1770, April 2: (The Birth of Alexandre Pétion): Alexandre Sabes Pétion was born in Port-au-Prince to a free mulâtresse and a Frenchman who initially withheld…

1770, April 2: (The Birth of Alexandre Pétion): Alexandre Sabes Pétion was born in Port-au-Prince to a free mulâtresse and a Frenchman who initially withheld his name because the child’s skin was deemed too dark. He eventually adopted the name Pétion from a French-patois nickname, “Pichoun,” given to him by a foster mother. Although he learned the trade of a goldsmith, he was fascinated by the soldiers of the garrison and enlisted in the militia at age eighteen. Pétion would later become a talented young officer and a primary leader of the mulâtre forces. His early life as a “goldsmith-soldier” serves as a testament to the diverse professional backgrounds of the revolutionary leadership.