel for other ecopreneurs, aspiring or otherwise?
Yes, renewable energy is a broad field where there is room for several other entrepreneurs. Let us take the plant that I am working with: jatropha curcas known here as “gwo medsin”. The oil content is thirty-five percent; there is ten percent humidity and the remainder is a rich seed cake that can be transformed into organic fertilizer, animal feed, briquettes to substitute [for] charcoal. There will be a growing need for chemists, nutritionists, industrial mechanics and engineers, welders, plumbers etc. We import on a daily basis two million eggs from the Dominican Republic. This seed cake can be a local and affordable source of animal feed such as chicken, tilapia and with one stone strike two birds—food and energy security. Solar energy still has a lot potential in Haiti and wind power is underutilized. The northwest of the country has a potential of 150 megawatt in wind energy. I wish my fellow Haitian-Americans would come visit, and invest in this field in order to develop our motherland. Energy is a key factor in development and is a lucrative market.

For those of us who are not too sure about biodiesel is, can you define it for us in lay folk term?
Biodiesel is an alternative fuels to petro-diesel made of vegetable oil or animal fat which can be used in any diesel engine such as tractor, trucks, boats, generators without any major modifications. It is cleaner than petro-diesel. Haiti has 600,000 hectares of dry to arid land which is perfect to plant gwo medsin without interfering with traditional agriculture. We decided to use this plant as our raw material because of [its] resistance to drought, its long life span of 30 years. But it does requires some care during the first two years. Gwo medsin has always been part of the Haitian farmer rituals as protective barriers from goats and other predators because the leaves contains a toxin that prevent them from being eaten by animals. Most of us who grew up in Haiti can remember the cuillère of huile—[spoonful of oil]—medsin we used to receive as laxative!

Above: Workers at a Les Biocarburants d’Haiti at one of the experimental farms in Haiti.

What are the benefits of using biodiesel?
One, we import 13 million gallon of diesel from Venezuela every month through the Petro-Caribe treaty. Haiti pays 40% of that fuel cost 60 days after the delivery. The remainder will be paid 20 years later at 2% interest rate which will be a hefty load to the future generations. We must start thinking of ways to reduce this burden which sums up to half a billion U.S. dollars per year! Why not try to produce 20% of the energy we need over the next ten to fifteen years? Two, biodiesel emits 70% less CO2 [carbon dioxide]. It reduces metal friction inside the engines which prolongs the life of any investments. Three, planting jatropha to have the raw material for biodiesel production will also create jobs in the rural parts [of Haiti] and reduce the flow of migration to the big Haitian cities. I am currently the Project Manager of a study funded by the IADB’s [Inter-American Development Bank] local branch and the OAS [Organization of American States] on the work on the legal framework for biofuels in Haiti in order to set some rules and standards to that industry.

You have a degree in Business Administration. Did it help you get to where you are?
Yes and no. Yes, academically speaking I was prepared No, because most of what I have learned in business was on the field. Books and articles are filled with information but are lifeless!

Initially, you dropped out of a dental program, to pursue the auto-mechanic trade.
As far as I can recall, I was curious. I used to break my toys and my younger brother’s the day after Christmas to see how it works and was agile with my hands. I have always showed interest in the field of mechanics, but it did not please my mother at all because the Haitian mentality to be successful one should only be lawyer, medical doctor or engineer! I did enroll in a pre-dentistry program at New York Tech in the Fall of 1983. My heart was not and was never in it—realizing that I would have been miserable the rest of my life doing something I did not like or pretending to be someone else just to please someone. We are eight in the family. Six of them are in the medical fields as physicians and nurses and psychologists. I am very happy and proud of myself even though there are long ways ahead and I’m seeking more challenges.

Welcome to today’s edition of Haiti History 101, with Adjunct Professor Kreyolicious in the podium. Today’s subject? The Battle of Vertieres, which took place in the 19th Century.

Are you interested in knowing more about the Haitian Revolution? Of course, you are! Well, read on!

So, what’s Vertieres…and why was it a big deal?

Above: A monument in Port-au-Prince Haiti depicting soldiers at the Battle of Vertieres.

