Introduction: Ink, Power, and Legacy
In the early nineteenth century, while the world still doubted that a free Black nation could govern itself, Haiti was already printing its own royal newspaper.
Known as La Gazette Royale d’Hayti, this paper served as the official voice of King Henri Christophe’s government in the north. Published from his capital, Cap-Henri (today Cap-Haïtien), the Gazette was more than a record of events—it was a declaration of existence, intellect, and power.
In its pages, royal decrees shared space with reports on trade, education, diplomacy, and the arts. Editorials defended the monarchy and denounced the republic in the south. And in a stunning 1817 issue, the paper reported Haiti’s capture of a Portuguese slave ship and the liberation of 145 enslaved Africans.
Through every issue, the Gazette proclaimed one simple truth to a skeptical world: Haiti was sovereign, organized, and literate—a nation capable not only of freedom, but of reason and refinement.
Today, La Gazette Royale remains one of the most important historical documents of Haiti’s royal period (1811–1820). It gives us a rare, direct voice from those who lived and governed in the aftermath of the world’s only successful slave revolution.
1. Birth of a Nation, Birth of a Newspaper
When Haiti declared independence in 1804, it entered a world that wanted it to fail. The colonial powers—France, Britain, and Spain—feared Haiti’s influence on enslaved populations across the Americas. Trade embargoes and diplomatic isolation soon followed.
Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the revolutionary general who became Emperor Jacques I, ruled briefly before his assassination in 1806. The country then split into two:
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The northern Kingdom of Hayti, ruled by King Henri Christophe, a former general who believed in monarchy as a stabilizing system.
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The southern Republic, led by Alexandre Pétion, adopted a republican form of government inspired by France and the United States.
This political division was not just about power—it represented two visions for what freedom would mean in a Black nation. Christophe’s north valued discipline, education, and moral order. Pétion’s south valued civic liberty and republican ideals.
In 1811, Christophe crowned himself King Henri I of Hayti and began building an African-descended monarchy—complete with a royal palace, a court, and a code of laws. As his kingdom expanded its institutions, one tool became essential to his vision: a newspaper that could record, communicate, and legitimize royal authority.
Thus, La Gazette Officielle du Cap-Henry was born, later renamed La Gazette Royale d’Hayti.
2. The Royal Voice in Print
La Gazette Royale was printed in Cap-Henri by the royal press established under Christophe’s reign. Issues circulated between 1813 and 1820, offering news, announcements, and reflections that bridged politics, religion, and culture.
The paper’s content was divided into several sections, often including:
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Royal decrees and proclamations — official statements from the king and his ministers.
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Reports on public works — especially the construction of schools, roads, and fortifications such as the Citadelle Laferrière.
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International and maritime news — often reprinted or adapted from European sources.
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Moral essays and commentary — reflecting the king’s emphasis on virtue and order.
Each issue embodied a sense of structure and dignity. The masthead read “La Gazette Royale du Cap-Henry,” followed by the date and issue number, and often the phrase “La loi au peuple, le roi au peuple” (The law to the people, the king to the people).
This was not just journalism; it was governance through print.
By publishing the king’s speeches, laws, and reports, the Gazette connected the monarchy to its people, much as modern governments use press releases or state media. But it also connected Haiti to the Atlantic world, inserting a Black nation’s perspective into the global conversation about freedom, race, and modernity.
3. Words as Weapons: The Gazette’s Critique of the South
Beyond its royal proclamations, La Gazette Royale played a sharp political role—it was the monarchy’s mouthpiece in an ideological war with the southern republic.
The paper frequently criticized the South under President Pétion and later President Jean-Pierre Boyer. Christophe’s editors accused the republic of corruption, disorder, and moral decay. Some issues spoke of “les patriotes du Sud se plaignent amèrement de la conduite...” (“the patriots of the South bitterly complain of their leaders’ conduct”).
This rhetoric was deliberate. Christophe wanted to show that his monarchy represented unity, discipline, and divine order, while the republic represented fragmentation and decline.
The North’s propaganda was not entirely unfounded: by the late 1810s, economic strain and political instability were growing in the southern republic. Pétion had redistributed land to soldiers and peasants—a popular but economically disruptive policy—while Christophe’s government maintained agricultural production through a feudal-style “corvée” system.
Through the Gazette, Christophe projected strength and continuity. Every issue reinforced his identity as a just and enlightened ruler—“Henri, Roi d’Hayti et Protecteur de la Nation.”
In a world where most Black people were still enslaved, the very existence of a royal press run by free Black men was revolutionary.
4. The Most Powerful Story: Liberation at Sea
One of the most striking stories ever printed in La Gazette Royale appeared in 1817. It reported the capture of a Portuguese slave ship by the Haitian navy near Cap-Henri.
The article, titled “Capture d’un Bâtiment Négrier,” described how a Haitian corvette named L’Eugénie intercepted the vessel and rescued 145 Africans bound for enslavement. The report celebrated their liberation and condemned “l’odieux trafic de chair humaine” (the odious traffic in human flesh).
