Jean-Pierre Boyer

Here is a picture of the city of Petion-Ville in Haiti.

Petion-Ville, Haiti
The city of Petion Ville is located on the outskirts of the capital city, Port au Prince. The city, founded in 1831, was named after former president Alexandre Petion. Previously a suburban area to the east of Port au Prince, Petion Ville is now the centre of tourism and commerce in the area. Also a residential area especially for the affluent class of the society, it can be regarded as the wealthiest city in Haiti. Many international banks, hotels and embassies are located in Petion Ville. In 2010, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale hit the area, disrupting the progress of the city. The city has gradually recovered from the damage caused to the trade, commerce and infrastructure. The social life of Petion Ville is not far behind in any respect. Besides a very active night life in the presence of various bars and casinos, a number of top class restaurants, boutiques and art galleries can be found in here.

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President Jean-Pierre Boyer had much on his plate in the early 1820s. Among them was the matter of unification between Haiti and Santo Domingo. At the time, while some in the Spanish country sought to align themselves with Gran Colombia, others, especially those who were former slaves, sought to ensure emancipation by siding instead with President Boyer. Answering the call, Boyer marched with 50,000 soldiers and took the keys to the city of Santo Domingo.

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During the 1820s, six thousand black Americans were taken to Haiti as part of a migration scheme in which President Jean-Pierre Boyer had a heavy hand. It followed Haiti's establishment as a free black state and was an open invitation for black Americans to find freedom from slavery in Haiti. Many think the plan failed, but for different reasons, one was that thousands returned to the U.S., and the other was because the expectations of the prospect weren't considered met.

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After defeating France, Boyer and the Haiti had to practically buy its independence from the European country at the sum of 150 million francs. The sum, which was to be paid within five years had to be reduced to 90 million francs years later, and the badly pauperized Haiti had to borrow the money from France itself. They had found themselves in an untenable situation as Boyer was eager to have the country declared independent. Productivity had fallen and the President attempted to implement a system of semi-feudal fermage to combat the change.

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Jean-Pierre Boyer's contributions to the country as its president included his negotiations with the French that made Haiti an independent nation, and his promulgation of the Rural Code of 1826. The latter act was in an effort to stop the sliding economy from sinking further, after a revolt in the 1790s of black slaves against the French was successful. Under the Rural Code, peasant workers were tied to their plantations. They weren't allowed to leave the land to start farms of their own or enter the towns. The step, however, was not successful in stopping the economic decline.

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Jean-Pierre Boyer became President of the Haitian Republic in 1818, following a succession arrangement for the transition with former, then dead President Petion. A revision of the constitution, done two years before, had allowed the president to name his replacement to protect Haiti from outside intrusion. But Boyer also had to contend with inside intrusion in the form of Henri Christophe and the northern Kingdom of Haiti. This opposition would take care of itself as Christophe would commit suicide after a rebellion by his soldiers, leaving Boyer free to peacefully reunite the country.

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The government of Jean-Pierre Boyer implemented a policy called the Society for Promoting the Emigration of Free Persons of Color to Haiti.

During the government of Jean-Pierre Boyer, The Haitian government made an appeal to the Black American to come and settle in Haiti. The government offered incentive such as free trips and 10 pounds of coffee per family upon their arrival in Haiti. Additionally, the new immigrants would receive three acres of land and money.

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