About this picture: Jacmel Alexandre Pétion
The city has not changed much since the late 19th century when the town was inhabited by wealthy coffee merchants, who lived in gracious mansions that adorned the town. These mansions would later come to influence the home structure of much of New Orleans; the architecture of the city boasted cast iron pillars and balconies purchased in France.
Today, many of these homes are now artisan shops that sell vibrant handicrafts, papier-mâché masks and carved-wood animal figures.
In recent years, efforts have been made to revitalize the once flourishing cigar and coffee industries.
The town is a popular tourist destination in Haiti due to its relative tranquility and distance from the political turmoil that plagues Port-au-Prince.
Toussaint Louverture fought over Jacmel in the so-called War of Knives between him and his fellow countryman André Rigaud, who wished to maintain authority over the city. This war began in June of 1799. By November the rebels were pushed back to this strategic southern port, the defence of which was commanded by Alexandre Pétion.
Jacmel fell to Toussaint's troops in March 1800 and the rebellion was effectively over. Pétion and other mulatto leaders subsequently went into exile in France.
Source:
www.Haitiexchange.com
www.galenfrysinger.com
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