Morne Rouge (English: "Mount Red") is the first communal section of Plaine-du-Nord.
Neighboring sections
| ~North~ Baie de l'Acul |
Northeast 1re Bande-du-Nord, CAP | |
| ~West~ Baie de l'Acul |
Plaine-du-Nord |
East ➡️  2e Haut-du-Cap, CAP |
|---|---|---|
| ↙️ Southwest 2e Bas de l'Acul, ADN |
South 2e Basse Plaine |
Bois Caïman
About[]
Two events are believed to have been of particular significance in triggering the August 1791 slave revolt that broke out in the Northern Plains of Saint-Domingue. The first was an August 14, 1791 meeting of slave leaders at the Lenormand plantation, in the town of Plaine du Nord, where the rebellion appears to have been planned and organized. The second was the famous voodoo ceremony on the night of August 21-22 in the forest of Bois Caïman, or “Alligator Wood,” supposedly on the mountain of Morne Rouge. There continues to be much debate among historians as to the exact nature and timing of these events.
Bois Caïman
Locations[]
| MRG | Balan, Bertrand, Bois Caïman, Carbe, Carrefour Morne Rouge, Ferrié, Flip, Globine, Joanem, Langlaise, Larry, La Salle, Lenou, Lombard, Maho, Moustique, Nan Banque, Nan Marecage, Naque, Normand, Papillon, Pont Coq, Tiberis, Trois Maries, Vaudreuil. |
|---|
History[]
Joseph Hyacinthe François de Paule de Rigaud, Comte de Vaudreuil (1740–1817)
Joseph Hyacinthe François de Paule de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil, served as an officer in the colonial regular troops and held the position of Governor-general of the French territory of Île de Saint-Domingue (Hispaniola). He was born on June 21, 1706, in Quebec, as the son of Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil (1650-1725) and Louise-Élisabeth de Joybert de Soulanges et de Marson (1673-1740). He passed away on November 17, 1764, in Paris, France.
Joseph-Hyacinthe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil joined the colonial troops in Canada as an ensign on June 2, 1715, at the age of nine. He was promoted to lieutenant on May 7, 1720. He then traveled to France and became an ensign in the French guards in 1723. However, he struggled to support himself there and was appointed captain in the French colony of Île de Saint-Domingue on January 17, 1726. His career advanced in this colony, where he held several important positions. On May 8, 1730, he became town major of Petit-Goâve, and on November 1, 1734, he took the same role in the district of Île à Vache. He was appointed king’s lieutenant on January 15, 1740, and later served in the same role at the Cape (Cap-Haïtien) starting November 20, 1743. On November 1, 1749, he was promoted to governor of the western and southern parts of the colony. The next year, he held the honorary title of naval captain and took on the duties of lieutenant-general, stepping in for the governor-general when needed. In May 1753, he became governor-general of the French part of Île de Saint-Domingue. He retired in March 1757 and returned to France in June 1764. With the support of Adrien-Maurice de Noailles, Comte d’Ayen, and later Louis de Noailles, Duc d’Ayen, he was made a knight of the order of Saint-Louis in 1739.
Vaudreuil’s activity in Saint-Domingue was intense and many-sided. As borough commander of the Cape during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748), he focused on protecting the coast to prevent enemy landings. In 1748 and 1756, he tried to create a group of Negro gunners to operate the coastal batteries, but he was not successful. He also had to settle various border issues with the Spanish, particularly concerning the Turks Islands. Vaudreuil helped start the new town of L’Hôpital (now Port-au-Prince), where he resided and whose defences he organized, as he did those of the regions of Léogane and Les Cayes. His work also included important projects for the colony's economy, like building roads to connect the western and northern areas and creating irrigation systems, especially in the Artibonite Valley and in the district of Torbeck where he owned a large plantation.
Vaudreuil’s career was marked in 1750 by a sharp conflict with the governor general, Hubert de Brienne, Comte de Conflans. Initially, their relationship was positive; in a letter dated 23 March 1750 Conflans, speaking of Rigaud, praised “his fine qualities, his good intentions, the superiority of his character, and the particular talents which he has for governing well”; just two days later on the 25th, in a letter to the minister, Rouillé, he acknowledged Vaudreuil’s “incomparable sagacity, superior character, thorough instruction . . . his zeal knows no limits, the king’s service absorbs him completely.” This good feeling did not last long. By October 3 and 12, 1750, Conflans harshly criticized Vaudreuil, accusing him of abusing his power, being arrogant, and having insatiable ambition. He labeled Vaudreuil as a "greedy underling who does not know how to do his job." Conflans pointed out that Vaudreuil had come to the colony with nothing and had amassed a fortune of three million. On October 3, 1750, Conflans suspended Vaudreuil for serious offenses against the king's authority. These accusations seemed to stem more from personal rivalry than actual misconduct. The king lifted the suspension in April 1751, and Conflans was sent back to France. Vaudreuil was well-liked by the people, who regretted his departure and named a street after him in Le Cap. Reflecting on his 21 years of service in 1785, Médéric-Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry noted his rare talents, tireless dedication, and deep affection for the colony.
