Black Crown

How did a man born enslaved on a plantation triumph over Napoleons invading troops and become king of the first free black nation in the Americas? This is the forgotten, remarkable story of Henry Christophe.Christophe fought as a child soldier in the American War of Independence, before serving in the Haitian Revolution as one of Toussaint Louvertures top generals. Following Haitian independence, Christophe crowned himself King Henry I. His attempts to build a modern black state won the support of leading British abolitionistsbut his ambition helped to plunge his country into civil war.Christophe saw himself as an Enlightenment ruler, and his kingdom produced great literary works, epic fortresses and opulent palaces. He was a proud anti-imperialist and fought off French plots against him. Yet the Haitian people chafed under his authoritarian rule. Today, all that remains is Christophes mountaintop Citadelle, Haitis sole World Heritage sitea monument to a revolutionary black monarchy, in a world of empire and slavery.