The Founders
Henri Christophe
1767 – 1820
General, then King Henri I. The builder of the Citadelle.
Henri Christophe was born in 1767 and became one of the leading generals of the revolution, commanding in the north. After Dessalines’s death, the country split in two. Christophe governed the north, first as president and, from 1811, as King Henri I.
He believed the young nation had to be strong enough that no one would dare invade it again. He built fortresses and palaces, opened schools, and wrote a code of laws. He died at Sans-Souci on 8 October 1820.
Achievements
- Commanded revolutionary forces in the north through the war of independence.
- Built the Citadelle Laferrière, one of the largest fortresses in the Americas.
- Built the Sans-Souci Palace at Milot. Both are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Founded schools and issued the Code Henry to organize the kingdom’s laws.
