1816 (Sanders’ Reflection on Constitutional Progress): Prince Sanders highlighted the 1807 constitution as a critical step in the Haytian people’s journey fr…

1816 (Sanders’ Reflection on Constitutional Progress): Prince Sanders highlighted the 1807 constitution as a critical step in the Haytian people’s journey from “ferocious and sordid manners” toward civilization. He argued that the institution of the presidency and the subsequent “good sense” of the government’s proclamations were evidence of an “improved state” of society. By presenting these historical developments to the British public, Sanders sought to show that Hayti was governed by “enlightened systems of policy” rather than arbitrary rule. He believed that the transition from the chaos of 1802 to the structured governance of 1807 demonstrated the “wonderful dispensations of Divine Providence.” This narrative served to validate the Haytian Kingdom’s current standing as a “well-regulated community” in the eyes of the world.