On May 14, 1804, Haitian leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines issued one of the early decrees reaffirming Haiti’s independence from France. This came just months after Haiti declared itself the first Black republic in January 1804. The decree was a defiant message to European powers that slavery would never return to the island. It emphasized land redistribution to former slaves and called for vigilance against neocolonial threats. This moment cemented Haiti’s role as a beacon of Black liberation.
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