Louis Étienne Félicité Lysius Salomon (June 30, 1815 – October 19, 1888) was the President of Haiti from 1879 to 1888. Salomon is best remembered for instituting Haiti's first postal system and for his lively enthusiasm for Haiti's modernization.[1]
Salomon was born in 1815 in Les Cayes. His family was influential in the tiny black elite of the south. Prominent and educated, his family often clashed with the relatively more powerful mulatto elite of south Haiti. The Salomon family played an early role in the unrest that ultimately led to the overthrow of President Charles Rivière-Hérard, leading a brief uprising that was a precursor to the larger and more successful Piquet revolt. It was triggered by a disputed electoral assembly in the run-up to the adoption of the 1843 constitution. Salomon said that the local mulatto elites refused to accept that blacks had equal rights in the assemblies, that they "were revolted to see men with black skins.. come to vote concurrently with them." The Salomons raised a force of 800 rebels from local cultivators, but the rebellion was put down and the family went into exile in Jamaica.[3]
As Faustin Soulouque came into power, Salomon returned along with other powerful black leaders to serve the new government. Salomon became the Minister of Finance under Faustin and began to monopolize export transactions in coffee and cotton, run foreign imports through state monopolies, and impose levies on capital. As a result, smuggling and piracy exploded during Soulouque's reign. After the fall of Soulouque, Salomon was exiled to Paris and London, where he read and traveled widely.
Becoming president
On August 18, 1879, Salomon returned to Haiti and became president with huge support from the people. His plan as president was to restart public education, fix Haiti's financial woes, restore agriculture productivity, improve the army, and to fix the public administration. Within four months, he established the National Bank of Haiti, and by 1880 he resumed debt payments to France. The 1880s saw a huge amount of effort by the Salomon administration to bring modernization to Haiti. He adhered to the International Postal Union and issued its first postage stamp. In October, he granted a British cable company the right to connect Port-au-Prince and Kingston, Jamaica, and by 1887 he negotiated to link Môle-Saint-Nicolas to Cuba. He restructured the medical school, imported teachers from France for the Lycées, and more. The Armed Forces of Haiti were reorganized to 16,000 and assigned to 34 infantry regiments and 4 artillery regiments. Salomon also reorganized the ranking distribution in the army, which only included privates and generals.
Diplomatic relations
In May 1883, Salomon offered the United States the island of Tortuga in return for U.S. protection. In November, Salomon offered Môle Saint-Nicolas or Tortuga to the United States, but both offers were rejected.
Conspiracies and rebellion
Within four months of Salomon's presidency, Haitian refugees from Kingston were in contact with the elite community in Port-au-Prince in order to stage a coup. When Salomon went to tour the south, general Nicolas headed to St. Marc to plan another coup, but was met with government soldiers. In 1883, exiled Haitian rebels from Jamaica and Cuba, including Jean-Pierre Boyer-Bazelais and Desormes, reached Haitian shores to start another coup against Salomon.
While Salomon fixed some of Haiti's problems, he also drained resources to pay Haiti's debt to France. During 1881–1882, an outbreak of smallpox spread throughout the country and consumed most of the finances in those years. In April 1883, the infamous Cacos from the north rebelled against Salomon and his administration, but were crushed by government troops mixed with former piquets.
From 1884 to the end of his presidency, Salomon faced numerous rebellions from the Cacos. By May, Cacos from the south rebelled in Jérémie, and in July Jacmel rebelled. In October, a huge outburst emerged between Salomon's government forces, the exiled rebels from Cuba and Jamaica, and Cacos from different cities from the south and north. Flames engulfed government records and buildings, and mass murder was being dealt to the elite class, foreigners, and merchants. This conflict was known as the "Bloody Week".
Following the rebellion, inflation grew, and a scandal called the "Affaire des Mandats" became known involving the national bank, a French director, a British chief accountant and the Haitian government.[citation needed]
Resignation and death
In 1886, Salomon was "re-elected" for a seven-year term because of his re-writing of the constitution. In 1887, Port-au-Prince rebelled because of lack of individual freedom and the tyrannical system of the republic. Government officials withdrew support from Salomon and by 1888 Le Cap rebelled in the north. Overwhelmed by the political challenges he faced, Salomon left Haiti and returned to Paris, where he died at number 3 Avenue Victor-Hugo on October 19, 1888.
^Haiti, Her History and Her Detractors By Jacques Nicolas Léger, U. Mich, 2006, , 235–236
^"A Giant President". The Arkansaw Traveler. February 9, 1884. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
^Sheller, Mimi (2000). Democracy After Slavery: Black Publics and Peasant Radicalism in Haiti and Jamaica. University Press of Florida. p. 129–130. ISBN0-8130-1883-8.
