1859-01-00: (Geffrard Assumes the Presidency, Restores the 1816 Constitution, and Attempts to Govern Through Negotiation, a Departure From the Brute Force of…

1859-01-00: (Geffrard Assumes the Presidency, Restores the 1816 Constitution, and Attempts to Govern Through Negotiation, a Departure From the Brute Force of Every President Since Boyer): Upon taking power in January 1859, Geffrard immediately abrogated the 1849 constitution and restored the 1816 constitution, which made him president for life. Soulouque had ruled by brute force. Geffrard preferred to rule through negotiation. He encouraged educated mulattos to join his government, distributed state-owned land to peasants to win their loyalty, and attempted to improve the education system with the assistance of the Roman Catholic Church. He reopened the medical college founded by Boyer and established a law college in Port-au-Prince that would eventually evolve into the State University of Haiti. Geffrard was a devout Catholic and a fierce opponent of Vodou, and he unsuccessfully attempted to eradicate the religion that the majority of his own population practiced. His presidency would last until 1867 and would be defined by two contradictions: a genuine commitment to modernization paired with authoritarian rule, and a desire for international respectability achieved by suppressing the most distinctive elements of Haitian culture.