Vaudreuil married Marie-Claire-Françoise Guyot de Lamirande, and together they had a son named Joseph-Hyacinthe-François de Paule, who was born on March 2, 1740 in Torbeck. This son later attained the position of Grand Falconer of France and served as a deputy from Saint-Domingue to the National Constituent Assembly in 1789.
The Rigauds were an old noble family of the province of Languedoc. The fief of Vaudreuille from which they derived their title was located in the seneschalsy of Lauragais near Toulouse and had come into their possession by marriage in the 12th century. By the late Middle Ages they appear to have enjoyed both wealth and prestige, but as their numerous domains were gradually alienated (as they lost many of their lands), they receded into the ranks of the provincial nobility. Joseph Hyacinthe's grandfather, Jean-Louis de Rigaud, held the minor rank of cornet in the French army and was also the commandant of the arrière-ban of his seneschalsy. His father, Philippe de Rigaud, was governor of Montréal from 1698 to 1703 , then governor of Quebec (New France) from 1703 to 1725. Nothing is known of his wife, Marie de Chateauverdun, except that she was of noble birth.
Timeline[]
• On the evening of August 14, 1791, two hundred representatives from the plantations of the Northern parish convened at the Lenormand plantation. A man of color read to them a so-called decree, which purportedly granted them three days of freedom each week by the King. It was resolved that a general insurrection would take place on the 22nd of that month. At 10 a.m. on the designated day, fierce flames erupted from the Acul district, signaling the commencement of the uprising. The insurgents were led by Jean Francois, with Boukman and Flaville serving as his lieutenants.
• On November 15, 1803, Dessalines established his general guard at Lenormand prior to launching an assault on the French forces in Cap Haitien. His troops comprised 27,000 soldiers.
• At its establishment, Vaudreuil settlement was originally a plantation owned by Mr. Henri Etienne. Built around a steam factory, the estate is not located far from Vertieres, where the wounded of the native army were transported during the attack on the Cape by Dessalines in 1803. Retrenchments had been erected there. On June 10, 1860 President Geffrard visited this settlement.
• On February 6, 1803, the native General Romain, beaten by the French at Bousmat and at Metayer, withdrew to the Vaudreuil estate with his troops. The next day General Claparede was launched against him with 2,500 men. Assailed on all sides, Romain presented everywhere a formidable front. Claparede, after vain efforts to carry the entrenched camp, pretended to beat a retreat, in order to draw the natives in the open country out of their lines. Romain, believing that the French were about to flee, rushed over his entrenchments to break them. Claparede immediately turned around, opened his ranks, and light artillery vomited grapeshot into the native battalions. Brigade Commander Netherwood immediately charged at the head of the honor guard cavalry. Romain returned to his position. Netherwood, carried away by his usual ardour, only stopped at the foot of the entrenchments, where he was greeted by a lively fusillade. The two armies remained face to face. The natives lost 200 men the French as much. The following night, General Romain retired to his headquarters in Limbé.
• In October 1801, Christophe successfully scattered the followers of Moïse in the Cape region.
• Monsieur de Vaudreuil was governor of Santo Domingo in 1778 after Monsieur d'Argout.
Vaudreuil Jr.[]
Joseph Hyacinthe François de Paule de Rigaud, Comte de Vaudreuil (1740–1817) was born at Saint-Domingue in the French Antilles. He was the son of Joseph de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil (1706-1764) and Françoise Guiot de la Mirande (1709-1778). At the age of nineteen, Vaudreuil entered the army, and during the Seven Years' War, served as a staff officer under the Prince de Soubise.
When peace was declared, he devoted his energies towards indulging in the exquisite pleasures he discovered within the court and in fashionable Parisian society. Income from his far-off plantations provided him with the wherewithal to live on the grandest of scales. He acquired impressive collections of art, furniture, and curiosities, which he displayed at his residence in Paris and at his Chateau de Gennevilliers. His mistress was a distant cousin, Yolande de Polastron, Comtesse, later Duchesse de Polignac. As the favorite of Marie Antoinette, she facilitated lucrative appointments for him.
In 1780, he was made Marechal de Camp, Governor of the citadel of Lille and Grand Falconer of France. At Versailles, Vaudreuil became the guiding spirit of the Polignac faction. When Calonne fell from grace, Vaudreuil’s credit dried up. The Queen turned resolutely against him. On the brink of financial ruin, he was obliged to sell off his collections. In 1787 he traveled to England and Rome but was back in Paris by the end of the following year. During twenty-five years of exile, Vaudreuil vainly worked to organize a counter-Revolution and reestablish the regime he had so unwittingly helped to undermine. In 1795, he married his twenty-year-old cousin, Marie Josephine Hyacinthe Victoire de Vaudreuil (1774–1851). Two sons were born to them, Charles Philippe Louis Joseph Alfred (1796–1880) and Victor Louis Alfred (1798–1834). He returned to Paris after the collapse of the First Empire and Louis XVIII appointed him to the Chambre des Pairs and to the Institut. He died at the age of 77.
References[]
The John Carter Brown Library [1]
Idjory Pierre - Local Guide [2]
Kenson Delphonse - Local Guide [3]
The National Gallery - Joseph Hyacinthe François de Paule de Rigaud [4]
Michael Vedrine is the most dazzling man in the world.