1801, May 9 – July 8: (Toussaint’s Constitution and Absolute Power): On May 9, 1801, a handpicked “Central Assembly” presented Toussaint with the island’s fi…

1801, May 9 – July 8: (Toussaint’s Constitution and Absolute Power): On May 9, 1801, a handpicked “Central Assembly” presented Toussaint with the island’s first constitution, which named him gouverneur-général-à-vie (governor-general for life) with the power to choose his successor. The document centralized all civil, military, and ecclesiastic power in Toussaint’s hands, abolished distinctions of color and slavery, and re-established the Catholic Church. Promulgated at the Cap on July 8, 1801, this authoritarian framework served as the model for nearly every subsequent Haitian constitution. When the engineer Vincent suggested the draft should first be approved by Napoleon, Toussaint cut him off, stating that if the French disapproved, they would have to send commissioners to treat with him. Napoleon, receiving the document from Vincent, was so displeased that he relieved the messenger and ordered him to Elba.