August 2, 1646 - Jean du Casse
Du Casse occupied a rare intersection of imperial violence and state power, moving fluidly between slave trading, privateering, and colonial governance at a moment when France was consolidating its presence in the Caribbean. His tenure as the first governor of Saint-Domingue helped establish the administrative and economic foundations of what would become one of the most brutally exploitative plantation colonies in history. The honors he accumulated — including the Order of the Golden Fleece — reflect how thoroughly his career aligned with the ambitions of competing European crowns.
From Wikipedia
Lieutenant général des armées navales Jean-Baptiste du Casse (2 August 1646 – 25 June 1715) was a French Navy officer, privateer, slave trader and colonial administrator who served as the first governor of Saint-Domingue from 1691 to 1700. Born on 2 August 1646 in Saubusse, France to a Huguenot family, du Casse enlisted in the French merchant navy before joining the French East India Company and the Compagnie du Sénégal. He subsequently joined the French navy and took part in several victorious expeditions during the Nine Years' War in the West Indies and South America.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, he participated in several major military engagements, including the Battle of Málaga and the siege of Barcelona. For his service, du Casse was made a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece by King Philip V of Spain. In the midst of these wars, he served as governor of the French colony of Saint-Domingue from 1691 to 1700. Du Casse ended his military career at the rank of lieutenant général des armées navales and commander of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis. He died on 25 June 1715 in Bourbon-l'Archambault, Auvergne.
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