Francois C. Antoine Simon - December 1908 to August 1911

Francois C. Antoine Simon (1843 - 1923) was the 18th Haitian President between 6 December 1908 and 3 August 1911. He succeeded his predecessor, the autocratic President Pierre Nord Alexis, by leading a rebellion against him.

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President Simon had little formal education but with his foresight, appointed a six member cabinet team for the well being of the country. He was a respected and ambitious president who introduced many beneficial reforms for the development and rebuilding of Haiti. His one of the greatest achievement was to introduce an Act that enabled many Haitians in exile to return. President Simon constantly strove to improve the agriculture in the country.

Francois C. Antoine Simon had the intention to build railway network between Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien and appealed the American bankers to finance the railway project. When they rescinded, he approached Franco-German consortium for loan. However, all his attempts were futile; because there were certain poorly prepared embedded negotiable repayment options within the loan appeal which were unattractive to the lenders.

Francois C. Antoine Simon was of opinion that proper cultivating techniques and modern road network can improve production and export of sugar and fig banana in Haiti. He was very confident that fig banana will generate enough export revenue to pay off debts incurred on railway construction. In contrast, his plans instead of importing benefits, created unfavorable situations, such as, to satisfy American banana plantations, Haitian companies were taxed and that brought unrest among the small local agriculturists because ultimately they had to pay the price. Electrification and paving of the streets of Port-au-Prince did nothing good but increased the number of imported cars in Haiti.

The situation gradually became so grave that the small farmers revolted in June 1911. His subordinate minister General Cincinnatus Leconte lead a coup d'état against President Simon and succeeded to capture Port-au-Prince on second attempt in August 1911. President Simon went into exile for some time but came back later and died at Les Cayes.

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Jerry Pierre says...

He is my great great grand father..

A very a
Ambitious

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