1. Vertieres was the last link to France’s domination in Saint-Domingue (colonial Haiti).
In 1802, France dispatched veteran military man the Viscount Rochambeau to Saint-Domingue to squash the local army, headed by former slaves and freed slaves. Gradually, the rebels drew France’s troops out of the region. Vertieres was the last region not yet lost by France. But, according to Nicole Jean-Louis, it didn’t remain a French stronghold for long. Writing in the book History and Culture of Haiti: Journey Through Visual Art, Jean-Louis asserts that Vertiere’s location in the northern part of Haiti made it an especially attractive territory for both France and the rebels. Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Haiti’s Revolutionary leader, attacked Vertieres on November 18, 1803. A massive rainfall, followed by a series of thunderstorms, caused a submersion in the battlefield. Rochambeau pulled back. Dessalines declared victory, and the following day, Rochambeau sent a representative to negotiate his departure from Saint-Domingue.

2. The Battle of Vertieres is recognized by many historians as the Haitian Revolution’s most significant battle.
It’s to the Haitian Revolution what Gettysburg and the Battle of Franklin was in the U.S. Civil War and what Battle of Yorktown was in the U.S. Revolutionary War. Mary Bonk in her book Worldmark Yearbook states that Haiti’s edition of Veteran’s Day/Armed Forces Day is also celebrated on that date.

Above: An example of a stamp issued in 1954 by Haiti’s Postal Service as a tribute to the Battle of Vertieres.

3. Some of Haiti’s historical leaders gained their reputation on that day.
Among these historical leaders was a man named Francois Cappoix (some sources I read spell his name Capoix as well), also nicknamed Cappoix-la-Mort (Cappoix of Death). Historian Jacques Nicolas Leger attests that Cappoix’s horse was shot, and even as he was hurled down on the ground, he kept on fighting and urging the soldiers with him to march on, and fight on. Rochambeau was so impressed by Cappoix’s bravery and his determination, that he ordered a cease-fire so that he could personally congratulate Capoix, after which the battle resumed. Well! The next day, as part of France’s surrender, Cappoix was sent a brand new horse by France. Well, must have been nice!

Cappoix was reportedly murdered at the orders of future king Henri Christophe three years later after these historical events. I’ll add allegedly mezanmi because that’s what the historians say. I don’t want to slander these historical figures. But that’s the story!

Besides Cappoix (ahem, also spelled Capoix, and even Capois), there was another soldier named Augustin Clervaux (also spelled Clervau, and Clerveaux in some records), who had the historical distinction of firing out the first shot in the battle. Interestingly enough, Clerveaux was among the half-white, half-black military officers (called mulattoes) who had been dispatched as part of the squadrons to restore Saint-Domingue to France. The historian Laurent Dubois contends that like fellow military officer and mulatto Alexandre Petion, Clerveaux abandoned Rochambeau and joined the island’s rebels against France.

4. Like other battles of the Haitian Revolution, Haiti’s women soldiers were very active during this battle.
In addition to being supporting team members, Haiti’s women also served as nurses for the French soldiers. As part of the agreement that Dessalines and Rochambeau made (the surrender pact), according to Leger, French soldiers who were not in condition to embark the boat to leave for France, were to be nursed in the hospitals on the island until they could depart for France.

Above: Currency released by Haiti’s Department of Treasury in the mid-1980s to commemorate the Battle of Vertieres.

5. The battle’s significance is celebrated in modern times too.
Did you know that several of Haiti’s presidents did reenactments of the battle to commemorate it? According to historian and writer Michael Deibert in the book Notes From the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti, in 1954 Paul Eugene Magloire, who held the presidency that year, did an on-site reenactment, complete with cannons and soldiers.

There you have it folks! The story on the Battle of Vertieres…what it was, what took place, and why it was important.

This has been yet another episode of Haiti History 101, brought to you by your fave chick Kreyolicious. CLICK HERE to read other episodes in this series.

Are you looking for a children’s book about the Haitian Revolution for one of your younger siblings, and perhaps from your son or daughter? Or perhaps your godchild, nephew or niece? Frantz Derenoncourt has just the picture book just for you: Haiti the First Black Republic, released through Thorobred Books and illustrated by Eminence System.

A Brooklyn-born and bred father of two, Frantz now lives in Maryland.

Kreyolicious: Tell us more about yourself and your book.
I currently work in the real estate industry but my passion is Haitian history—more specifically the Haitian Revolution. I have always been inspired by the story of enslaved people from a different side of the world forming an army and defeating their oppressors to take over the colony. In my opinion, it is the greatest black achievement of all time. As a kid, I didn’t know this story but I feel I could’ve used it to gain a sense of pride in my self which was lacking at the time. It wasn’t necessarily a cool thing to be Haitian growing up in the early 80’s. I wanted to make sure my eight-year old son had that black pride instilled in him so I started telling him stories about the revolution and the revolutionaries. He became intrigued and it led me to writing a children friendly version of the Haitian Revolution.

