| Faustin I | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | |||||
| Emperor of Haiti | |||||
| Reign | 26 August 1849 – 15 January 1859[1] | ||||
| Coronation | 18 April 1852 | ||||
| Predecessor | Himself (as President of Haiti) | ||||
| Successor | Fabre Geffrard (as President of Haiti) | ||||
| 7th President of Haiti | |||||
| In office | 1 March 1847 – 26 August 1849 | ||||
| Predecessor | Jean-Baptiste Riché | ||||
| Successor | Himself (as Emperor of Haiti) | ||||
| Born | 15 August 1782 Petit-Goâve, Saint-Domingue | ||||
| Died | 3 August 1867 (aged 84) Anse-à-Veau, Haiti | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Princess Olive Princess Célita | ||||
| |||||
| House | Soulouque | ||||
| Father | Taneau Coichi | ||||
| Mother | Marie-Catherine Soulouque | ||||
| Coat of arms | .svg) | ||||
Faustin-Élie Soulouque (French pronunciation: [fostɛ̃ eli suluk]; 15 August 1782 – 3 August 1867) was a Haitian politician and military commander who served as President of Haiti from 1847 to 1849 and Emperor of Haiti from 1849 to 1859.[2]
Soulouque was a general in the Haitian Army when he was appointed President of Haiti. He acquired autocratic powers, purged the army of the ruling elite, installed black loyalists in administrative positions and the nobility, and created a secret police and private army. Soulouque was an enthusiastic vodouisant, maintaining a staff of bokors and manbos, and gave the stigmatized vodou religion semi-official status which was openly practiced in Port-au-Prince. Soulouque declared the Second Empire of Haiti in 1849 after being proclaimed Emperor under the name Faustin I, and formally crowned in 1852. Several unsuccessful attempts to reconquer the Dominican Republic eroded his support and he abdicated in 1859 under pressure from General Fabre Geffrard and Dominican military victory.[3][4] Soulouque was temporarily exiled to Jamaica before returning to Haiti where he died in 1867.
Soulouque was the last Haitian head of state to have participated in the Haitian Revolution, the last to have been born prior to independence, the last ex-slave and the last to officially style himself as a king or emperor.
- ^ MacLeod, Murdo J. (October 1970). "The Soulouque Regime in Haiti, 1847–1859: A Reevaluation". Caribbean Studies. 10 (3): 36. JSTOR 25612324 – via JSTOR.
- ^ "Official website of the Presidency of Haiti (in French)". Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ Deibert, Michael (2011). Notes From the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti. Seven Stories Press. p. 161.
- ^ Rogozinski, Jan (1999). A Brief History of the Caribbean (Revised ed.). New York: Facts on File, Inc. p. 220. ISBN 0-8160-3811-2.