François Denys Légitime - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

François Denys Légitime (November 20, 1841 – July 29, 1935) was a Haitian general

General

A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....

who served as President

President of Haiti

The President of the Republic of Haiti is the head of state of Haiti. Executive power in Haiti is divided between the president and the government headed by the Prime Minister of Haiti...

of Haiti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

from 1888 to 1889.

Légitime was born in Jérémie

Jérémie

Jérémie is the capital city of the department of Grand'Anse, in Haiti, with a population of about 31,000 . It is almost isolated from the rest of the country...

, Haiti on November 20, 1841 to Denys Légitime and Tinette Lespérance. Légitime married Rose-Marie Isaure Marion and had nine children: Cuvier, Edmond, Angèle, Antoinette, Denis Jr., Léon, Clemence, Marie, and Agnès.

He served as adjutant general

Adjutant general

An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...

during the government of Fabre Geffrard

Fabre Geffrard

Fabre-Nicholas Geffrard was a general in the Haitian army and President of Haiti from 1859 until his deposition in 1867. After collaborating in a coup to remove Faustin Soulouque from power in order to return Haiti back to social and political control of the colored elite, Geffrard was made...

, and as aide-de-camp

Aide-de-camp

An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...

during the government of Sylvain Salnave

Sylvain Salnave

Sylvain Salnave was a Haïtian general. He was the President of Haïti from 1867 to 1869. In 1867 he was elected president after he led the overthrow of President Fabre Geffrard. During his term there were constant civil wars between the various factions.-Footnotes:...

. 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

Lysius Salomon

Lysius Salomon was the President of Haiti from . Salomon is best remembered for instituting Haiti's first postal system, and his lively enthusiasm to modernize the country.....

. During this administration, Légitime was accused of aspiring to the Presidency, and accordingly went to Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

, remaining three years. He then returned to Haiti at the invitation of his followers, and on October 7, 1888 was elected President of the provisional government. General Seide Thelemaque denounced the election as fraudulent and attempted to make himself President, but he was killed in the battle which ensued. Légitime was elected President of Haiti on December 17, 1888, but resigned in 1889, owing to the opposition of General Florvil Hyppolite

Florvil Hyppolite

Louis Mondestin Florvil Hyppolite was the President of Haiti from 17 October 1889 to 24 March 1896. He was a career soldier, a general. He was installed as president by a constitutional council....

, and again retired to Jamaica. In 1896 President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam granted a general amnesty, and Légitime returned to Haiti. He died on July 29, 1935 in Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....

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