Kreyolicious: The story of Haiti’s independence has been told so many times. When you were writing your book, was it difficult to come up with a new approach?
There are many books written about the Haitian Revolution out there. However, many of them are 2-4 inches thick and the masses of people, especially children, will never open it up to read it. My approach with this book was slightly different from any that I have seen because I wrote it at a second grade level with very colorful illustrations. Also, the book is only 33 pages long because I know the attention span of some people is not very long. I know there are many children-friendly books available of the American Revolution and the “Founding Fathers” of America. I wanted to do something similar but for black children. I feel that it is important for young black kids to be able to appreciate the achievements of their ancestors. Also, since I have been on this journey, I realized that not many grown people know about the story of Haiti’s independence. Having the story in a short form is just as effective educating adults as it is educating children.

Kreyolicious: What was the research process like for the book?
It’s funny because way before I had any thoughts of writing a book, I was completely engulfed in the writings of Haitian history scholars such as C.L.R James, Laurent Dubois, Robert Korngold, and many others. I read many books just because I was interested in the story. I only came up with the idea to write a children-friendly version of it because of my son. When it was time to sit down and write the story, I already knew so much that the story didn’t take that long to complete. Of course, I went back and reviewed and edited and made many revisions but I think this version came out pretty decent.

Kreyolicious: Do you stay connected to Haiti?
I don’t stay as connected as I would like to. A portion of every book sold does go to a non-profit organization named Color of Hope that builds libraries and educates the youth in Haiti. Truthfully, I’ve only been to Haiti twice in my life. I’m hoping to go again soon for an extended period of time to get back in touch with my roots and go on as many historical tours as possible. My grandmother and many aunts, uncles, and cousins still live in Haiti so I have plenty of family there.

Kreyolicious: What’s next for you?
I want to shine a different light on Haiti. Haiti is often referred to as “the poorest Country in the Western Hemisphere”, and too many people believe it. I’m of the opinion that Haiti is one of the richest places in the Western Hemisphere. If it weren’t [so] why is the US, France, and Canada so much into the political affairs of Haiti? To understand what is happening to Haiti now, one must first understand what happened to Haiti in the past, and that is my mission. I also want to bring light to the black heroes that seldom get mentioned. This book is the first of a series. Coming this spring, my next release will be a children-friendly biography of Makandal—a very instrumental revolutionary that most do not know about. I’m looking forward to introducing him to the world.

Frantz Deroncourt’s Website| Instagram| Facebook

Singer Nia Mahotiere-Louis—Nia Pash—has released three introductory singles to launch off her band Pash. Pash is rather appealing as a band, with four dapper male members standing at the singer’s side. According to the band’s official biography, the dapper gents are Dano Eugene Jr., the band’s maestro, Greg Previlon on keyboards, Ricardo “Codo” Anilus on congas, and Sebastian “Seby” Tertullien, a guitarist. Between them, they more than 10 years of experience, and Mahotiere-Louis is a former singer for the classic konpa band Zin.

Pash…

Before I even listened to the tracks, I had to pause and smile. Since starting this little website, and since I became Kreyolicious, I haven’t come across too many female-led groups in the konpa genre…unless I missed something. So, seeing this sassy singer leading two males into a song, well, um, the feeling is indescribable.

Naturally, the novelty of seeing a female leading a Haitian band shouldn’t mean that the band should get a pass of any sorts…

So, as I listened to the tracks, I was relieved to see that this band is quite solid musically. First there’s this song “Ayizan” in which the lead singer vocally struts through the lyrics, her voice raging like a soft-edged machete through some wild forest (not the deforested kind either). Her voice is lush, as if prior to recording the track, she had been going through some mental agony and decided to pour all her feelings and emotions in a one-take version of this song. If these songs are just a preview of this band’s capabilities, I wonder what they’ll emerge when they’re ready to present the public with the Real McCoy—the full-pledged Pash.

“More Than Friends” with that bratty auto tune towards the beginning made me want to click the STOP button, but around the 22 seconds mark, I regained my enthusiasm. I was especially charmed and impressed by the singer’s winsome delivery of the song, as well as her range. I don’t know why, but at some point I felt like this is what Ciara would sound like if she could sing in Creole. But the overall vibe was very Chante Moore, a classic singer from the 90s.

For “C’est Lamour”, the singer croons in French. The track showcases the singer’s ability to go from genre to genre. “C’est Lamour” comes with this French Caribbean aura, and the singer comes across as a tropical Celine Dion.

