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Jacmel
Jacmel, (Jakmèl in Kréyòl) also known by its indigenous name of Yaquimel, is a city in southern Haiti founded in 1698. It is the capital of the department of Sud-Est. Considered a cultural capital of Haiti, Jacmel is a serene port town with an estimated population of 40,000 and growing. The city has not changed much since the late 19th century when the town was inhabited by wealthy coffee merchants, who lived in gracious mansions that adorned the town. These mansions would later come to influence the home structure of much of New Orleans; the architecture of the city boasted cast iron pillars and balconies purchased in France. Today, many of these homes are now artisan shops that sell vibrant handicrafts, papier-mâché masks and carved-wood animal figures. In recent years, efforts have been made to revitalize the once flourishing cigar and coffee industries. The town is a popular tourist destination in Haiti due to its relative tranquility and distance from the political turmoil that plagues much of the capital.
History of JacmelThe city was founded in 1698 as the capital of the south eastern part of the French colony Saint-Domingue. The area now called Jacmel was Taíno territory of the Xaragua chiefdom ruled by cacique Bohechio. With the arrival of the French, and the later establishment of the town, the French renamed Yaquimel as Jacmel. Over the years, this rather small town experienced a considerable number of noted historical events. Some of these notable occurrences are: The War of KnivesToussaint Louverture fought over Jacmel in the so-called War of Knives between him and his fellow countryman André Rigaud, who wished to maintain authority over the cit. This war began in June of 1799. By November the rebels were pushed back to this strategic southern port, the defence of which was commanded by Alexandre Pétion. Jacmel fell to Toussaint's troops in March 1800 and the rebellion was effectively over. Pétion and other mulatto leaders subsequently went into exile in France. Recently Francisco de Miranda creates the Venezuelan flagA predecessor of Simón Bolívar in the liberation struggle from colonialism in Spanish ruled South America, Francisco de Miranda, created the first Venezuelan flag near Jacmel. Anchored in the Bay of Jacmel (Baie de Jacmel), he first raised the flag on March 12, 1806 on the Corvette Leander. This day is still celebrated as Venezuelan Flag Day. Ramón Emeterio Betances seeks an Antillean unionPuerto Rican pro-independence leader Ramón Emeterio Betances spent a short interval in Jacmel in 1870, from where he channeled support for an uprising in the Dominican Republic, seeking to install a liberal government there. Then-president of Haiti Nissage Saget supported Betances' ideals of a pan-Antillean union, and gave the uprising his support. Jacmel today
Taximotos (taxi motorcycles) on a busy Jacmel street. Notable residents
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GalleryImage:JacmelMardiGras.jpg|Mardi Gras Papier-mâché masks. Image:JacmelView.jpg|Aerial of typical architectural scene. Image:JacmelVodou.jpg|Vodou ceremony in Jacmel. Image:Ayiti & DR 2007 049.jpg|A beautiful beach at Jacmel. Image:Yaquimel.jpg|Jacmel as seen from the pier in the bay. </gallery> External links
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