The Death of Charlemagne Péralte

On October 31, 1919, two U.S. marines infiltrated Charlemagne Péralte’s camp and murdered the Caco leader. U.S. newspapers ecstatically reported the tale of how the marines had dressed in blackface in order to carry out their mission. The marines were awarded Congressional Medals of Honor.

After Péralte’s death, the occupying forces distributed photographs of his corpse to try to discourage Haitian resistance. Haitians horrified at the brutality of the occupation came to see Péralte as a martyr and national hero.

See Yveline Alexis. “Remembering Charlemagne Péralte and His Defense of Haiti’s Revolution.” In The Idea of Haiti, edited by Millery Polyne, pp. 51-66.