The New York Public Library
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Scope and Content

The bulk of the Kurt Fisher/Haitian History Collection consists of the Archives of the General Prosecutor's office for the city of Jeremie (district and municipality in the south of Haiti), registers and notorized acts from the public notaries of Jeremie, historical letters and documents from the pre-independance era, records of the Foreign Relations Ministry from the late 1870s to the 1950s, administrative records and governmental decrees and regulations, newspapers and photographs. The scope of the collection is very broad: the material spanning the three main periods in Haitian history is disseminated throughout the five series in the collections (General Correspondence, Executive Correspondence, Government Papers, Writings and Printed Matter).

The Records of the General Prosecutor's Office and the registers of the public notaries of the district and municipality of Jeremie document the administration of justice, trade, various social relations and patterns of life under colonial rule and during the formative years after independence. These records consist primarily of correspondence between the General Prosecutor's office and the Civil Court judges in the district of Jeremie, financial reports, minutes of proceedings, police reports and deeds of property. Included is one A.L.S.* (1852) from Lysius Felicite Salomon, Duke of Saint Louis du Sud and Finance Minister in the administration of Emperor Faustin Soulouque, a famed economist and future president of Haiti, dealing with the issuing of licenses and naturalization papers to foreign traders [1:9].** These documents also reflect the peculiar situation of the city of Jeremie vis a vis the rest of the colony. Jeremie was under British rule from 1794 to 1798, and while the General Emancipation Act of 1793 had freed the slaves throughout French San Domingo, deeds of property and registers of the parrish and municipality of Jeremie in that period document the uninterrupted traffic and ownership of slaves [8:5, 6, 7].

Historical documents from Toussaint Louverture's administration and the War of Independence. Included is one A.L.S. from Andre Rigaud to the governor of Jamaica (1799), requesting military assistance ln his losing battle against Toussaint Louverture in the province of the South [8:1]. Rigaud was defeated, and while in exile in France, he sent two A.L.S. (Oct. 1801) and a detailed military resume [8:8] to the French Minister of Marine and Colonies, offering his experience and expertise in the planning and execution of the "Expeditionary Army" destined to rid San Domingo of Toussaint Louverture. Another document entitled "Excerpt from a Memoir on San Domingo" [8:10] mentions a letter

*Autograph Letter Signed.
**Numbers in brackets refer to box and folder where the document is located.

sent by Andre Rigaud to General Geffrard, head of the insurgent army in the South. This documents quotes Rigaud as instructing Geffrard and the insurgent army to strike at once and kill all the French in the colony with the certainty that France would not be able to retaliate for the next twelve years. The interception of this letter by the French troops resulted in Rigaud's deportation by Charles Leclerc in 1803. Upon his return to Haiti in 1810, Rigaud was to take advantage of his appointment by President Alexandre Petion as administrator of the province of the South to issue a "Proclamation to the people of the South" [8:10], establishing an "Etat du Sud," independently from the "Republic of Haiti" in the West and the "Kingdom of Haiti" in the North.

The executive correspondence of Toussaint Louverture contains many noteworthy items, including: a 22 Jan. 1802 letter addressed to the San Domingo General Assembly [7:15], in which he reaffirms his loyalty to France, while accusing the "Expeditionary Army" of planning the reinstatement of slavery in the colony; 3 A.L.S. from Paul Louverture (Feb. 1802), Commander in Chief of the Ozama province, announcing the naval siege of that province by the French flotilla and one holograph copy of Napoleon's "Proclamation to the inhabitants of San Domingo" [7:16]; 5 A.L.S. from Charles Belair (31 March- 5 May 1802) [7:16], reporting his evacuation of the city of Saint Marc and retreat to the neighboring hills and commenting on the unnecessarily inhuman treatment of the peasants by Dessalines, as well as the latter's arbitrary appropriation of large sections of his troops; and one A.L.S. from Charles Leclerc, General in Chief of the "Expeditionary Army" (5 May 1802) [7:16], informing him of a peace treaty between France and Great Britain. (Toussaint Louverture resigned the same day.)

In addition, two A.L.S. from Martial Besse to Andre Rigaud and one letter from Rigaud to the French agent Roume [1:1], one A.L.S. from Charles Belair to Dessalines (7 July 1802) [1:2], as well as two A.L.S. from the French general Rochambeau and five A.L.S. to General Leclerc [1:2] are located in the GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE series.

