Did a seamstress really stitch the first Haitian flag during the revolution?

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Catherine Flon is a national heroine of Haiti, celebrated for sewing the country's first flag on May 18, 1803. While her story is a cornerstone of Haitian memory, historians suggest the reality is more complex, blending revolutionary tradition with the evolving political goals of the era's freedom fighters.

Born in 1772 in Arcahaie, Catherine Flon was a seamstress and the goddaughter of revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines. According to popular tradition, the flag was born on the final day of the Congress of Arcahaie. Dessalines reportedly took a French tricolor, sliced it with his sabre to symbolize a break from France, and handed the pieces to Flon. She stitched the blue and red fabric back together, intentionally omitting the white strip. In this lore, the colors represent a unified front between Haiti's black and mulatto citizens.

However, historical analysis challenges the simplicity of this narrative. Primary sources indicate that rebels were already utilizing blue-and-red flags prior to the 1803 conference. Furthermore, the initial adoption of the bicolor design was likely intended to signal an extension of French Revolutionary values rather than a total rejection of them. Early revolutionaries were primarily focused on upholding the 1794 emancipation law, rather than the total independence that later defined the movement.

Despite these historical nuances, Flon remains a powerful cultural icon. Alongside Cécile Fatiman and Dédée Bazile, she is one of the three most symbolic heroines of Haitian independence. Her legacy persists through the national holiday held on May 18, and her image was even featured on a 10-Gourdes banknote in 2000. Today, she serves as a rallying figure for women's activism, with many young women dressing as her during festivals to honor the often-overlooked role of female revolutionaries in shaping the nation's history.

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