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Louis Etienne Felicite Lysius Salomon June 30 1815 October 19 1888 was the President of Haiti from 1879 to 1888 Salomon is best remembered for instituting Haiti s first postal system and for his lively enthusiasm for Haiti s modernization 1 Louis Etienne Lysius Salomon13th President of HaitiIn office October 26 1879 August 10 1888Preceded byPierre Theoma Boisrond CanalSucceeded byFrancois Denys LegitimeMember of the Provisional Government of the Republic of HaitiIn office October 3 1888 October 23 1888Minister of Finance Commerce and Foreign RelationsIn office October 3 1888 November 3 1888Preceded byJoseph LamotheSucceeded byCharles LaforesterieMinister of Finance Commerce Foreign Relations Justice Education and WorshipIn office February 14 1851 January 15 1859PresidentFaustin IPreceded byHimself Finance Commerce and Foreign Relations Jean Baptiste Francisque Justice Education and Worship Succeeded byVictorin Plesance Finance and Commerce Andre Jean Simon Foreign Relations and Education Jean Francois Acloque Justice and Worship Minister of Finance Commerce and Foreign RelationsIn office April 9 1848 February 14 1851PresidentFaustin Soulouque as president Faustin I as Emperor Preceded byAlexis DupuySucceeded byHimself Finance and Commerce Louis Dufresne Foreign Relations Personal detailsBorn 1815 06 30 June 30 1815Les Cayes HaitiDiedOctober 19 1888 1888 10 19 aged 73 Paris FrancePolitical partyNational PartyChildrenIda Salomon FaubertHis daughter Ida Faubert was a French poet He was also noted for being 6 6 tall and referred to having physical proportions of a gladiator 2 Contents 1 Early life 2 Becoming president 3 Diplomatic relations 4 Conspiracies and rebellion 5 Resignation and death 6 See also 7 ReferencesEarly life EditSalomon was born in 1815 in Les Cayes His family was influential in the tiny black elite of the south Prominent and educated his family often clashed with the relatively more powerful mulatto elite of south Haiti The Salomon family played an early role in the unrest that ultimately led to the overthrow of President Charles Riviere Herard leading a brief uprising that was a precursor to the larger and more successful Piquet revolt It was triggered by a disputed electoral assembly in the run up to the adoption of the 1843 constitution Salomon said that the local mulatto elites refused to accept that blacks had equal rights in the assemblies that they were revolted to see men with black skins come to vote concurrently with them The Salomons raised a force of 800 rebels from local cultivators but the rebellion was put down and the family went into exile in Jamaica 3 As Faustin Soulouque came into power Salomon returned along with other powerful black leaders to serve the new government Salomon became the Minister of Finance under Faustin and began to monopolize export transactions in coffee and cotton run foreign imports through state monopolies and impose levies on capital As a result smuggling and piracy exploded during Soulouque s reign After the fall of Soulouque Salomon was exiled to Paris and London where he read and traveled widely Becoming president EditOn August 18 1879 Salomon returned to Haiti and became president with huge support from the people His plan as president was to restart public education fix Haiti s financial woes restore agriculture productivity improve the army and to fix the public administration Within four months he established the National Bank of Haiti and by 1880 he resumed debt payments to France The 1880s saw a huge amount of effort by the Salomon administration to bring modernization to Haiti He adhered to the International Postal Union and issued its first postage stamp In October he granted a British cable company the right to connect Port au Prince and Kingston Jamaica and by 1887 he negotiated to link Mole Saint Nicolas to Cuba He restructured the medical school imported teachers from France for the Lycees and more The Armed Forces of Haiti were reorganized to 16 000 and assigned to 34 infantry regiments and 4 artillery regiments Salomon also reorganized the ranking distribution in the army which only included privates and generals Diplomatic relations EditIn May 1883 Salomon offered the United States the island of Tortuga in return for U S protection In November Salomon offered Mole Saint Nicolas or Tortuga to the United States but both offers were rejected Conspiracies and rebellion EditWithin four months of Salomon s presidency Haitian refugees from Kingston were in contact with the elite community in Port au Prince in order to stage a coup When Salomon went to tour the south general Nicolas headed to St Marc to plan another coup but was met with government soldiers In 1883 exiled Haitian rebels from Jamaica and Cuba including Jean Pierre Boyer Bazelais and Desormes reached Haitian shores to start another coup against Salomon While Salomon fixed some of Haiti s problems he also drained resources to pay Haiti s debt to France During 1881 1882 an outbreak of smallpox spread throughout the country and consumed most of the finances in those years In April 1883 the infamous Cacos from the north rebelled against Salomon and his administration but were crushed by government troops mixed with former piquets From 1884 to the end of his presidency Salomon faced numerous rebellions from the Cacos By May Cacos from the south rebelled in Jeremie and in July Jacmel rebelled In October a huge outburst emerged between Salomon s government forces the exiled rebels from Cuba and Jamaica and Cacos from different cities from the south and north Flames engulfed government records and buildings and mass murder was being dealt to the elite class foreigners and merchants This conflict was known as the Bloody Week Following the rebellion inflation grew and a scandal called the Affaire des Mandats became known involving the national bank a French director a British chief accountant and the Haitian government citation needed Resignation and death EditIn 1886 Salomon was re elected for a seven year term because of his re writing of the constitution In 1887 Port au Prince rebelled because of lack of individual freedom and the tyrannical system of the republic Government officials withdrew support from Salomon and by 1888 Le Cap rebelled in the north Overwhelmed by the political challenges he faced Salomon left Haiti and returned to Paris where he died at number 3 Avenue Victor Hugo on October 19 1888 See also EditHaitiReferences Edit Haiti Her History and Her Detractors By Jacques Nicolas Leger U Mich 2006 235 236 A Giant President The Arkansaw Traveler February 9 1884 Retrieved 9 December 2021 Sheller Mimi 2000 Democracy After Slavery Black Publics and Peasant Radicalism in Haiti and Jamaica University Press of Florida p 129 130 ISBN 0 8130 1883 8 Political officesPreceded byPierre Theoma Boisrond Canal President of Haiti1879 1888 Succeeded byFrancois Denys Legitime Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lysius Salomon amp oldid 1128709717, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
