BOYER, JEAN PIERRE, a mulatto, president of the republic of Hayti, was born 2d Feb., 1776, at Port-au-Prince, capital of that part of the island then belonging to France. At a very early age he was sent to France, where he received a European education; and in 1792, entered the military service. He very soon became a chef de bataillon, and fought against the British on then-invasion of his native isle. After fur ther lighting against the British under gen. Rigaud, leader of the mulattoes, and after wards under gen. Leclerc, he entered into a combination which had for its object the union of the negroes and mulattoes, and a complete emancipation of the colony. After the negro Dessalines had seated himself upon the throne, B., along with Mahlon. took the lead of the colored people. They assisted Christophe to overthrow the bloody tyrant in 1806, but deserted Christophe when they saw that he wished to make himself sovereign. Pethion now established an independent republic in the western part of the island; and B. made himself indispensable to him by his military and administrative knowledge, so that he was invested by the new president with the command of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the rank of a maj.gen. In this capacity he endeavored to discipline his troops after the European manner; drove back more than once the black hordes of Christophe, thereby preserving Port-au-Prince from destruction; was recom mended to the people by Petition, when dying, as most worthy to be his successor; and was unanimously elected president of the republic. He arranged the financial affairs,
collected funds into the treasury. improved the administration, and encouraged arts and sciences. After the death of Christophe, he united the monarchical part of the island with the republic in 1820; and in 1821, the eastern district also, which had hitherto remained under the dominion of Spain; and be urgently sought the recognition of the independence of the youthful state by France, which was obtained in 1825, upon payment of an indemnity of 150 millions of francs. B. carried on the government of the republic of Hayti for fifteen years, from this time, with the most perfect peace: but his policy, which was rather arbitrary, and directed to the object of depressing the negroes in favor of his own race, the colored people, resulted in a victorious insurrec tion in 1843. B. fled to Jamaica, whence he announced his resignation to the Haytian revolutionary committee, and condemned himself to a voluntary ostracism. From the proclamation of the provisional government, it appeared that he was the victim of his aristocratic policy; but the provisional government, after it had obtained the upper hand, conducted itself very moderately towards the defeated party. See HAM. After a protracted stay in Jamaica, 13. went to Paris, where he died in the beginning of July, 1850. He was a man of great perseverance, and of captivating manners, but artful. and often harsh and cruel to those under him.