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The Dominican Republic
History
 The 5th of December, 1492, Cristoph Columbus discovered the island, that
the taínos inhabitants commonly called "Haiti" which means "mountainous earth". The island was inhabited by the Tainos,
who were dedicated to agriculture, the hunting and the fishing. They lived in circular or rectangular huts. They were polytheists
and their religion was related to the natural phenomenas.
 The first improvised settlement Colomus established in the North coast, using the rest of the shipwrecked carabel "Santa Maria",
and called it "Navidad" ("Christmas") and during his second visit from Spain in 1493 he established a second establishment
more towards the east and gave it the name "La Isabela". "Navidad" had been destroyed by the indigenous population which,
after an initial friendly welcome, violently responded against the intolerance and abuses of the invaders who showed
an excessive interest in the gold of their land.
The confrontation in Santo Cero (La Vega) produced more than five
thousand losses in the indigenous population. From that battle stems the adoration to Our Lady of the Mercedes who is
today patron of the Dominicans. It is said that she appeared to help the marauding invaders against the indigenous warriors
who defended their property. (Now why exactly would she do THAT?)
After trying to establish colonies on the North coast, it was finally
decided to establish first firm settlement on the
South coast: Santo Domingo. From there on, the whole island carried the name "Santo Domingo" as long as the Spaniards
dominated it and it became to be in the first stronghold of the Spanish Empire in the "New World".
Cristoph Colombus and his brother Bartholome were the
first governors of the colony. In 1498 Columbus returned from an incursion to Cuba returned and Jamaica, Roldán, who had been
mayor of La Isabela had been rebelled and retired to the west of the island together with his followers.
As a result, the Spanish crown named Francisco de Bobadilla as main judge and Royal commissioner in 1499 to 1502. After putting
Colombus in prison and sending him to Spain, where Queen Isabel ordered again his liberation, Bobadilla was replaced by Nicholas de
Ovando who who assumed his positions from 1502 1509 and Columbus was replaced by Diego, son of the Admiral.
(What a confusion!)
It was during the government of Ovando that the development
of the island began and because his successful reforms he received the title of "Founder of the Spanish Empire in the Indians".
The system of charges settles down legally in 1503. But it was feudalism, not freedom that governed. It consisted of
giving Indians as slaves to civil employees of the colony to work servitude in exchange for religious (catholic) formation.
In the long run this caused the diminution of the natives. The Indians were put to work in mines. But in 1515 the gold was
believed already exhausted.
In 1519 the extraction of gold had already disappeared.
So in 1520 the first sugar production was started.
Both, the agricultural part and the industrial part, were acomplished through enslaved manual labor. No wonder that by 1560
the Taino indians had already disappeared because of the mistreat.
But another manual labor was on its way to replace them: strong enslaved black shipped in from Africa. In the beginning of the XVII centruy until half of century XIX many land owners
started with cattle ranches. The wealthy ranchers had their peones who maintained their category of slaves since the cattle
ranch had feudal characteristics.
The rivals of Spain (mainly England and France) organized actions of contraband and armed attacks against the ports and
coasts by privateers and pirates. The situation got so bad that the Spanish crown started to abandone the colony.
In 1603 King Felipe III signed the Royal Decree that Governor Osorio had to destroy the cities of Montecristi, Port Silver,
Yaguana and Bayajá. Most of the population was concentrated in Monte Plata and Bayaguana. This left the north of the island
was at the mercy of the French and English pirates. From 1610 to 1636 the island Tortuga was the headquarters of the English
pirates, whereas the French had their buccaneers (hunters), filibusteros and inhabitants.
The bucaneers prepared the meat with pepper and orange juice cooked in a so-called called furnace or bucan. Pirates. They were pounds. The booty of the piracy distributed it in equal parts. 3, Inhabitants:
They were agriculturists. Its main culture was the tobacco that sold in the coasts of Santo Domingo.
For 1638 the island was populated totally by French.
In 1697 with the company/signature of La Paz of Ryswick,
Spain recognizes the French colony and in 1777 with the treaty of Aranjuez the border between the two colonies
is demarcated. For end of the century XVIII Spain that already had yielded part the West from the island to France,
it decided with the treaty from (1795) yielding to France the Eastern part.
