Jean-Jacques Dessalines, leader of Haitian independence and the nation's first ruler, is assassinated.
At a Glance
- Date
- 17 October 1806
- Location
- Haiti
- Key people
- Jean-Jacques Dessalines
- Category
- Diaspora & Global
- Source
- Haitian historical records · Britannica
What It Meant Then
His death plunged the young republic into division but secured his status as a founding hero.
What It Means Now
Dessalines is revered in Haiti as a father of the first Black republic.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Haitian Independence Remembered.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/jean-jacques-dessalines-and-haitian-independence-remembered/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Haitian Independence Remembered. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/jean-jacques-dessalines-and-haitian-independence-remembered/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Haitian Independence Remembered.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/jean-jacques-dessalines-and-haitian-independence-remembered/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.