1844  

February 28

The Dominican Republic declares  its independence from Haiti.

April 4

The peasant farmers of the southern region of Haiti, the Piquets, led by Jean-Jacques Acaau, demand better distribution of the land and social justice.  They revolt against the government.

May 3

The Piquets, overthrow Riviere Herard who is exiled.

Phillippe Guerrier, an octogenarian is appointed President of the Republic of Haiti.

1845

 April 15-16

President Phillippe Guerrier, dies in office.

General Jean-Louis Pierrot is appointed President through a decree of the State Council.

1846

March 1

President Jean-Louis Pierrot is overthrown and succeeded by Jean Baptiste Riche who, like his two predecessors, is over eighty years of age.

1847

Thomas Madiou, a renowned Haitian historian, publishers the first volume of his History of Haiti.

February 27

President Riche dies after a short visit to the north of Haiti.

March 1

General Faustin Soulouque is elected President of Haiti.  He was a slave who took part in the rebellion of 1791.  He was freed by Rigaud in 1793, and later appointed Commander of the Commune of Plaisance.

 1852

April 18

President Faustin Soulouque is crowned Emperor as Faustin I.

1858

December

General Fabre Geffrard, Duke of Tabara, defeats Emperor Faustin I.

1859

January 13

Fabre Geffrard is elected President of Haiti after defeating the troops of the Emperor Faustin I.  Born on September 19, 1806, he is the son of Nicolas Geffrard, the composer of the Haitian national Anthem, La Dessalinienne.

1860

March 28

An agreement is signed in Rome between the Vatican and the Republic of Haiti, which divides Haiti into five dioceses:  Port-au-Prince, Gonaives, Cap-Haitien, Port-de-Paix and Les Cayes.

1862

December 15

Dupre Barbancourt find the procedure to make special Haitian rum that bears his name: Rum Barbancourt. The next day the rum made of sugarcane is sold at G.1.50 ($.30) a gallon.

1865

Beaubrun Ardouin publishes Etudes sur l’Histoire d’Haiti, an eleven volume work on the history of Haiti.

1867-1870

Fabre Geffrard resigns as the Chief Executive of Haiti and General Sylvain Salnave is elected President of Haiti.

The Constitution of 1867 is voted.

The State Council elects a provisional government to succeed to President Sylvain  Salnave who was overthrown by a group of dissidents.

Nissage Saget is elected President for four years by the National Assembly.

Demesvar Delorme publishes Les Theoriciens au Pouvoir, a remarkable thesis in which he supports the idea that political power should belong to the intellectual elite.

1874

Nissage Saget relinquishes the Executives seat and retires in Saint-Marc.  The Constituent Assembly elects General Michel Domingue who as President promulgated the Constitution of 1874, seven years after the former Constitution of 1867.

1875

January 20

President Michel Domingue signs a treaty of peace and friendship with the Dominican Republic.

1876-1879

President Michel Domingue is overthrown by disaffected members of the government and replaced by Boisrond Canal who, elected by the Constituent Assembly for four years, resigns as President of Haiti on July 17, 1879.

Lysius Felicite Salomon Jeune, a former Minister of Faustin I, is elected President of Haiti by the Constituent Assembly.  He completes the payment  of the Haitian independence debt to France.  He also introduces a monetary reform in Haiti.  During his government, Haiti is accepted in the Universal Union Postal and a submarine cable connects Haiti to the North-American  continent.

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