Mar 01, 2012 - Sale 2271

Sale 2271 - Lot 341

Price Realized: $ 1,200
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
(HAITI.) BOYER, JEAN PIERRE. (TRANSLATION) Rural Code of Haiti. Port-au-Prince. Printed at the Government Press, July, 1826. Liberty! Equality! Republic of Haiti. Rural Code. 18 pages folio, original printed self-wrappers, stitched, spine with almost imperceptible archival reinforcement, modern thread. London: Ordered by the House of Commons, to be Printed, 25 May 1827
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scarce first printing in english of jean pierre boyer's "code rural" which essentially put Haitians back into a state of virtual slavery. Jean Pierre Boyer (1776-1850), sometimes called the "Mulatto Machiavelli" ruled Haiti from 1818 until 1843. In 1820 he invaded Santo Domingo, thus unifying the island. However, Boyer, one of the four generals who liberated Haiti from France, still faced a constant threat from its old master. France claimed 150 million francs in debt from Haiti in lost property. In 1825, with 14 French warships moored off the coast, Boyer was persuaded to sign an agreement to pay France over a period of five years. This however proved to be impossible, even after France agreed to reduce the sum to sixty million. As a result, Boyer put into effect his "Code Rural," redistributing the land and binding farmers to what was essentially forced labor in order to raise funds.