Celebrate With Us: Dessalines Day

Jean-Jacques Dessalines is honored every year on October 17^th, the anniversary of his death. He was Born near Port-au-Prince in a plantation, Dessalines joined the country’s struggle for independence in 1791, and played a key role in the success of the Haitian Revolution – the first successful slave revolt in the history of the world. He became a general, and later declared himself Emperor Jacques I, and ruled autocratically until his death by assassination.

It was Dessalines who renamed the country Haiti. Ultimately, Haitians celebrate this day as a day against slavery and colonialism, and are proud that their country was the first republic to be governed by people of African descent. Dessalines’ death anniversary is widely celebrated throughout the country with parades and parties, as well as historic reenactments of his life, and other patriotic activities. In spite of his brief totalitarian rule, the Haitian people still celebrate their hero’s death as a man who liberated them from slavery and gave them their freedom.