For King Henri Christophe, this act symbolized Haiti’s moral and political mission—to stand as a fortress of Black freedom in a world still dominated by slavery.
Publishing that story was an act of global defiance. It sent a message to Europe and the Americas that Haiti was not just surviving—it was enforcing justice on the seas.
The same issue included details about the freed Africans being given care, food, and shelter upon arrival. The Gazette treated the event not as an isolated incident but as evidence of divine righteousness—a sign that Haiti, the world’s first free Black kingdom, stood on the side of liberation.
5. A Window into Haitian Royal Life
Through its pages, La Gazette Royale also reveals a world that blended African traditions, Enlightenment ideals, and Christian ethics.
The paper included royal ceremonies, announcements of noble titles, and descriptions of the kingdom’s educational and agricultural reforms. It reflected Christophe’s belief that Haiti’s survival depended on order, discipline, and education.
In one issue, a royal decree ordered the creation of schools throughout the kingdom. Another celebrated the opening of the Collège Royal du Cap-Henry. The Gazette even published sermons and reflections on morality, showing the king’s desire to align governance with virtue.
These pages offer an unparalleled window into the day-to-day workings of an independent Black monarchy—its values, ambitions, and contradictions.
They show that while the revolution had secured freedom, building a functioning nation required new systems of knowledge and authority. Print media was one of those systems.
6. Silence, Fragmentation, and Rediscovery
After King Henri died in 1820, the northern monarchy collapsed, and Haiti was reunified under President Jean-Pierre Boyer. The royal press ceased operation, and La Gazette Royale faded from public memory.
Over time, many issues were lost—destroyed by war, humidity, or neglect. Others lay hidden in private collections and European libraries. For nearly two centuries, scholars knew of the Gazette but had no complete record of its contents.
That changed thanks to Professor Marlene L. Daut, a Haitian-American scholar at the University of Virginia, who began the La Gazette Royale Project.
Her work reunited over 80 known issues of La Gazette Officielle, La Gazette Royale, and L’Almanach Royal d’Hayti. These fragile documents were gathered from archives across Haiti, France, Britain, and the Americas and made freely available online at LaGazetteRoyale.com.
Through her efforts, the scattered words of Haiti’s monarchy found their way back home.
7. Why La Gazette Royale Still Matters
La Gazette Royale is far more than a historical curiosity—it is a cornerstone of Haiti’s intellectual heritage.
It reminds us that our ancestors were not only warriors but also writers, readers, and thinkers. In a time when the Western world denied Black humanity, Haiti printed its own narrative in bold typeface.
The Gazette reveals how early Haitians understood freedom not merely as emancipation, but as participation in civilization—through law, literacy, and leadership.
It also challenges the myth that the Haitian monarchy was isolated or backward. On the contrary, La Gazette Royale shows an active engagement with international events, a sophisticated bureaucracy, and a deep investment in moral and intellectual advancement.
Every issue stands as testimony that Haiti’s Black leaders were shaping the modern world—not from the margins, but from the center of a new global conversation about justice, race, and sovereignty.
8. Lessons for Today
For those of us who inherit this legacy, La Gazette Royale offers timeless lessons.
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The power of documentation: Our ancestors understood that to control their narrative, they had to record it themselves.
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The dignity of order and learning: King Henri’s insistence on education and structure, while imperfect, reflected a belief that freedom must be nurtured through discipline and intellect.
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The need for preservation: Without archives, voices fade. Thanks to scholars like Professor Daut, the written voices of early Haiti now speak again—reminding us that freedom must be remembered, not just celebrated.
In an age where misinformation spreads easily, La Gazette Royale invites us to reflect on what it means to have a national voice rooted in truth and responsibility.
9. Returning the Voice to the People
As we read these pages today, we’re not just studying history—we’re in conversation with our ancestors.
Their words remind us that liberation is not a single moment but an ongoing act of creation, reflection, and care.
In every article, decree, and editorial, La Gazette Royale captures the spirit of a people determined to define themselves on their own terms.
It stands as one of the most complete written voices left to us from Haiti’s royal past—and one of the earliest examples of Black nationhood expressed through print.
Each issue is a message across time, saying:
We were here. We built. We believed. We spoke.
And now, thanks to modern preservation, we can listen again.
Conclusion: The Press as an Act of Freedom
In 1813, when La Gazette Royale first rolled off the presses at Cap-Henri, it carried more than ink—it carried the weight of Haiti’s revolutionary promise.
It told the world that Haiti was not a myth or a miracle, but a functioning society built by Black intellect, faith, and perseverance.
Today, those same yellowed pages continue to speak. They remind us that freedom’s deepest form is the ability to tell our own story, in our own words, and in our own time.
La Gazette Royale is not just a royal newspaper—it is a royal legacy of language, culture, and self-definition.
And in honoring it, we honor the voices of those who wrote the first chapters of Haiti’s freedom with both the sword and the pen.
Credit
Preservation courtesy of Professor Marlene L. Daut, University of Virginia.
Explore the archive at LaGazetteRoyale.com
Written for HaitiDecoded by Maudelyne Maxineau-Gedeon, educator, author, and cultural archivist.