King Henri (Henry) Christophe

The Slave who would one day be King

Henry Christophe was one of the quartet of Haitian heroes along with Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and Alexandre Petion. Differing versions of his early life can be confusing, but my research led me to develop his character as follows;

Christophe was a young slave on the island of St. Kitts, a British colony in the Caribbean. Possibly fleeing a cruel master, the 11-year-old stowed away on a French naval ship headed for the Battle of Savannah. He was found by a French officer who took possession of him and named him Henri Christophe, note the French spelling of his first name, Henri, and Christophe for the island he was found on.

He was enlisted as a drummer boy in the French army, would turn 12 at the battle, and was reportedly wounded there. Months later, the officer sold Henri in Saint Domingue. The Hotel de la Couronne's owner, Gabriel Coidavid, was either his master or leased the boy from his owner. Henri worked at the hotel, developed excellent diplomatic skills, and could earn money from wealthy Grands Blancs either visiting or gambling at the hotel. He purchased his freedom and changed his name to the English spelling of Henry. He later married Marie-Louise, Coidavid's daughter.

Christophe would play an important role in Haiti's independence and, after the assassination of Dessalines, took possession of the northern province, established a monarchy, and proclaimed himself King, thus becoming the only monarch of the country. He built palaces, the most important of which is Sans Souci where the remains still stand today, and the Citadelle Laferrière fortress; both named World Heritage sites.

Take a sneak peak of Chapter One of Book One where he is given his name by Admiral Charles Henri Hector, Count of Estaing, the supreme commander of the expedition to the American Revolution: