His father was an advocate in Angoulême, then Bordeaux, professor at Rennes (1838), Inspector General of Faculties of Law (1846), Councilor of State (1849) and Rector of Toulouse (1854).

[3] He believed in the ideals of the French Revolution of 1789 and in positivism, and wanted a republic that would be a force for change but not for upheaval.

[2] After the fall of the Second French Empire Laferrière was named Master of Requests and Government Commissioner in the provisional commission that replaced the Council of State.

[8] When he arrived in Algeria Laferrière had great difficulty with Max Régis, the antisemitic mayor of Algiers, whom he dismissed.

In September the French government authorized extension of the narrow gauge military railway that was being built from Aïn Séfra to Djenien bou Rezg to be extended to Zoubia, only 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Zousfana.

[11] Laferrière said "We will not have to do any more than to cross the pass which separates that region from that of the oued Zousfana in order to insure our Saharan penetration in that direction and an easy access towards the populous oases of the Tuat".

[11] In December 1899 a French scientific mission encountered a large group of armed Saharan people in the Tidikelt(fr).

[11] The mission's military escort chose to fight, quickly routed the Saharans, and occupied the In Salah oasis.

[11] A poorly managed military campaign ensued in 1900, meeting little resistance but suffering greatly from heat and lack of water over the summer, with huge losses of camels.