The Second Haitian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Haiti (French: Empire d'Haïti, Haitian Creole: Anpi an Ayiti) was a state which existed from 1849 to 1859. It was established by the then-President, former slave Faustin Soulouque, who, inspired by Napoleon I, declared himself Emperor Faustin I of Haiti on August 26, 1849 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Port-au-Prince. Faustin's unsuccessful invasions in attempt to reconquer the Dominican Republic (in 1849, 1850, 1855 and 1856), which seceded from Haiti in 1844, undermined his control over the country.

In 1858 a revolution began, led by General Fabre Geffrard, Duke of Tabara. In December of that year, Geffrard defeated the Imperial Army and seized control of most of the country. As a result the Emperor abdicated his throne on 15 January 1859. Refused aid by the French Legation, Faustin was taken into exile aboard a British warship on 22 January 1859. General Geffrard succeeded him as President. Soon afterwards, the Emperor and his family arrived in Kingston, Jamaica, where they remained for several years. Allowed to return to Haïti, Faustin died at Petit-Goâve on 6 August 1867 and was buried at Fort Soulouque.

The Empire of Haiti (French: Empire d'Haïti, Haitian Creole: Anpi an Ayiti) was an elective monarchy in North America. Haiti had previously been occupied by the French, but on January 1, 1804 independence was declared. The Governor-General of Haiti, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, created the Empire on September 22, 1804 when he proclaimed himself Emperor Jacques I. On 6 October Emperor Jacques' coronation ceremony was held. The constitution of May 20, 1805 set out the way the Empire was to be governed with the country split into six military divisions with each general of the division to correspond directly with the Emperor or the general in chief who would be appointed by the Emperor. The constitution also set out the succession to the throne with the crown being elective with the reigning Emperor having the power to appoint his successor. The constitution also banned white people (by which it meant not the local white people but all foreigners) from owning property in the Empire.

Emperor Jacques I was assassinated on October 17, 1806 with two members of his administration Alexandre Pétion and Henri Christophe assuming power which led to a split in the country with Pétion leading the southern Republic of Haiti and Christophe leading the northern State of Haiti. Many years later, on August 26, 1849, President Faustin Soulouque re-established an Empire in Haiti which would last until January 15, 1859.

Haiti ⁱ/ˈheɪti/ (French: Haïti [aiti]; Haitian Creole Ayiti [ajiti]), officially the Republic of Haiti (République d'Haïti; Repiblik Ayiti), 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 (land of high mountains) was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island. The country's highest point is Pic la Selle, at 2,680 metres (8,793 ft). The total area of Haiti is 27,750 square kilometres (10,714 sq mi) and its capital is Port-au-Prince. Haitian Creole and French are the official languages.

Haiti's regional, historical, and ethno-linguistic position is unique for several reasons. It was the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean, the first black-led republic in the world, and the second republic in the Americas when it gained independence in 1804 as part of a successful slave revolution lasting nearly a decade. In 2012, Haiti announced its intention to seek associate membership status in the African Union. Haiti is the only predominantly Francophone independent nation in the Americas. It is one of only two independent nations in the Americas (along with Canada) to designate French as an official language; the other French-speaking areas are all overseas départements, or collectivités, of France.