Prince Saunders

Prince Saunders (c. 1775– January 22, 1839 ) was an African American teacher, scholar, diplomat, and author who different sources say was born in either Lebanon, Connecticut, or Thetford, Vermont. During his life, Saunders helped set up schools for African Americans in Massachusetts and also in Haiti, for King Henri Christophe. During his time in Haiti, Saunders also penned the Haytian Papers, which were a translation of the Haitian laws with his commentary. He was a proponent of black emigration to Haiti, where he became a naturalized citizen. Because of his influence in establishing schools for African Americans, Saunders was one of the most significant black educators in the early 19th century in the United States and Haiti. He lived his last days in Port-au-Prince, where he died in 1839.

Early life In 1784, Saunders was baptized as a Christian, which is the only glimpse we have into his childhood. Saunders grew up in the home of George Oramel Hinckley, a prominent white lawyer in New England. Being brought up under Hinckley, Saunders received an education that was equal to many highly educated whites at this time. Many of his studies were based on Bible and Christian teachings, which would be reflected later on in his life.

Early education and School By the time Saunders was 21, he was already a teacher in Colchester, Connecticut, at the local school for African Americans.

Around the same time that he began teaching in Boston, Saunders also became involved in Masonic lodges. In 1809, Saunders was initiated into the African Masonic Lodge in Boston. Two years later, in 1811, Master George Middleton made Saunders the secretary of the lodge.

Career In 1815, Saunders furthered African American education in Boston, when he successfully persuaded a white, merchant, philanthropist, Abiel Smith, into issuing a grant to help support his education cause. Saunders was able to get Smith to bestow revenue of stocks for the education of African Americans in reading, writing and arithmetic. Though Smith died in 1816, his contributions continued to fund education for African Americans, which culminated in the founding of the Abiel Smith School in 1835.

Emigration to Haiti Initially upon Saunders' arrival he became involved with the revolution, then later began working as an advisor for Christophe. Saunders impressed the king by his striking "Negro" features, manners, and remarkable education. Because Christophe considered Saunders to be the face of black accomplishment, Saunders later became Christophe's official courier.

During his reign as king in Haiti, Christophe had to battle with mulatto domination and the influence of former French settlers on the island.

Notable works Haytian Papers Source:

While in Haiti, Saunders wrote the Haytian Papers, which was then published in London. The book was his translation of the laws of Haiti, and his commentary on those laws. What interested Saunders was the value of the Haitian history that formed the laws, as their histories were not written by black Haitians. The commentary of decrees from Christophe allowed for insight into the way in which the Haitian government was run.

In the Haytian Papers, Saunders applauds the principles of the government under King Christophe, who wanted to prove that black people were just as intelligent as white people by creating an educational system on Haiti. This work is based on Christophe's Code Rural, which openly endorsed a system of forced labor, which went against the Haitian Revolution's goal of ending oppression. According to Christophe, the system of forced labor would exponentially increase farm production.

Prince Saunders authored the Haytian Papers for the British people, who had a negative view of Haiti, "in order to give them some more correct information" of the Haitian government and to throw light on the new and much improved condition of all classes of society in that kingdom. He believed it was only fair and necessary that the feelings of the Haitians should be made evident. The history of Haiti had previously have been written not by the Haitians themselves but by white Europeans who did not understand the law. The Haytian Papers were from the views of colored people without a "drop of white European blood in them."

Address before the Pennsylvania Augustine Society

In 1818, Saunders delivered "An address before the Pennsylvania Augustine Society." In his address, Saunders advocated for a Christian education for blacks, which he believed was "more transcendently excellent in that more elevated scene of human destination to which we are hastening." Saunders also argued that improvements in the lives of African Americans, intellectually, morally, and religiously, "depend on the future elevation of their standing, in the social, civil, and ecclesiastical community."

The People of Haiti and Plan of Emigration

During his time in Boston, Saunders met Thomas Paul, who was the founder of America's Black Baptist Church. that promoted the ending of slavery and the betterment of the lives of African Americans. In his speech, Saunders advocated not only for the ending of slavery and inequalities based on race, but also for the emigration of blacks to Haiti.

Having spent time in Haiti working under King Christophe, Saunders became familiar with the country, which led him to see Haiti as a viable option for black emigration. Saunders saw Haiti as "the paradise of the New World", which he drew from "its situation, extent, climate, and fertility peculiarly suited to become an object of interest and attention."

Social life During his time, Saunders was known for his intelligence and eloquence, evidence of his strong educational upbringing. He was known to impress people with his knowledge from his education – an education that was rare for an African American at the time. Charles Robert Leslie recalled one instance of Prince Saunders, in his book, Autobiographical Recollections.

While in England, Saunders also earned a celebrity status among the social elite. Though Prince was his given Christian name, it was assumed by the English people that the name indicated a standing of African nobility. This was partially due to the fact that Saunders never corrected anyone who referred to him as such. Because of his "nobility standing", Saunders was a fixture in the English social circles, especially with The Countess of Cork.

Later life After Christophe's death, biographer Harold Van Buren Voorhis claimed that Saunders was made Attorney General by Haiti's new president, Jean-Pierre Boyer. Saunders then lived most of his remaining life in Haiti, before he died in Port-au-Prince, on January 22, 1839