Comments on: Citizen Jean-Baptiste Belley: from slavery to the Convention Nationale http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/ by historical novelist Catherine Delors, author of For the King Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:47:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Catherine Delors http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-16728 Catherine Delors Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:25:15 +0000 http://catherinedelors.com/blog/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-16728 Thanks so much for the information! Again your Association is a great resource. I will correct the post to include this. I also note that the death certificate puts Haiti (then Saint-Domingue) as Belley's birthplace, but it is certainly not conclusive evidence since the witnesses are only employees of the military hospital who may not have known him personally. Likewise for his age: he must have been around 60, not 50. Thanks so much for the information! Again your Association is a great resource. I will correct the post to include this. I also note that the death certificate puts Haiti (then Saint-Domingue) as Belley’s birthplace, but it is certainly not conclusive evidence since the witnesses are only employees of the military hospital who may not have known him personally. Likewise for his age: he must have been around 60, not 50.

]]> By: Gilles Hudicourt http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-16727 Gilles Hudicourt Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:15:45 +0000 http://catherinedelors.com/blog/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-16727 His death certificate was found. He died on Aug 6th, 1805 at the Belle-Ile en Mer military hospital. Here is the full text of his death certificate which is available on-line at http://www.morbihan.fr/archives/dossier.aspx?idDos=90 [Archives départementales du Morbihan. Etat civil en Ligne. Commune du Palais à Belle-Ile-en-Mer. Décès 1804-1805. Vue 24/31. Transcrit par Jacques PETIT. "Le dix-neuf thermidor an treize à dix heures du matin Par devant nous adjoint à la mairie, officier de l’Etat civil de la commune du Palais, canton de Belle-île en mer, département du Morbihan, sont comparu, Augustin Jean Deliancourt et Pierre Axal tous deux majeurs, employés de l’hôpital militaire de Belle-île- en-Mer, y domiciliés, commune du Palais, lesquels nous ont déclaréque Jean Baptiste Beley, ex chef de légion de Gendarmerie jouissant du traitement de réforme, nègre, âgé d’environ cinquante ans, natif de Léogane, à l’île de Saint Domingue est mort audit hôpital militaire de Belle-île en Mer, le dix-huit du présent mois de quoi nous avons dressé acte, duquel nous avons donné lecture aux témoins qui ont signé avec nous. Deliancourt axali fontarive " His death certificate was found. He died on Aug 6th, 1805 at the Belle-Ile en Mer military hospital.

Here is the full text of his death certificate which is available on-line at

http://www.morbihan.fr/archives/dossier.aspx?idDos=90

[Archives départementales du Morbihan. Etat civil en Ligne. Commune du Palais à Belle-Ile-en-Mer. Décès 1804-1805. Vue 24/31. Transcrit par Jacques PETIT.

“Le dix-neuf thermidor an treize à dix heures du matin Par devant nous adjoint à la mairie, officier de l’Etat civil de la commune du Palais, canton de Belle-île en mer, département du Morbihan, sont comparu, Augustin Jean Deliancourt et Pierre Axal tous deux majeurs, employés de l’hôpital militaire de Belle-île- en-Mer, y domiciliés, commune du Palais, lesquels nous ont déclaréque Jean Baptiste Beley, ex chef de légion de Gendarmerie jouissant du traitement de réforme, nègre, âgé d’environ cinquante ans, natif de Léogane, à l’île de Saint Domingue est mort audit hôpital militaire de Belle-île en Mer, le dix-huit du présent mois de quoi nous avons dressé acte, duquel nous avons donné lecture aux témoins qui ont signé avec nous. Deliancourt axali fontarive “

]]> By: Suzanne Tevlin http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-10490 Suzanne Tevlin Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:40:53 +0000 http://catherinedelors.com/blog/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-10490 This is a subject I write about. My recent book "Conspiracy of Silence: Gericault's Raft of The Medusa and the Abolitionist Movement" is about another fascinating painting. There's much more to know. Why not read Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby's essay "Black Revolution:Saint-Dominigue: Girodet's Portrait of Citizen Belley: Ex-Representative of the Colonies, 1797" in her book "Extremities: Painting Empire in Post-Revolutionary France" .....you'll love it!! This is a subject I write about. My recent book “Conspiracy of Silence: Gericault’s Raft of The Medusa and the Abolitionist Movement” is about another fascinating painting.

There’s much more to know. Why not read Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby’s essay “Black Revolution:Saint-Dominigue: Girodet’s Portrait of Citizen Belley: Ex-Representative of the Colonies, 1797″ in her book “Extremities: Painting Empire in Post-Revolutionary France” …..you’ll love it!!

