Port de Paix

Port-de-Paix (Pòdepè or Pòdpè in Kreyòl, formerly Valparaiso in Spanish.) a town located 64 km (40 miles) Northwest of Cap-Haïtien; (19°57'N 72°50'W) is the capital of the département of Nord-Ouest in Haiti on the Atlantic coast. It has a population of about 25,000 (2003 census).

The area around the town was given the name Valparaíso by Christopher Columbus and his crew after landing here on December 6, 1492 and still has many attractive beaches and other sites of interest. A ferry operates between the town and Tortuga Island (La Tortue) situated just to the North of the town.

Port de Paix. was founded in 1665 by French pirates, driven from La Tortue by the British occupiers. In 1679 the town saw one of the first recorded slave revolts, led by Padre Jean. During the 19th century the area prospered, but in 1902 the town was almost entirely destroyed by fire, and never attained its former status.

Birthplace of Capois
Port de Paix is the birthplace of François Capois a leader of the Haitian Revolution.

Capois takes Port-dePaix from Napoléon's army
On April 12, 1803 Capois storms Port-de-Paix and routs the French army. (Léger p. 140)