1816 (French Colonial Decrees): A decree was issued by the French government to regulate the administrative functions of the colony through a “Captain-Genera…

1816 (French Colonial Decrees): A decree was issued by the French government to regulate the administrative functions of the colony through a “Captain-General” and a “Colonial Prefect”. This order, signed by Bonaparte and the Secretary of State Maret, sought to establish a “central point of government” to ensure uniformity in colonial operations. The French authorities intended for this system to consolidate power and streamline the management of the colony’s affairs. These documents are included in the Haytian Papers to provide historical context for the subsequent rise of the independent Haytian state. The inclusion of these registers serves as a baseline for measuring the later “ameliorated” condition of the Haytian empire under indigenous rule.