Did Haiti’s First and Last King Squander the Revolution or Succeed in Underappreciated Ways?

Did Haiti’s First and Last King Squander the Revolution or Succeed in Underappreciated Ways?

Slave, revolutionary, king, Henry Christophe was, in his time, popular and famous the world over. Born to an enslaved mother on the Caribbean island of Grenada, Christophe first fought to overthrow the British in North America, before helping his fellow enslaved Africans in Saint-Domingue, as Haiti was then called, to end slavery. Yet in an incredible twist of fate, Christophe began fighting with Napoleon's forces against the formerly enslaved men and women he had once fought alongside. Later, reuniting with those he had abandoned, he offered to lead them and made himself their king. But it all came to a sudden and tragic end when Christophe—after nine years of his rule as King Henry I—shot himself in the heart, some say with a silver bullet.

But why did Christophe turn his back on Toussaint Louverture and the very revolution with which his name is so indelibly associated? How did it come to pass that Christophe found himself accused of participating in the plot to assassinate Haiti's first ruler, Dessalines? And what caused Haiti to eventually split into two countries, one ruled by Christophe in the north and the other led by President Pétion in the south?

To look at this story, we are joined by Marlene Daut, author of “The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe,” exploring the-still controversial enigma that he was.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episoder(1077)

How One Man Ruled 1920s Kansas City Like a Caesar—Jason Roe

How One Man Ruled 1920s Kansas City Like a Caesar—Jason Roe

America attempted to legislate morality in the 1920s by outlawing the production, sale, and transport of intoxicating liquors through the Volstead Act. But that didn't stop the drinks from flowing dur...

10 Jul 20171h 3min

Was There a Real-Life Dr. Frankenstein?

Was There a Real-Life Dr. Frankenstein?

Was there a real life Dr. Frankenstein who tried to bring the dead back to life by science and alchemy? Yes there was, and his name was Johann Dippel. He lived in the transitional period between alche...

7 Jul 20178min

Who is the Bravest Person Who Ever Lived?

Who is the Bravest Person Who Ever Lived?

In the early 1800s there was no English explorer greater than James Holman. He covered a distance almost twenty times farther than Marco Polo on foot or cart—almost never using trains or steamships. H...

6 Jul 201711min

Does China Really Have a 5,000-Year-Old History?

Does China Really Have a 5,000-Year-Old History?

Few will dispute that China has one of the most ancient cultures on earth, but is there any truth to the claim—made by many residents of China—that there is a 5,000-year-long line of continuity in its...

5 Jul 20179min

Why Is July 4 Celebrated The Way It Is (Fireworks n’ Hot Dogs)?

Why Is July 4 Celebrated The Way It Is (Fireworks n’ Hot Dogs)?

Why do Americans celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks? Are we trying to take the National Anthem as literally as possible, creating “Bombs Bursting in Air”? Or is there another reason? It turns...

4 Jul 20177min

Is There Any Language In Use Today That Could Be Used 1,000 Years Ago?

Is There Any Language In Use Today That Could Be Used 1,000 Years Ago?

Any fan of Shakespeare knows how much the English language has changed over the last 400 years. A student of Chauncer knows even better. A brave student of Beowulf knows almost better than anyone else...

30 Jun 20178min

When Did The Roman Empire Really End?

When Did The Roman Empire Really End?

Rome didn’t fall in 476 when Romulus, the last of the Roman emperors in the west, was overthrown by the Germanic leader Odoacer, who became the first Barbarian to rule in Rome. Nor did it fall in 1453...

29 Jun 20176min

Why Did Hitler Hate the Jews?

Why Did Hitler Hate the Jews?

The horrors of the Holocaust are as vivid now as they were in 1945 when the world discovered the horrors of Nazi Germany's atrocities. But why did Hitler hate the Jews so vehemently? Furthermore, why ...

28 Jun 20176min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
popradet
konspirasjonspodden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
min-barneoppdragelse
grenselos
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
wolfgang-wee-uncut
synnve-og-vanessa
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-dannet-uten-piano
frokostshowet-pa-p5
fladseth
alt-fortalt
opptur-med-annette-og-ingeborg