Pash is adorable, from the dotted “a”, in its name…(ahem that’s called a diacritic sign…I looked it up!), to the pink and black color scheme worn by its members, to its R&B- drenched konpa. This band ain’t half-baked, okay?

Moving forward, the music must be rad and the marketing consistent.

Will Mahotiere-Louis lead a revolution? Will Pash be a catalyst of sorts to bring more women to the forefront? Well, that would be something, wouldn’t it?

Let’s go Pash!

Listen to Pash below…

KEEP UP WITH PASH ON FACEBOOK BY CLICKING HERE!

It’s your girl Kreyolicious signing off this episode of KREYOLICIOUS MUSIC! See ya’ll children next time.

Toussaint had been arrested and sent to Fort-de-Joux, heavily guarded, on April 7 1803, he passed away. Certainly he suffered from exposure and cold, and was said to have suffered from loneliness. An autopsy attributed his death to lung disease.
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Toussaint avait été arrêté et envoyé à Fort-de-Joux, sous haute surveillance, le 7 avril 1803, il est décédé. Certes, il souffrait de froid et d’exposition et aurait souffert de solitude. Une autopsie a attribué sa mort à une maladie pulmonaire.
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Yo te arete Toussaint Ayiti epi yo te voye l nan Fort-de-Joux, nan prizon a yo te byen veye li, nan dat 7 avril 1803, li te mouri. Sètènman li te soufri nan kondisyon fredi nan kacho a, e yo di li te soufri solitid. Yon otopsi atribiye lanmò li ak maladi poumon.
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Source: Victor Schoelcher, book Vie de Toussaint Louverture
1.Main) Bust of Toussaint Louverture
2.Prison of Fort de Joux, where Toussaint died. Kote Toussaint te mouri.
3.Memorial plate.
4.Memorial place with his remains. Simityè kote yo antere li.
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#haiti #hayti #tousaint #toussaintlouverture #louverture #fortdejoux #joux #france #prison #prisonner #prisonnier #memorial #haitians #haitianrevolution #revolution #slavery #abolition #breda #blackspartacus #freedom #general #slaverebellion #indigenous #spartacus

He was an officer in the Haitian Army under Alexandre Pétion against Henri Christophe. He was declared President of Haiti on 4 April 1843 and forced from office by revolutionaries on 3 May 1844.
Hérard was chief among the conspirators who ousted President Jean-Pierre Boyer during the 1843 Revolution. Soon afterward, General Hérard, who had the loyalty of the army, seized control of the government and declared himself President of Haiti.
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Il était officier dans l’armée haïtienne sous Alexandre Pétion contre Henri Christophe. Il a été déclaré président d’Haïti le 4 avril 1843. Les révolutionnaires l’ont démis de ses fonctions le 3 mai 1844.
Hérard était le principal des conspirateurs qui ont destitué le président Jean-Pierre Boyer lors de la révolution de 1843. Peu après, le général Hérard, fidèle à l’armée, prend le contrôle du gouvernement et se déclare président d’Haïti.
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Li te yon ofisye nan lame ayisyen anba Alexandre Pétion pandan li te kont Henri Christophe. Li te deklare Prezidan an Ayiti sou 4 avril 1843. Revolisyonè yo te fòse li kite pouvwa a 3 me 1844.
Hérard te chèf nan mitan konspiratè yo ki te ranvèse Prezidan Jean-Pierre Boyer pandan Revolisyon 1843 la. Yon ti tan apre sa, Jeneral Hérard, ki te lwayote lame a, te pran kontwòl gouvènman an epi li te deklare tèt li Prezidan an Ayiti.
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#haiti #hayti #ayiti #charlesherard #henrichristope #jeanpierreboyer #boyer #haitianrevolution #presidentofhaiti #alexandrepetion #revolution #army #haitianarmy #1843 #generalherard #general #chief #army #selfproclaimed #presidentavie #dominicanrepublic #haitians #government #pouvoir #power #caribbean #westindies

