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1805 May

1805 May: The 1805 Constitution declared all citizens “Black,” abolished racial hierarchy in law, prohibited white landownership (with limited exceptions), a…

1805 May: The 1805 Constitution declared all citizens “Black,” abolished racial hierarchy in law, prohibited white landownership (with limited exceptions), and centralized authority under Dessalines. Significance: Formally institutionalized anti-colonial sovereignty and racial equality in the new state. Nuance: Fick highlights the paradox: racial equality was proclaimed, yet strong executive authority and continued plantation discipline limited popular autonomy.