Only, this was the situation: In 1789 Saint-Domingue, the Western part of the island, was with 40 cent the world's largest sugar producer,
and the most valuable colony on earth. Among Saint-Domingue’s
40,000 white colonials in 1789, European-born Frenchmen monopolized administrative posts. The sugar planters, the grand blancs, most of them minor aristocrats.
had their heart in France and wanted to return, being afraid of the yellow fever. Then there were the lower class whites, petit blancs, like the artisans, shopkeepers,
slave dealers, overseers, and day laborers. But there were also more than 28,000 Saint-Domingue’s free people of color, also artisans and overseers, or domestic servants.
It was a melting pot and steaming. Some wanted ot be free of France, others loyal to France, allies of Spain, and allies of Great Britain.
In France, August 26, 1789, the Declaration of the Rights of Man was published, declaring all men free and equal.
The French Revolution had its repercussin in Saint-Domingue. When in 1791 the African population on the island began to hear the cry for
independence they understood that if Saint-Domingue's independence were to be led by white slave masters, it would not lead them to freedom but to
harsher slavery without French control. As a result, Saint-Domingue's free people of color, notably Julien Raimond and Vincent Ogé, demanded the right to vote.
The refusal of the colonial governor caused a insurgency in the area around Cap Francais.
Although he was captured and executed, for other free coloreds it became an incentive to raise up in August 1791 and resist treaties with the colonists.
On August 22, 1791, thousands of slaves rose up to fight for their liberty. The rebellious slaves went on to burn the plantations a
nd killed masters, overseers and other whites. Jean François and Georges Biassou led the slave uprising and aligned with the pro-royalist Spanish authorities in
Santo Domingo. On April 4, 1792, the French legislature proclaimed the equality of all free people in the French colonies regardless of color.
Toussaint L'Ouverture, a self-educated former domestic slave was one of the most successful black commanders. Under the military leadership the united armies of the slaves
even led an invasion of neighboring Santo Domingo, freeing the slaves there by 1801. Nevertheless, togeher with the French general Étienne Laveaux he started to
fight for the French Republic against the Spanish. The end to was proclaimed on 29 August 1793.
In 1801, Toussaint decreeded that he himself would be governor-for-life in the same year, he invades Hispaniola and arrives at Santo Domingo. This was interesting
because it did not belong either to France or Spain since the Treaty of Basel in 1795, but had a strong anti-French sentiment, and was controlled de facto by Spain.
Meanwhile, Napoleon Bonaparte's brother in law Charles Leclerc, was sent from France to restore French rule.
In January 1802, three squadrons with 16000 men under the command of General Leclerc's forces evicted Toussaint and gave Santo Domingo back to the French rule.
Jean-Louis Ferrand was responsible for defending the French part of the colony.
The economy of Santo Domingo had more livestock and subsistence than Haiti. Therefore many native of Haiti would emigrate to Santo Domingo.
Toussaint was promised his freedom, if he agreed to integrate his remaining troops into the French Army.
Toussaint agreed to this in May 1802 but was deceived, and was seized and shipped off to France where he later died in prision. Some of Toussaint's
closest allies, including Jean-Jacques Dessalines, defected to
the French. Through this move, SAnto Domingo became to be under French government.
When it became apparent that the French intended to re-establish slavery, Dessalines and his companion Pétion switched sides again, in October 1802,
and fought against the French. As Leclerc died of yellow fever, his successor, the Vicomte de Rochambeau, his even more brutal campaign rally many former
French loyalists to the rebel cause. A British naval blockade and no aid from Napoleon helped Dessalines to complete his victory on November 18, 1803,
near Cap-Haitien. On 1 January 1804 Dessalines officially declared the former colony's independence, renaming it "Haiti" after the indigenous Arawak Indian name.
A lieutenant of Toussaint, Henri Christophe was made a General by Dessalines. He was born in 1757 on the island of Grenada who had faught in the
American Revolutionary War in the French contingent. Christophe was elected president of the Northern State in February of 1807, and Alexandre Petion
was elected President of the Southern Repbulic of Haiti in March.
Christophe intends to invade Santo Domingo, in 1805. But the presence of a French fleet in the Antilles, the blockade was interpreted as an attempted invasion o
f Haiti by the French, and Haitians were removed from Santo Domingo. In 1808 would see tensions between the French government and the Dominican population,
due to the war in Spain and a ban on trade with Haiti. Sanchez Ramirez, Dominican military, in 1809, conspired from Puerto Rico to expel the French island,
but did not announce independence but membership of Spain.
President Christophe set out to improve all aspects of life in the northern province and the defense of
his country form internal and external aggression. He proclaimed himself King of Haiti in 1811 and created an atmosphere of discipline,
work, and education in that region. He was feared and regarded as a man of steel. He carried an extraordinary vision of grandeur for the Haitian people,
which can be seen in his accomplishments. One of his mganificent constructions is the Citadel, that carries his name, and the Sans-Souci palace, which, even in ruins,
draws admiration. Neverthless, paralyzed by a stroke and faced with the weakening of his army, Henri Christophe took his life on October 8, 1820. He remains the most admired
of Haitians for his genius and advanced vision of Haiti as a civilized and prosperous nation.
After Christophe’s suicide, General Jean Pierre Boyer, Petion’s southern successor reunited Haiti.
Meanwhile, in Santo Domingo, Ferrand who had been in power for five years was getting under much pressure. The population in Santo Domingo was upset to
see that France was powerless to control the Haitians, and in many parts revived the idea of returning to the fold of Spain. The military Juan Ramirez Sanchez,
was at the forefront of the movement. In 1808, he attacked Ferrand, the head of 500 soldiers, with 2 000 rebels. Ferrand, reduced to despair killed himself.
Ramirez Sanchez, with the help of the Spanish and British naval forces who even organized the maritime site of the colonial city, unleashed a war on the island.
After reconquering the colony, Sanchez Ramirez ruled on behalf of Spain until his death in 1811. A group of Spaniards, among them Jose Nunez Caceres, were
ruling the territory. At that time to Santo Domingo was called "The Boba Spain" (Stupid Sapin).
In 1821 emerges for the first time the idea of being totally independent. With the partial support of Colombia, José Núñez de Cáceres using his official
position of lieutenant governor and auditor of wardeclared freedom of the Spanish yoke. He placed under arrest on the night of
November 30, 1821 the Spanish governor. Finally, on December 1 was constituted the "Independent State of Spanish Haiti" to
differentiate it from the former French colony, Haiti, and Núñez de Cáceres got the chairmanship of the interim government.
This independence was called ''The Ephemeral Independence '' for its short duration. The Hatian General Juan Pierre Boyer
came with his troops one year later and annexed Santo Domingo to Haiti, putting the entire island under its control. On the other hand, in 1825 Boyer agreed to
pay high taxes to France for freedom of the Republic of Haiti.
The government of Boyer remained until 1843, being overthrown by the revolution of January 27, led by General Charles Gerald.
In 1838 a secret group called "Trinitarios", led by Captain Juan Pablo Duarte, Ramon Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, had the aim to free Santo Domingo
from the Haitian yoke and independence from Spain. 
When a group of soldiers called for the promotion of Duarte, he became colonel for the trust for its nine years of service in the Haitian army.
This can be understood as a strategy of Trinitarios. But his plans were discovered and he suffered persecution by the Haitian president General Charles Gerld,
and had to escape to Venezuela.
On February 27, 1844, the Trinitarios declared independence from Haiti, backed by Pedro Santana, a wealthy cattle-rancher from El Seibo. The Dominican Republic's first
Constitution was adopted on November 6, 1844. Juan Pablo Duarte returned to the country and joined the Junta Central Gubernativa (Central Governmental Board).
But Pedro Santana Familias had already made his way to power in Santo Domingo City through the strong reactionary party and became as his oponent the first constitutional
President of the Dominican Republic, and the first Marqués de las Carreras and remained there until 1861.