In 1818 Pétion replaced Boyer as the 2nd President of the Republic of Haiti. Pétion had selected Boyer as his successor as a measure to protect the nation from foreign intrusion.
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Président Boyer was confronted with Henri Christophe in the north. Christophe’s rule created unrest in the Kingdom. After his soldiers rebelled against him in 1820, in failing health and fearing assassination, Christophe committed suicide. Boyer easily reunited Haiti.
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Born in Port-au-Prince, he was the mulatto son of a French tailor and a former slave from Congo. He was sent to France to become educated. During the French Revolution, he fought as a battalion commander, and against Toussaint Louverture in the early years of the Haitian Revolution.
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After the uprising of African slaves in the north of Saint-Domingue in 1791, Boyer joined the French and fought against the grand blancs (plantation owners) and royalists. In 1794, Saint-Domingue was invaded by the British trying to capitalize on the unrest in the formerly wealthy colony. Boyer went to Jacmel, and joined mulatto leader, General Rigaud. While other mulatto leaders surrendered to Louverture in south, Boyer escaped to France with Rigaud and Pétion.
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Next, he returned to Haiti to protest the independence that Louverture had just achieved. By early 1802, Rigaud and other leaders learned that the French intended to take away the civil rights of mulattoes and re-institute slavery in Saint-Domingue (as they had managed to do in Guadeloupe.) They sent General LeClerc to defeat the rebels, and Boyer collaborated with other native leaders to defeat the French but most had died as a result of yellow fever.
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Boyer’s rule lasted until 1843, the poor economic situation was worsened by an earthquake. The majority rural population rose up under President Hérard. On 13 Feb. 1843, Boyer fled to Jamaica. He eventually settled in exile in France, and died in Paris in 1850.
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#haiti #hayti #ayiti #boyer #president #petion #christophe #congo #kongo #france #revolution #haitians #african #republic #republique #royalist #britain #slaves #slavery #jamaica #frenchrevolution #haitianrevolution #revolutionfrancaise

Adbaraya Toya aka Victoria Montou was born in the Dahomey Kingdom (Bénin), she ranked high amongst the Amazons known as N’Nonmiton filled with the fiercest warriors. She was a midwife, a warrior and a healer. She raised Haiti’s founding father Dessalines and his two brothers and taught him the physical maneuvers of effective hand to hand combat, how to shoot and how to throw a knife, and trained others in the art of war. Her abduction, would ship her to a new life of enslavement in Haiti. Her warrior spirit stayed with her and would not be broken through the slave trip. A soldier and freedom fighter in the army of Jean-Jacques Dessalines during the Haitian Revolution. She was not the only woman to serve in the Haitian army during the revolution, but most of the names of the female soldiers were forgotten by history.
Montou had worked alongside Dessalines as a slave. She was described as intelligent, energetic, and felt hatred toward slavery. She was an extraordinary warrior and commanded her own indigenous army. When Montou was dying, the emperor demanded the doctor to treat her as he would him, and stated that Toya, who was not related by blood to him, was his aunt. She was given a state funeral with a procession of eight sergeants.
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Source:wikipedia
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#haiti #hayti #ayiti #dahomey #amazon #amazons #istwa #istwa1804 #1804 #dessalines #haitians #haitianrevolution #benin #dahomee #victoriamontou #fanmvanyan #westafrica #slavery #slavetrade #saintdomingue #hispaniola #war #revolution #civilwar #womeninhistory #womenhistorymonth #black #blackpanther #femalewarriors #warriors #fanmvanyan

Lamartiniere, the second in command after Jean-Jacques Dessalines, at the battle of La Crete-a-Pierrot: Lamartinière looked in vain for Dessalines to come forth from the fortress with relief forces but only an old man, pretending to be an idiot, had worked his way through the French forces, to advise Lamartiniere that the fort was to be evacuated that night. After dark, on March 24, 1802, the besieged rebels opened by bayonet a corridor through more than 10,000 French troops. Most escaped to fight another day. –
Lamartiniere, dezyèm nan kòmandman apre Jean-Jacques Dessalines, nan batay Krèt-a-Pyewo: Lamartinière tap véye gade pou lè Dessalines ap soti nan fò a ak fòs sekou men se sèlman yon vye granmoun ki te pran pòz tankou se te yon moun sòt. Li te travay pou li jwenn wout li nan pami fòs franse yo, pou avize Lamartiniere ke fort a te dwe evakye lannwit sa a. Aprè fènwa, nan 24 mas 1802, rebèl yo te sènen, ak bayonèt yo, solda yo te arive fè yon jan pou yo pase nan mitan yon two franse de 10,000 moun. Pifò réyisi sove pou yo kapab al goumen yon lòt jou.
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Source: Heroes of Haiti, and Papa Toussaint,Wikipedia .
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#haiti #hayti #ayiti #istwa #istwa1804 #history #histoire #lamartiniere #dessalines #rebels #haitians #haitianrevolution #revolution #troops #independence #1802 #1804 #war #france #general #leclerc #generalleclerc #alexandrepetion #petion