Description

[François Denys LÉGITIME (1841 – 1935)].

[History of the Government of General Légitime, President of the Republic of Haiti]

Paris: Ernest Leroux 1890.

François Denys Légitime (1841 – 1935) was a Haitian general who served as President of Haiti for a brief period from December 16, 1888, to August 22, 1889. He was a descendant of an Ethiopian enslaved woman, Al Pouessi, known as Modeste Testas (1765 – 1870). After gaining her freedom, she became a landowner in Haiti along with her husband Joseph Lespérance.

Légitime was born into an upper-class family and became a member of the Liberal Party, which opposed Haitian President Lysius Salomon (please refer to lot no. 21 in this catalogue for the opposition’s response).

In this work, Légitime, who was living in exile in Jamaica at the time, explains the political situation in Haiti during the preceding years by compiling texts, documents, and correspondence. The accompanying map illustrates Haiti’s departments along with their populations.

Although the work is not signed, it was likely written by Légitime himself, as other writings on him and the contemporary Haitian situation are listed at the beginning of the book. He is also recognized as an author in contemporary literature.

References: OCLC 1308867456, 692142554 (also eBooks), 1152771788, 906377536, 762762619, 253653265, 460697163, 763389325, 880787729.