Purchase of Haiti from France

Internationally, Boyer was anxious to remove the threat of France and opened negotiations. An agreement was reached on July 11, 1825, when with fourteen French warships off Port-au-Prince, Boyer signed an indemnity, stating that in return for 150 million francs paid within five years, France would recognize Haïti as an independent country. While this sum was later reduced to 60 million francs (1838), it was a crushing economic blow to Haïti, and cruelly Boyer had to negotiate a loan from France of 30 million francs in order to pay the first part of the indemnity. The Haïtian population meanwhile was retreating into an agricultural subsistence pattern, defying the initial plan of Boyer to enforce the semi-feudal fermage system.

The people of Haïti were aggrieved at their situation and in order to placate them, Boyer resurrected a land distribution program, attempted and then abandoned during the initial revolution. The large plantations were broken up and the land distributed, the rural population were tied to their smallholdings and given production quotas.

Boyer's rule lasted until 1843 when the poor economic situation was worsened by an earthquake, and the disadvantaged rural population rose up under Charles Riviere-Hérard in late January. On February 13, Boyer fled Haïti to nearby Jamaica before eventually settling in exile in France, dying in Paris. Descendants of Boyer live in the impoverished Haïti to this day.

Haitian independence was claimed on January 1st, 1804, under the rule of the soon to be known, Emperor Jacques I. The Emperor was then killed in 1806. This caused Alexandre Petion to become President of the Republic of Haiti in the South. This is when Jean Pierre Boyer came to be the "republican heir." He helped Petion to create a Republican Constitution very similar to that of the United States. During his presidency Petion set up many precedents and basically showed his successor what to do and what not to do. During this time Petion really won over the hearts of his people and grew to be the most liked out of any leader. After creating the Constitution in 1806 and amending it in 1816, it was stated that the President would be able to choose his successor. This would have obviously been Boyer. Petion died in 1818 and the Senate met immediately to approve his choice. Then Boyer was elected.

Boyer believed it was necessary for Haiti to be acknowledged as an independent nation, but realized this could only be established by cutting a deal with France, so he did. On July 11, 1825 Boyer signed an indemnity saying he would pay France a certain amount of money in order to be recognized as independent.

Haiti’s motto is "in unity there is strength" and apparently the same went for Boyer. As soon as he came to power he was faced with a very large hurdle. He had to go up against the leader of the north, Henri Christophe, who was an extreme threat to the south. This was a difficultly though, because of the great "fortress" that was built up in the north, compared to the smaller one Boyer himself was ruling. Boyer did not really have to worry about getting rid of Christophe however; his next move did this for him. He had two women put to death for praying that he would die which created havoc and caused people of all classes to unite against him. His soldiers began to rebel against him in 1820, and Christophe ended up killing himself, making Boyer a conqueror without fighting a single battle.

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