Saint-Domingue (Haiti)
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Alexandre Petion
Port-au-Prince, Saint-Domingue (Haiti)
Archival Overview
First President of the Republic of Haiti (1807–1818), 'Father of Pan-American Independence', who redistributed land directly to peasant soldiers and provided Simon Bolivar with ships, weapons, and troops that liberated South America.
Biographical Record
Alexandre Sabes Petion (1770–1818) was educated at the military academy in Paris before joining the revolution in Saint-Domingue. Recognizing that only unity between Black and mixed-race people could defeat Napoleon, Petion allied with Dessalines in 1802, helping design the blue-and-red Haitian national flag at the Congress of Arcahaie.
Elected President of the southern Republic of Haiti, Petion earned the beloved title 'Papa Bon-Kè' (Good-Hearted Father) by dismantling large colonial plantations and giving small land grants to peasant soldiers. In 1815 and 1816, Petion sheltered Simon Bolivar in Port-au-Prince, providing him with 4,000 rifles, 15,000 pounds of gunpowder, and printing presses, asking only that Bolivar emancipate all enslaved peoples in South America.
Key Life Milestones
The Congress of Arcahaie and Flag Creation
Tore the white stripe from the French tricolor alongside Dessalines, creating the blue-and-red flag of Haitian liberty.
The Haitian Aid to Simon Bolivar
Provided the Venezuelan liberator with arms, ships, and veteran soldiers, making South American independence possible.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialPort-au-Prince, Haiti