Boyer, JEAN PIERRE

Boyer, JEAN PIERRE, president of the republic of Hayti, was born of a mulatto family, 28th February 1776, at Port-au-Prince. Sent to France at a very early age, he received a European education, and in 1792 entered the military service. He soon distinguished himself by his conduct against the British on their invasion of his native isle, and afterwards joined the party which aimed at the complete emancipation of the colony. He aided Pétion in overthrowing the bloody tyrant Dessalines in 1806, and establishing an independent republic in the western part of the island. His wisdom and courage saved the struggling state, and his loyal support of Pétion caused the latter on his deathbed to recommend him to the people as his successor in the president's chair. After the death of Christophe, he united the negro district with the mulatto in 1820, next year added also the eastern district, hitherto Spanish, and in 1825, upon payment of 150 millions of francs, obtained recognition of independence from France. He governed the republic of Hayti well for fifteen years, but at length his partiality to the mulattoes made him so unpopular with the pure negroes that they rose in insurrection in 1843. Boyer fled to Jamaica, and subsequently went to Paris, where he died 9th July 1850.