Henriette Saint Marc
Unknown – 1802
Obituary
“Henriette Saint Marc died some 217 years ago in 1802. Although she was popular as a [sex worker], she gained more popularity after she became a strong ally of Haitian revolutionaries by using her influence on the French and access to their plans, weapons and secrets to support Toussaint L’Ouverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines and the War of Independence.
Born to a slave mother who raised her after being neglected by the white official who impregnated her, Henriette grew from humble beginnings with the advantage of being a [mixed race] woman which came with the freedom to do as she pleases…
By the late 1700s, she was living in Port-au-Prince where the war was on-going between French and the freed slaves who had joined an army led by Toussaint L’Ouverture…
Between 1800 and 1802, Henriette leaked whatever information that she could retrieve from the French to Toussaint and his men which put them at an advantage aside having a strong military. Not only did she leak information, but she also stole arms, gun powder and several other documents for the Haitian army which helped them immensely…
Before she could be helped by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the French sentenced her to death by hanging. She was marched to the market square in Port-au-Prince which is now the capital of Haiti where she was hanged in broad daylight in front of the Church of Croix-des-Bouquets. She was executed at ten in the morning…
Haiti gained independence two years after her death. Although the Haitian army had no spy to their advantage, they had by then gained enough arms and information through Henriette which they used to win the war.
There are no actual photos of her and every existing picture remains a depiction of what she could have looked like.”
Friends & Family Remembrances & Testimonials
