BOYER, JEAN PIERRE (1776-1850), president of the republic of Haiti, a mulatto, was born at Port-au-Prince on Feb. 28, 1776. He received a good education in France, in 1792 entered the Haitian army, by 1794 was in command of a battalion, and during the British invasion (1794-98) distinguished himself under Rigaud. Forced by the intrigues of Toussaint l'Ouverture (q.v.) to flee to France, he returned to Haiti in 1802, as a member of Leclerc's punitive expedition, but on the attempt of the French to re-establish slavery, he joined the native resistance and was instrumental in expelling the French from the island. When the republican government, formed by Dessalines, leader of the blacks, proved indescribably corrupt and cruel, Boyer united with Alex andre Petion and Henri Christophe to accomplish its overthrow (1806). By a coup d'etat Christophe set himself up as king in most of the conquered territory; Petion, in a small section in the south, founded the republic of Haiti. Boyer supported Petion, as his commandant repulsed Christophe's repeated assaults, and on Petion's death in 1818, was acclaimed president of the republic for life. In 1820 he took advantage of the death of Christophe, and in 1822 of the weakness of the Spaniards (in Santo Domingo), to extend his sovereignty over practically the whole island. Hav ing emancipated the slaves, he gave his attention to remedying the deplorable state of public security and national finance. In 1825, in return for an indemnity of 150,000,000 francs—reduced in 1838 to 60,000,000--he obtained France's recognition of Hai tian independence; in 1826, England acknowledged his Govern ment, and after her, several small nations. He encouraged the arts and sciences, and sponsored agriculture, but his rule was not popular. It was arbitrary; there was little economic improvement, and much discontent over the debt to France. In 1843 a wide spread revolution compelled his resignation. He fled to Jamaica, and then to Paris, where, on July 9, 1850, he died.
See Walez, Precis historique des negociations entre la France et Saint-Domingue, avec une notice biographique sur le general Boyer (Paris, 1826).