Among the documents in the GOVERNMENT PAPERS series can be found one excerpt from the Journal des Colonies entitled: "Report to the municipality on the slave insurrection of Limbe, Aug. 17 and 18," (1792) [8:5]; one anonymous report on Dessalines' "betrayal" of Toussaint Louverture [12:1]; and one holograph document entitled "Secret memoir on the character of Toussaint Louverture, Dessalines and Charles Belair" [8:10]. The latter tells how to blackmail Toussaint by using his children, and subvert his generals by pledging to maintain them in their posts.

The Records of the Foreign Relations Ministry consist of letters, reports and fact sheets dispatched from Haitian legations in Washington, Santo Domingo, Paris, Berlin and Brussels to the Haitian Foreign Ministry, correspondence between the foreign legations in Port-au-Prince and the Haitian Foreign Ministry, presidential memoranda to the Foreign Relations Ministry and ceremonial greetings from foreign heads of state to various Haitian presidents. These documents date to the 1870s when Haiti was under the influence of the European powers, France and Germany in particular. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that U.S. economic interests began to compete decidedly with the European powers. The turning point occured in 1915 when the U.S. resolutely brought Haiti into its sphere of influence by the military occupation of the country. Two key documents in the collection illustrate that transition period: the deed of a 40 million franc loan agreement [10:12] contracted in 1895 between the Haitian government and a French consortium called the National Bank of Haiti, and a deed of transfer of all titles and securities (including the Haitian national debt) owned by the National Bank of Haiti to the National City Company of New York in 1920 [11:5].

As the Monroe doctrine started unfolding toward the end of the l9th century, the U.S. began pressuring Haiti to cede Mole St. Nicholas at the north-western tip of the island as a U.S. military base. In a long, undated report to President Hyppolite (1889-1896) [6:11], Ambassador to Washington, Hannibal Price, links the issue of the Mole to a tentative plot to overthrow the president and the dismissal of Frederick Douglass, American Ambassador to Port-au-Prince from 1889 to 1891. A string of claims submitted by U.S. nationals as well as French and German traders throughout the second half of the l9th century and the beginning of the 20th century, runs through the diplomatic files: the "Laetitia" incident, 1882 [2:5]; "Haitian Republic," 1892 [2:8]; various German traders, 1889 [3:4]; Antoine Benoit, 1911 [4:2], among others. In 1911, the Haitian government set up a special commission to settle all pending claims involving foreign traders [4:2]; another commission was set up in 1916 to handle losses suffered by various foreigners during the revolutionary period of 1902-1915 [11:5]. The records of the Foreign Ministry also include one letter from Constantin Mayard, Haitian Interior Minister (10 June 1916), to Colonel Littleton Waller, commander of the U.S. occupation forces, protesting the abolition of the Haitian Armed Forces and their replacement by the Gendarmerie Nationale, under U.S. military control [4:3], as well as letters and legislative proposals from the Federation of Patriotic Organizations [4:6], a coalition of Haitian political organizations opposed to the U.S. presence in Haiti.

Relations with its closest neighbor, the Dominican Republic, represents one of the main aspects of Haitian Foreign Relations. Since the invasion of the Dominican Republic by Dessalines and his troops in 1805 and the unification of the island under the presidency of Jean Pierre Boyer from 1821 to 1843, relations between the two countries have been a complex network of border disputes, simultaneous upheavals and occasional peace and friendship treaties. The logbook of a Haitian flotilla blockading the Samana province in the Dominican Republic in 1849 [9:11] documents in part the last of two failed invasions of that country by Emperor Faustin Soulouque. Documents relating to the "Guataba incident" (1892) and other border conflicts are catalogued in [2:8], [6:6] and [6:11]. Also included are one A.L.S. from Demesvar Delorme, Haitian Foreign Minister in the government of President Sylvain Salnave (1867-1869) to Dominican President Jose Cabral [7:12], on the 1868 negotiations for a "Peace and Friendship Treaty" between the two countries; one A.L.S. (7 May 1870) from then opposition leader, Jose Cabral, requesting assistance from Haitian President Nissage Saget [7:6]; and 40 A.L.S. (1891) regarding the negotiations between the U.S. and one of two warring factions in the Dominican Republic for the concession of a U.S. military base in the Samana province (Dominican Republic) [6:11], [3:6, 7]. According to Haitian Ambassador to Washington, Hannibal Price, who discussed the matter with the U.S. State Department, such an agreement would have been in violation of the treaty of non-foreign intervention between the two countries [3:6]. Under the regime of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, relations between the two countries deteriorated qualitatively. For example, in 1931, the Haitian legation in Santo Domingo protested massive violations of Haitian immigrants' human rights and the quasi-institutionaliza- tion of forced labor on the Dominican sugar cane plantations [4:6]. Six years later, in a speech given in October 1937 in the Dominican Republic, Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo described the massacre of thousands of Haitian seasonal farm workers in the Dominican Republic as a challenge to Haitians, whom Trujillo referred to as a racially inferior people who had dominated and humiliated the Dominican people for more than a century. In 1944, a plot by Dominican agents to kill Haitian President Elie Lescot was foiled [11:8], and the wide distribution of a 16 page letter villifying President Lescot and signed by Rafael Trujillo in 1945 [7:1] is known to be one of the causes of the downfall of the Lescot government in January 1946.

