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Primary sourceDocument1805

Constitution of Hayti

Jean-Jacques Dessalines · 1805

The 1805 imperial constitution issued under Dessalines, abolishing slavery, naming him emperor for life, and declaring all Haitians 'black.'

This constitution, issued under Dessalines as emperor, embodies his vision for the new Haitian state.

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Title page of the 1805 Constitution of Hayti, printed in French with the heading 'CONSTITUTION D'HAYTI' over a list of names and preamble text, with red library stamps in the upper area. Page is aged and tan-colored.
Constitution of Hayti, 1805.

About this source

What it is

This is the printed text of the 1805 Constitution of Hayti, created under Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines. It opens with a list of generals who declared themselves organs of the people's will and submitted the document for the emperor's approval.

Why it matters

The constitution permanently abolished slavery, barred white men from owning property, and declared all Haitian citizens 'black' regardless of actual skin color — a radical redefinition of race and nationhood. It also made Dessalines emperor for life, revealing his vision of a strong, centralized, protected state after years of war and colonial violence.

Look closer

  • Why might the generals describe themselves as only 'interpreters' of the people's will rather than its authors?
  • What does calling all citizens 'black' suggest about how the new nation wanted to define itself?
  • What does making Dessalines emperor for life tell you about ideas of leadership after the revolution?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Jean-Jacques Dessalines on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Scan of a printed broadside headed 'Armée Indigène' with 'Liberté ou la Mort' above. It has three columns of French text, a signature block of names including Dessalines, and a footer reading 'Au Port-au-Prince, de l'imprimerie du gouvernement'.Document

Primary source

Haitian Declaration of Independence

Louis Boisrond-Tonnerre · 1 January 1804

Black-and-white engraving titled DESALINES. A man in a tricorn hat with feathers raises a curved sword in one hand and holds a severed head with curly hair in the other. A woman's body lies on rocks at right, with tents and figures in the background.Painting

Secondary source

Desalines

Manuel López López · 1806

Large painting of two uniformed men standing either side of a stone tablet inscribed with text, hands on it, under a radiant figure of an old bearded God with outstretched arms in clouds above, with the Hebrew letters of the divine name. Chains lie on the ground at their feet; a battle scene and crowd fill the background.Painting

Secondary source

The Oath of the Ancestors

Guillaume Guillon-Lethière · 1822

Front cover of a worn, dark red leather-bound book, shown against a pale background. The cover is scuffed and faded, with a small lighter mark near the center and a raised spine edge on the left side. No title or text is visible.Book

Secondary source

La vie de J.J. Dessalines, chef des noirs révoltés de Saint-Domingue

Louis Dubroca · 1804

Engraving of a crowned man seated on a throne under draped curtains, wearing an ermine-trimmed robe and surrounded by rows of men in dark European-style coats. A checkered floor and columns frame the scene. Spanish caption below reads Coronacion de Juan Santiago Desalines primer Emperador de Hayti.Painting

Secondary source

Coronacion de Juan Santiago Desalines primer Emperador de Hayti

Francisco Moscard Yedra · 1806

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