From 1849 to 1859 Pedro Santana got involved in bitter wars due to repeated attempts from Haiti to reconquest the Domincian parto of the island. Looking for support,
Santana felt that the new nation could not survive without being annexed to Spain, which the Trinitarian Independentists did not accept. Consequently, he forced out of the
country Juan Pablo Duarte, founding father of the new Dominican Republic. Santana also attacked all members of the Trinidad, among them even María Trinidad Sánchez, sister of
Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, one of the Founding Fathers of the nation. After he imprisoned her, tortured her, and sentenced her to death. Exactly one year after the
proclamation of Independence (February 27, 1845). So he made her the first heroine of the Republic. María Trinidad Sánchez was executed by a firing squad. Duarte died in
Venezuela far from the country he had helped to get independent.
In 1861, Pedro Santana reannexed the Dominican Republic to Spain. But this was not fully supported by the Dominicans and caused a civil war called the War
of Restoration. It was spearheaded by Gen. Gregorio Luperón and his lieutenant Ulises Heureaux, who was of black Haitian origin. After two years of fighting,
the Spanish troops abandoned the island. The Dominincan Republic offered to allow the United States to take it over as a colony for 1.5 million dollars but t
he United States Congress refused.
In 1874 a peace treaty with Haiti was concluded. Through manipulating the plitical situation, Ulises Heureaux worked his way up and finally ruled as a dictator of the state
from 1882 to 1899, when he was murdered. Public debt at that time had already reached fantastic proportions and grew even further, followed by more ruinous
regime changes. In 1905 and 1907 it finally came to a military intervention by the United States, who occupied the Dominican Republic until 1924.
The American occupation was followed by several years of democratic governance.
Democracy plunged in 1930, as the army General Rafael Trujillo became its dictatorial leader. His modernization attempts failed, which resulted in mismanagement and the
corruption brought a new economic decline of the island. 1960 the Organization of American States (OAS) imposed sanctions against the country because of Trujillos involvement
in the assassination attempt on the Venezuelan President Romulo Betancourt.
As an intersting detail should be mentioned that by the end of the 1930s Trujillo opened his country for Jewish emigrants from Europe and offered land on the north coast,
around the town Sosúa. Trujillo wanted a total of 100,000 people, but at the end of 1941, with the war entrance of the United States, barely more than 700 Jews had come from Europe.
Trujillo had not acted on humanitarian grounds, of course. The dictator, who was a racist, hoped with the help of his emigrant population to bring more white blood to the island.
Many times the Jews who came as refugees to the country did no know where they were going and arrived by chance in the Dominican Republic.
In many cases, it was German Jews who until 1939 had found asylum in France. In the spring of 1939 the French authorities refused - without giving reasons -
to renew the residence permit for many of these Jewish immigrants. One of the few countries that these people offered asylum was the Dominican Republic.
After the end of the Second World War, the majority of refugees migrated to the U.S. or to Israel, some even went back to Germany.
But, as a result, at the north coast in the town of Sosúa there is until today a small Jewish community.
On May 30th, 1961 conspirators assassinated Rafael Trujillo, by firing into the dictator's car on a deserted patch of highway.
In 1962, a moderate transitional government was established, directed by Joaquin Balaguer (a former confident and ghost writer of Trujillo) and Rafael Bonnelly.
In 1963 Juan Bosch was elected president. But still a military junta continued in power. This unstable political situation after the death of
Trujillo ended the 1965 invasion by troops of the United States and the OAS.
In 1966 with the support of the USA, Balaguer was elected ruled until 1978. His successor in the presidency was Antonio Guzman Fernandez, who
in 1982 because of corruption allegations committed suicide.
The next president, Salvador Jorge Blanco, lost his office again to Balaguer in 1986.
The presidential elections in 1990 and 1994 confirmed Balaguer in office, but many suspect they were manipulated. Under national and international
pressure Balaguer moved the next presidential elections to 1996. These were won by Leonel Fernández Reyna. In 2000 Hípólito Mejia Domínguez won
against Balaguer who in his old age had given it another try.
Since 2004,
Leonel Fernández Reyna is in office again and plans to go for another term.
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