]]> By: Dr. Errol D. Alexander http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-7752 Dr. Errol D. Alexander Tue, 18 May 2010 06:28:52 +0000 http://catherinedelors.com/blog/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-7752 Perhaps what is the more important of the subject Jean-Baptist Belley is how he served in the American Revolutionary War against the British in the Savannah Georgia Barricade, ( giving the title of Mars for his bravery) later his role as a Police Captain in the French Paris Riots and his freidnship with Thomas Clarkson, the British Abolitionist. The story was told that in 1937 when Hitler send out his spies pror to his attack on France, he instructed them to record and learn in depth the names and exploits of any person celebrated in this country by having a street,a great painting or building named after them. "That will be a sense of their resolve and the type of hero that will tell us in the future how strongly they will resist our invasion". When Hitler's spy saw the 10 foot high painting of Belley and that the subject was a black man from another country.....causing one of Hitler's generals to state if France has to import their heroes..we can expect a complete surrender as long as no other country becomes their ally. This remains one of my favorite work of art, recapturing it in oil in a much smaller size, writing aout Belley and the history around this painting in my second book, Rattling of The Chains in 2009. Perhaps what is the more important of the subject Jean-Baptist Belley is how he served in the American Revolutionary War against the British in the Savannah Georgia Barricade, ( giving the title of Mars for his bravery) later his role as a Police Captain in the French Paris Riots and his freidnship with Thomas Clarkson, the British Abolitionist.

The story was told that in 1937 when Hitler send out his spies pror to his attack on France, he instructed them to record and learn in depth the names and exploits of any person celebrated in this country by having a street,a great painting or building named after them. “That will be a sense of their resolve and the type of hero that will tell us in the future how strongly they will resist our invasion”.

When Hitler’s spy saw the 10 foot high painting of Belley and that the subject was a black man from another country…..causing one of Hitler’s generals to state if France has to import their heroes..we can expect a complete surrender as long as no other country becomes their ally. This remains one of my favorite work of art, recapturing it in oil in a much smaller size, writing aout Belley and the history around this painting in my second book, Rattling of The Chains in 2009.

]]> By: Ronald Cushen http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-3505 Ronald Cushen Sat, 27 Mar 2010 11:10:16 +0000 http://catherinedelors.com/blog/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-3505 Great info! I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. http://www.news-gate.info Great info! I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. http://www.news-gate.info

]]> By: Richard http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-45 Richard Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:27:22 +0000 http://catherinedelors.com/blog/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-45 Thanks for posting this, It was very timely.<br /><br /><a href="http://lefleurdelystoo.blogspot.com/2010/02/no-posting-today.html" rel="nofollow">http://lefleurdelystoo.blogspot.com/2010/02/no-posting-today.html</a> Thanks for posting this, It was very timely.

http://lefleurdelystoo.blogspot.com/2010/02/no-posting-today.html

]]> By: Penny http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-44 Penny Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:17:06 +0000 http://catherinedelors.com/blog/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-44 What a sad thing to happen to someone who stood up and fought for his country only to end up in prison for the color of his skin. Reminds me very much of the very painful past my own country the U.S. which still has yet to deal with the race issue. What a sad thing to happen to someone who stood up and fought for his country only to end up in prison for the color of his skin. Reminds me very much of the very painful past my own country the U.S. which still has yet to deal with the race issue.

]]> By: Franklin http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-43 Franklin Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:56:37 +0000 http://catherinedelors.com/blog/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-43 ps And thank you, Catherine, for the reference to The Kingdom of this World. ps And thank you, Catherine, for the reference to The Kingdom of this World.

]]> By: Franklin http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-42 Franklin Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:53:52 +0000 http://catherinedelors.com/blog/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-42 The U.S. role in Haiti, while of course no more benovlent than that of France, was of course to play out well beyound the time of the Bourbon Restoration. As of 1825 it was largely occupied with other concerns, such as the uprooting of the Cherokee from Florida and Georgia for the benefit of its own slave holders. <br /><br />That said, the Haitians must not have taken great comfort with the "protections" of the Monroe Doctrine when they made their peace with France. The U.S. role in Haiti, while of course no more benovlent than that of France, was of course to play out well beyound the time of the Bourbon Restoration. As of 1825 it was largely occupied with other concerns, such as the uprooting of the Cherokee from Florida and Georgia for the benefit of its own slave holders.

That said, the Haitians must not have taken great comfort with the “protections” of the Monroe Doctrine when they made their peace with France.

]]> By: Tristan Robin http://blog.catherinedelors.com/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-41 Tristan Robin Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:43:48 +0000 http://catherinedelors.com/blog/citizen-jean-baptiste-belley-from-slavery-to-the-convention-nationale/#comment-41 Exquisitely executed portrait. Very provocative.<br /><br />I didn't know anything of this man - and now I want to know more. As always, a fascinating and intriguing post - as are several of the comments, which I intend to follow up on!<br /><br />Thanks Exquisitely executed portrait. Very provocative.

I didn’t know anything of this man – and now I want to know more. As always, a fascinating and intriguing post – as are several of the comments, which I intend to follow up on!

Thanks

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