1811 (Declaration of the Sovereign Authority of Henry): The Council of State formally decided the “hitherto uncertain destinies” of the country by declaring …
1811 (Declaration of the Sovereign Authority of Henry): The Council of State formally decided the “hitherto uncertain destinies” of the country by declaring that Henry was invested with sovereign authority and that the throne was hereditary in his family. They proclaimed that the happiness of the Haytian people would henceforth be dated from the moment of this “august” transition. The government maintained that this act of establishing a monarchy was the only way to “give a taste for knowledge” and the arts of civilized life to the population. By centering the national identity on the person of the King, they aimed to create a permanent bulwark against the threat of re-enslavement. The Council viewed the hereditary nature of the throne as the ultimate guarantee that the nation’s independence would outlive its founding generation.