François Denys Légitime
President of Haiti from 1888 to 1889
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François Denys Légitime (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃swa dəni leʒitim]; November 20, 1841 – July 29, 1935) was a Haitian general who served as President of Haiti from 1888 to 1889.
François Denys Légitime | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the State Council representing Sud | |
| In office June 22, 1918 – June 5, 1919 | |
| 14th President of Haiti | |
| In office December 16, 1888 – August 22, 1889 | |
| Preceded by | Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal |
| Succeeded by | Monpoint Jeune |
| Chief of the Executif Branch of Haiti | |
| In office October 16, 1888 – December 16, 1888 | |
| Preceded by | Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| Member of the Provisional Government of Haiti | |
| In office September 1, 1888 – October 16, 1888 | |
| President | Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship | |
| In office September 1, 1888 – December 16, 1888 | |
| President | Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal |
| Preceded by | Brutus Saint-Victor |
| Succeeded by | Eugène Margron (Foreign Affairs) Massillon Lauture (Worship) |
| Minister of Agriculture, Interior, Education, Worship and Justice | |
| In office August 26, 1881 – December 31, 1881 | |
| President | Lysius Salomon |
| Preceded by | Himself (Agriculture and Interior) Charles Archin (Education, Worship and Justice) |
| Succeeded by | François Manigat (Agriculture and Education) Edouard Pickombe (Interior) Thomas Madiou (Justice and Worship) |
| Minister of Agriculture, Finance, Commerce and Interior | |
| In office January 9, 1881 – August 26, 1881 | |
| President | Lysius Salomon |
| Preceded by | Himself (Agriculture, Finance and Commerce) Evarise Laroche (Interior) |
| Succeeded by | Himself (Agriculture and Interior) Brutus Saint-Victor (Finance and Commerce) |
| Minister of Agriculture, Finance and Commerce | |
| In office December 9, 1880 – January 9, 1881 | |
| President | Lysius Salomon |
| Preceded by | Evariste Laroche |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| Personal details | |
| Born | François Déus Légitime November 20, 1841 Jérémie, Haiti |
| Died | July 29, 1935 (aged 93) |
| Party | Liberal Party |
| Spouse | Rose Marie Isaure Marion |
| Occupation | Military general |
Biography
Légitime was born in Jérémie, Haiti, on 20 November 1841[1] to Denys Légitime and Tinette Lespérance.[2] Lespérance was a grandson of Modeste Testas.[3] Légitime married Rose-Marie Isaure Marion and had nine children: Cuvier, Edmond, Angèle, Antoinette, Denis Jr., Léon, Clemence, Marie, and Agnès.[2]
He served as adjutant general during the government of Fabre Geffrard, and as aide-de-camp during the government of Sylvain Salnave.[2] He was Secretary of State of the Interior and then Secretary of State of the Interior and of Agriculture during the government of Lysius Salomon.[2] During this administration, Légitime was accused of aspiring to the presidency, and moved to Kingston, Jamaica, for three years.[4]
He returned to Haiti at the invitation of his followers, and on October 7, 1888, was elected president of the provisional government.[4] General Seide Thelemaque denounced the election as fraudulent and attempted to make himself President, but he was killed in the battle which ensued.[4] Légitime was elected President of Haiti on December 16, 1888, but resigned in 1889, owing to the opposition of General Florvil Hyppolite.[4] He fled Haiti aboard the French cruiser Kerguélen in August 1889, initially traveling to New York City, where he took a passenger ship to France.[5] He then retired to Jamaica.[4] In 1896 President Tiresias Simon Sam granted a general amnesty, and Légitime returned to Haiti.[4] He died on July 29, 1935 in Port-au-Prince.[6]
He wrote La nation ou la race haïtienne (1888).[7]
