Florida 2022 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H8081 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
11	11	R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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13	13	House Resolution 1
14	14	A resolution recognizing October 17, 2022, as "Jean -2
15	15	Jacques Dessalines Day" in Florida. 3
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17	17	WHEREAS, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, regarded as one of the 5
18	18	founding fathers of Haiti, is celebrated as a leader who fought 6
19	19	for and attained freedom for Haiti's people, and 7
20	20	WHEREAS, Jean-Jacques Dessalines was raised and trained by 8
21	21	Adbaraya "Mama Toya," also known as Victoria Montou, one of the 9
22	22	fabled "Amazons of Dahomey" (modern-day Benin), who watched over 10
23	23	him and taught Dessalines the ways of an African warrior, and 11
24	24	was married to Marie -Claire Heureuse Félicité, and 12
25	25	WHEREAS, as a military leader during the Haitian 13
26	26	Revolution, after freeing the colony from French rule, G eneral 14
27	27	Dessalines proclaimed Haiti as an independent country on January 15
28	28	1, 1804, making Haiti the first independent nation in Latin 16
29	29	America and the Caribbean, the second democracy in the Western 17
30	30	Hemisphere, and the first Black republic in the world, and we nt 18
31	31	on to serve as the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 19
32	32	1805 Constitution of Haiti, and 20
33	33	WHEREAS, the Generals of the Haitian Revolution Army 21
34	34	proclaimed Dessalines as the Emperor of Haiti in 1804, crowning 22
35	35	him as Emperor Jacques I, and 23
36	36	WHEREAS, under Dessalines, Haiti became the first country 24
37	37	in the Americas to permanently abolish slavery, and 25 
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46	46	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
47	47	R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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49	49	WHEREAS, according to Haitian historical tradition, 26
50	50	Dessalines created the first iteration of the Haitian flag by 27
51	51	taking a French flag and tearing out t he white stripe of 28
52	52	material and having a Haitian seamstress, Catherine Flon, sew 29
53	53	together the blue and red pieces of material to symbolize 30
54	54	freedom and an end to European influence, and 31
55	55	WHEREAS, the Haitian Revolution aided in the expansion of 32
56	56	the United States through the Louisiana Purchase, France agreed 33
57	57	to sell the land to the United States , and on November 10, 1803, 34
58	58	United States President Thomas Jefferson approved and signed an 35
59	59	act to pay France $11 million for the "Louisiana Purchase," 36
60	60	which doubled the size of the United States for the incredibly 37
61	61	low price of 3 cents an acre, adding 828,000 square miles, 38
62	62	stretching northwest from New Orleans to present -day Montana, 39
63	63	and 40
64	64	WHEREAS, Dessalines served as emperor until his 41
65	65	assassination during a military re volt on October 17, 1806, the 42
66	66	anniversary of which is celebrated in Haiti as Dessalines Day, 43
67	67	and 44
68	68	WHEREAS, the national anthem of Haiti, "La Dessalinienne," 45
69	69	was named in honor of Dessalines as was the city of Dessalines, 46
70	70	and 47
71	71	WHEREAS, there is a strong con nection between Haiti and 48
72	72	Florida with hundreds of thousands of Haitian -Americans residing 49
73	73	in South Florida, NOW, THEREFORE, 50 
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82	82	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
83	83	R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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86	86	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of 52
87	87	Florida: 53
88	88	54
89	89	That October 17, 2022, is recognized as "Jean -Jacques 55
90	90	Dessalines Day" in Florida. 56