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Primary sourceDocument1 January 1804

Haitian Declaration of Independence

Louis Boisrond-Tonnerre · 1 January 1804

The 1804 proclamation by Jean-Jacques Dessalines ending the Haitian Revolution, completing the struggle Toussaint had led before his death.

Dessalines completed the revolution Toussaint had led, making this declaration the culmination of his legacy.

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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'.
Acte de l'Indépendance de la République d'Haïti, 1 January 1804. The National Archives, Kew.

About this source

What it is

This document was proclaimed on 1 January 1804 in Gonaïves by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, declaring Haiti's independence from France. It was written by Dessalines' secretary, Louis Boisrond-Tonnerre, since Dessalines could not write French, and signed by seventeen senior officials. Only two original printed copies survive, held at The National Archives in Kew.

Why it matters

The declaration marked the end of the Haitian Revolution and the only successful slave revolution in history, making Haiti the first independent Black state in the Americas. Toussaint Louverture had led the revolution for years before being captured by the French; Dessalines, his former general, completed what Toussaint had begun. The text demands vengeance against French colonists and foreshadowed violence that followed.

Look closer

  • Why might Dessalines have needed a secretary to write this declaration for him?
  • How does this document build on, or differ from, the goals Toussaint had pursued?
  • What does the demand for

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

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Sepia-toned engraving of a standing man in a black top hat with a tall plume, a dark military-style coat with chevron-patterned sleeves, and a sash at the waist. He holds a folded paper in one hand and a curved sabre in the other. Behind him are a fortified hillside, a small building on top, palm trees, and a second figure in uniform with a plumed hat.Painting

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19th century engraving of L'Ouverture

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