Full Name
Henri Christophe (English: Henry Christopher)[2]
Date of Birth
October 6, 1767[1][5]
Date of Death
October 8, 1820[1][5]
Place of Birth
Grenada, Caribbean[2]
Place of Death
Milot, Haiti[5]
Spouse’s Name
- Unknown wife, mother of his legitimate son Jacques-Victor Henry[4]
Children’s Names
- Jacques-Victor Henry (son)[4]
Known Affiliates Names
- Toussaint Louverture (military leader and political figure)[3]
- Jean-Jacques Dessalines (military leader and political figure)[3]
Affiliated Organizations’ Names
- Haitian Revolution (military leader)[3]
- Kingdom of Haiti (King Henry I)[1][4]
Legacy
Henri Christophe was a key leader in the Haitian Revolution and the only monarch of the Kingdom of Haiti[1][4]. He was born into slavery and eventually gained his freedom[3]. Christophe distinguished himself in the Haitian Revolution, fighting alongside Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines[3]. He later proclaimed Haiti a republic nation and himself King, securing the title of Henri I, the first and only king of Haiti[2]. He served as Haiti’s king from 1811 to 1820, later becoming president in the last four years of his leadership[2]. Christophe is known for constructing the Citadelle Laferrière, the Sans-Souci Palace, the royal chapel of Milot, and numerous other palaces[4]. His policies of corvée, or forced labor bordering on slavery, earned revenues from agricultural production, primarily sugar, but the Haitian people resented the system[4].
Citations: [1] https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/christophe-henri-1767-1820 [2] https://www.blackhistoryheroes.com/2011/02/henri-christophe-of-haiti-king-of-first.html [3] https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/henri-christophe-1767-1820/ [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Christophe [5] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Christophe