An important section of the collection consists of Governmental Decrees, Regulations and Administrative Records (certificates of diplomatic and military appointments and promotions). Included are: one A.L.S. (1844) to Florvil Hyppolite, War Minister in the administration of President Philippe Guerrier and a future president of Haiti from 1889 to 1896 [1:8], concerning the Acaau uprising; President Nissage Saget's historic address to the nation [10:6], 25 December 1869; one circular of the Revolutionary Committee of Saint Marc (12 Aug. 1888) against the Salomon government [10:10]; an open letter from ex-president Antoine Simon (18 May 1892) to President Cincinnatus Leconte stating his intention and reasons to seek his overthrow [11:4]; and the copy of an 1884 document entitled "Terms of the capitulation of the city of Jacmel, negotiated by Francois Manigat and representatives of the Revolutionary Council of Jacmel" [12:3].

The Kurt Fisher/Haitian History Collection is also available on microfilm, with the exception of some oversized government documents [8:6] and two registers of marriage and baptism for the years 1802 and 1806 [8:8, 10]. Some manuscript and typescript materials have been placed in the Rare Book Room (see Separation Records).

Provenance

Purchased from University Place Book Shop, 1969.
SCM 76-6

Processed by A. Elizee/R. Manuel

September 1983

 

Container List

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
1787-1799
1800-1802
1803-1809
1811-1822
1823-1830
1831-1835
1837-1840
1841-1849
1852-1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
Jan.- March 1864
Apr.- Dec. 1864
1865-1867
1870-1875
1882, 1883
1884-1889
1890,1891
1892
1893,1894
Jan.- May 1895
June - Dec. 1895
1896,1897
1899
1900-1903
Jan.- July 1904
Aug.- Dec. 1904
1905-1910
1911
1912-1916
1917
1920-1929
1930-1936
1937-1949
1950-1957
n.d.
Fragments

EXECUTIVE CORRESPONDENCE
ALEXIS, Nord, 1892-1908
BORNO, Louis, 1922-1927
BORNO, Louis, 2 May 1927-11 Dec. 1928
BOYER, Jean Pierre, 1819-1834
DARTIGUENAVE, Sudre, 1915-1917
DARTIGUENAVE, Sudre, 1917-1922
DESSALINES, Jean-Jacques, 1802
DOMINGUE, Michel, 1871
ESTIME, Dumarsais, 1947
GEFFRARD, Fabre, 1859-1866
GUERRIER, Phillipe, 1844
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, 3 Sep. 1889-20 May 1891
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, 21 May 1891-18 Aug 1891
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, 25 Aug. 1891-16 Jan. 1892
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, 22 Jan. 1892-9 April 1892
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, 12 April 1892-7 June 1892
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, 9 June 1892-10 Oct. 1892
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, Oct.-Dec. 1892
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, Jan. 1893-21 Nov. 1893
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, 23 Nov. 1893-19 May 1894
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, 4 June 1894-2 March 1896
HYPPOLITE, Florvil, letters received
LECONTE, Cincinnatus, 1911-1913
LESCOT, Elie, 1943
MAGLOIRE, Paul, 1956
ORESTE, Michel, 1914
PETION, Alexandre, 1810-1817
RICHE, Jean Baptiste, 1844, 1846
SAGET, Nissage, 1864-1875
SALNAVE, Sylvain, 1867
SALOMON, Lysius Felicite, 1881-1884
SAM, Tiresias Simon, 1884-1901
SAM, Vilbrun Guillaume, 1915
SIMON, Antoine, 1908-23 Sep. 1910
SIMON, Antoine, 17 Oct. 1910-29 June 1911
SOULOUQUE, Faustin, 1852-1858
THEODORE, Davilmar, 1914, 1915
TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE, Francois Dominique, 1801, 1802
TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE, Francois Dominique, 1799-1802
VINCENT, Stenio, 1930-1941
ZAMOR, Oreste, 1904-1915

