Soulouque, Faustin Élie

Soulouque, Faustin Élie fōstăN´ ālē´ so͞olo͞ok´ [key], c.1785–1867, emperor of Haiti (1849–59). An illiterate former slave, he became president in 1847 and then declared himself emperor as Faustin I. His reign was corrupt, sanguinary, and terror-ridden; his court was a caricature of Napoleon's. Although he failed in his attempt to conquer Santo Domingo, he held Haiti under stern control until overthrown by a revolution led by Nicholas FabreGeffrard.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia,6th ed. Copyright © 2022, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on:Haiti History: Biographies