HR 8059 2023
hr8059-00
Page 1 of 2
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
House Resolution 1
A resolution recognizing October 17, 2023, as "Jean -2
Jacques Dessalines Day" in Florida. 3
4
WHEREAS, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, regarded as one of the 5
founding fathers of Haiti, was born in 1758, and 6
WHEREAS, Dessalines served under the command of acclaimed 7
military leader Toussaint L'Ouverture during the Haitian 8
Revolution to fight for freedom from France, and 9
WHEREAS, when Toussaint L'Ouverture was deported t o France 10
in 1802 by Napoleon's forces, Dessalines continued the fight for 11
freedom, and 12
WHEREAS, Dessalines served as Governor -General of Saint-13
Domingue, which is now Haiti, and went on to serve as the first 14
ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1805 Con stitution, and 15
WHEREAS, after freeing the colony from French rule, General 16
Dessalines proclaimed Haiti an independent country on January 1, 17
1804, and 18
WHEREAS, Dessalines declared himself the first emperor of 19
Haiti in 1804, and 20
WHEREAS, under Dessalines, Haiti became the first country 21
in the Americas to permanently abolish slavery, and 22
WHEREAS, according to Haitian historical tradition, 23
Dessalines created the first iteration of the Haitian flag by 24
taking a French flag, tearing out the white stripe of mat erial, 25
HR 8059 2023
hr8059-00
Page 2 of 2
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
and having a Haitian seamstress, Catherine Flon, sew together 26
the blue and red pieces of material to symbolize freedom and an 27
end to European influence, and 28
WHEREAS, Dessalines served as Emperor of Haiti until his 29
assassination during a military re volt on October 17, 1806, the 30
anniversary of which is celebrated annually in Haiti as 31
Dessalines Day, and 32
WHEREAS, there is a strong connection between Haiti and 33
Florida with hundreds of thousands of Haitian Americans residing 34
in South Florida, NOW, THERE FORE, 35
36
Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of 37
Florida: 38
39
That October 17, 2023, is designated as "Jean -Jacques 40
Dessalines Day" in Florida. 41