GOVERNMENT PAPERS
1728-1778
1779-1785
1786-1787
1778-1790
1791-1794
1795-1796
1797-1800
1801-1802
1803
1804-1810
1811-1815
1816-1819
1820-1822
1823-1825
1826-1828
1829-1831
1832-1833
1834
1835-1836
1838-1840
1841-1845
1846-1849
1850-1852
1853-1856
1857-1858
1859-1860
1861-1865
1866-1869
1870-1874
1875-1879
1880-1884
1885-1889
1891-1893
1895-1899
1900-1904
1905-1908
1909-1911
1912-1915
1916-1926
1927-1930
1931-1939
1941-1958
n.d.
Fragments

WRITINGS
1 Anonymous. Notes and papers relative to a project to reorganize the Cour de Cassations, ms , 18p., n.d.
2 Anonymous. On Dessalines' treason and the imprisonment of Toussaint Louverture. n.d. 12p., ms.
3 Projet protocole, ms 4p.
4 Report de l'agent A.L.B. dans son voyage a Kingston (un report complimentaire sur la revolution d'Haiti) ms, llp.
5 Ardouin, Beaubrun. Fragments of the 6th volume of L'Histoire d'Haiti. ams, 63p.
6 Henriquez, Alfred. On the events of 1865. ams, 1877, 38p.
7 Leclerc, Charles Victor Emmanuel. Note sur l'organisation de la colonie. ms, 14p. 1801-1802.
8 Leger, Abel. History of St. Domingue. ms, broken pagination, n.d.
9 Manigat, Francois. Terms of capitulation of the city of Jacmel negotiated by Francois Manigat and representatives of the Revolutionary Council of Jacmel. With additional notes, broken pagination, 1883-1884.
10 Regnier, Henri de. Odelette, poem by Regnier and set to music by Edward Wooley. music ms, 4p. n.d.

PRINTED MATTER

1 Maps: Quartier des Abricots, dependency of Jeremie, 1791; Route from Anse a Pitres to Banane, district of Jacmel, fragment of original and 3 blueprints, 1928; Lakes El Fondo and Enriquillo, original and 3 blueprints, 1928
2 Affiches americaines
3 1957 election
4 Feuille du commerce du Port-au-Prince, Nos. VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XVIII, XXV, XXXVIII, XL XLII, XLIII, XLIV, XLV, XLVI, L, 1830
5 Free masonry, Instructions
6 Gazette officielle de St. Domingue, Nos. 56, 5 Jan. 1802 and 57, 8 Jan. 1802
7 Magloire, Jean
8 Miscellaneous
9 Observations du General du Genie Vincent sur les Deux premieres notes rapportees dans une collection de memoires pour servir a l' histoire de France sous Napoleon. Paris, 1824
10 Le Perseverant: Revue litteraire et d'annonces No. 10, 1908
11 Le Phare, Journal commercial, politique et litteraire, Nos. IV, VI, VII, X, XI, XII, XV, XX, XXII, 1830
12 Le Propagateur haitien, Journallitteraire, commercial et politique, No . 14, Sep. 1826
13 Le Telegraphe, Nos. XIII, 1816; III, 1819; XXV, 1823; XVI, 1827; IV, V, VII, VIII, X, XI, XII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XIX, XX, XXII, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX, XXX, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXIX, XL, XLII, XLIII, XLIV, XLV, XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII, XLIX, 1828; XIII, XXVI, 1834
14 Rafael Trujillo's speech, 1937, lp.
15      Gerard Viau incident
16 Programs

Flat Drawer NEWSPAPERS

Cabinet L'Aurore, 5 Dec. 1953
La Conscience nationale, 24 Dec. 1914 Le Courrier haitien, 30 Nov. 1921
La Democratie, 20 June 1889
Excelcior, 17 and 29 Sep. 1910, 15 Oct. 1910
La Fraternite, 21 Oct. 1895, Jan. 1897 (mutilated)
Groupement politico-progressiste, 13 Oct. 1951
Haiti democratique, 25 & 30 Dec. 1953
L'Impartial, 3 March 1909
Le Journal, 5 Nov. 1898; 17 Aug. 1953
Liberte, 24 Feb. 1946
Le manifeste, 25, Feb. 1844
Le Matin, 30 July 1915; 9 Apr. 1946
Le Moniteur, 3 Oct 1874, 3p.
Le Nouvelliste, 15 Oct. 1908
L'Opinion nationale, 13 & 20 Aug. 1892; 22 Oct. 1892, 3 Dec. 1892
Le Peuple, 22 Feb. 1879 (mutilated)
La Phalange, 6 March 1940 (one page); 9 Nov. 1940
La Presse, 3 Oct. 1896 (mutilated)
Le Ralliement, 4 Feb. 1931 (One page)
La Renaissance, 7 May 1913
La Semaine, 12 May 1910