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Haiti News Media > Haiti News > Philippe Sudre Dartinuenave - Haitian President Sudre Dartiguenave (b. Anse à Veau, April 6, 1862 – D. Anse à Veau, July 28, 1915) 
President: August 12, 1915 – May 15, 1922 (U.S. Occupation)
On July 28, 1915 U.S. marines landed at Bizoton from the warship Washington. They quickly marched on the Haitian capital and took control of all military posts. Only one young solider Pierre Sully, was killed.
Many of the Haitian people accepted it was a fait accompli. Wanting an end to constant civil wars and wanton violence, they swallowed their pride and reacted to the military invasion with indifference.
The American military occupation of Haiti, was ordered by the Navy Secretary supposedly to protect the lives and interests of foreign citizens living in Haiti. In reality, the occupation had been long anticipated and denounced by patriots such as Dr. Rosalvo Bobo, an influential leader of the northern department.
Dr. Rosalvo Bobo refused to accept any treaty interfering with Haitian national sovereignty. As a result, he was considered unfit for the presidency by the U.S. occupying forces. Another distinguished citizen, Tertulien Guilbaud, a prominent lawyer, also refused to serve.
Dr. Bobo’s supporters tried to set up a revolutionary committee to exercise power and maintain public order. After protesting against the occupation of the military posts by the marines, they issued a decree dissolving the legislative chambers. The U.S. occupation took the National assembly under their wing and promised free election of the president, provided the new Chief of State signed a treaty with the United States.
At a meeting of the majority of the members of the legislative body, on August 11, 1915, Captain Edward L. Beach representing William b. Caperton, spelled out the main provisions of the treaty: control of Haitian finances and creation of a Gendarmerie d’Haïti, commanded by American officers.
At the time, Philippe Sudre Dartiguenave, a former deputy and senator, was the long serving President of Senate. An attorney who had practiced law, for a time, in his city of birth he had given up that profession for a career in politics . On August 12, 1915, he was elected president for a seven-year-term by the National Assembly. He accepted the conditions of the treaty imposed by the American occupation that called for the U.S. to maintain order in Haiti, control national finances, organize the police, the sanitary service, and the department of public works.
The new administration was in perpetual conflict with the occupying power; nevertheless, the Haitian-American Convention was ratified by the Senate on November 11, 1915. The Senate dissolved and the Chamber of Deputies transformed into a Constituent Assembly on April 5, 1916. to replace the Senate, a Council of State was created.
In June 1918, the new constitution was approved by a plebiscite. The Council of State declared was on Germany on July 12, 1918. In November 1918, a Caco rebellion, led by Charlemagne Péralte, erupted, mainly to protest the occupation and especially the corvée, an ancient law requiring five days a year of forced labor by the peasants to maintain the roads. Multiple acts of abuse were committed and numerous farmers were killed. On November 1, 1919, betrayed by one of his officers, Charlemagne Péralte was assassinated by U.S. Captain Herman H. Hanneken. Benoit Batraville, who replaced Charlemagne Péralte as head of the armed anti-occupation movement, was killed on May 1920.
The Charlemagne Péralte guerilla galvanized Haitian patriotism. In Port-au-Prince, George Sylvain, launched the Union Patriotique to fight peacefully against the occupation.
The peace maintained by the occupation and the elimination of gross corruption made possible a number of achievements. The construction of the national palace funded by Michel Oreste’s administration was completed. Many roads and bridges were built, the Administration Générale des Contributions was organized, secondary and vocational educations were reorganized, many clinics and dispensaries opened their doors, and the Service National d’Hygiène was started. Other sectors were not neglected: École Apostolique for the formation of catholic priests was founded in October 1919, agriculture and rural organization remained priorities of the government, a monetary reform took place and the official rate of the Haitian gourde was fixed at five gourdes per U.S. Dollar.
Sudre Dartiguenave’s mandate expired on May 15, 1922. For the first time since 1902, a president completed his term. He wanted to succeed himself, but he was never truly popular and alienated the Americans.
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