History of Dominican Republic
The island of Hispaniola, of which the present Dominican Republic is part, was home to the Tainos people who arrived about 600 AD. They prospered by engaging in fishing, hunting, gathering and farming and their numbers grew into the hundreds of thousands. Their numbers inevitably declined after European settlement due to disease, displacement and slavery. They had virtually disappeared by the early 1600s.
Christopher Columbus explored the island during his first voyage of 1492. He claimed it as part of the Spain and named it La Espaniola. When he returned to Spain, he left behind his son, Diego to act as viceroy and the group of 39 men he was forced to leave behind after his ship, ran aground. These men built a fort near the present day Cap-Haitien, which they named La Navidad. The capital of Santo Domingo was founded in 1496 and is the oldest permanent European settlement of the New World. The Spanish developed a plantation economy on Hispaniola which prospered in the second half of the 1500s. The island was used as a base for the European acquisition of the Caribbean and then the mainland of America. The Santo Domingo colony was the centre of Spanish colonial dominance of the New World, but after the conquest of the Aztecs and Incas on the mainland, Hispaniola became less important. In 1697, France took control of the colony.
Under French rule, the colony and plantation economy flourished and Saint-Dominique, which is now Haiti, became very wealthy. The settlement and plantations depended on slavery for its work force and enforced African slaves outnumbered free men and whites by nine to one by the end of the 1700s.
Spain ceded the whole island to the French in 1795, but in 1801, the Haitians, led by Toussaint Louverture, took control. In 1804, rebels proclaimed the independence of Haiti in the west and Santo Domingo remained under French rule in the east of the island. However, in 1808, the capital was returned to Spanish rule with the help of Great Britain and Haiti. Spain’s control was short-lived and Haitian forces invaded in February 1822 led by Jean-Pierre Boyer.
The Haitians abolished slavery, nationalized public property and most of the Church and private property that had been abandoned by the Spanish when they fled the country. Taxes were heavy, education suffered, young men were drafted into the army and many more white people fled.
Boyer introduced foreign trade, made changes to the tax and economic systems and created chaos within the farming communities. The economy failed and rebellion flared. In 1843 a mixed force composed of several factions with anti Haitian sentiments succeeded in overthrowing Boyer.
Juan Pablo Duarte had founded a secret society in 1838, called La Trinitaria, which sought complete independence from Haiti. In 1844, the Trinitarios, declared the independence of Santo Domingo. Duarte is known as one of the founding fathers of the now Dominican Republic, together with Francisco del Rosario Sanchez and Ramon Matias Mella. The new independent nation adopted its first constitution on November 6, 1844, modelled on the constitution of the United States.
The following decades were turbulent times in the history of Dominican Republic, with tyranny, economic difficulties and numerous rapid changes of government. There was a constant threat of invasion from Haiti. In an attempt to protect the country from Haitian attack, in 1861 Santana signed the Dominican nation over to Spain, but his opponents countered with the War of the Restoration. After two years of aggression, the Spanish left the island and The Restoration was declared in August 1863. Years of political strife, unrest and military uprisings followed. In 1869, Baez tried to make a deal with the United States to annexe the Republic, providing a sum of $1.5 million in an attempt to solve the country’s debt, but the US Senate refused.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries continued to be turbulent times in Dominican Republic’s history. There were periods of economic growth and relative peace, but the trend of rebellion, short-lived governments and corrupt leaders prevented the nation from prospering.
Under the 31 year control of dictator Raphael Trujillo, Dominican Republic enjoyed economic growth and advances in education, housing, healthcare and transport. He negotiated a border with Haiti in 1935 and achieved a debt free status for the country in 1947. Unfortunately, this progress was matched with repression, indiscriminate murder and terror.
Since Trujillo’s death in 1961, Dominican Republic has been moving towards democracy and a more liberal economic model which has made it the largest economy in the region. Democratic elections have delivered a series of leaders who have worked to reduce debt, improve relations with other Caribbean nations and grow the economy, in a way unparalleled in Dominican Republic’s turbulent history.
The early Spanish Years
Christopher Columbus explored the island during his first voyage of 1492. He claimed it as part of the Spain and named it La Espaniola. When he returned to Spain, he left behind his son, Diego to act as viceroy and the group of 39 men he was forced to leave behind after his ship, ran aground. These men built a fort near the present day Cap-Haitien, which they named La Navidad. The capital of Santo Domingo was founded in 1496 and is the oldest permanent European settlement of the New World. The Spanish developed a plantation economy on Hispaniola which prospered in the second half of the 1500s. The island was used as a base for the European acquisition of the Caribbean and then the mainland of America. The Santo Domingo colony was the centre of Spanish colonial dominance of the New World, but after the conquest of the Aztecs and Incas on the mainland, Hispaniola became less important. In 1697, France took control of the colony.
French Rule the Dominican Republic
Under French rule, the colony and plantation economy flourished and Saint-Dominique, which is now Haiti, became very wealthy. The settlement and plantations depended on slavery for its work force and enforced African slaves outnumbered free men and whites by nine to one by the end of the 1700s.
Spain ceded the whole island to the French in 1795, but in 1801, the Haitians, led by Toussaint Louverture, took control. In 1804, rebels proclaimed the independence of Haiti in the west and Santo Domingo remained under French rule in the east of the island. However, in 1808, the capital was returned to Spanish rule with the help of Great Britain and Haiti. Spain’s control was short-lived and Haitian forces invaded in February 1822 led by Jean-Pierre Boyer.
Haitian Rule the Dominicans
The Haitians abolished slavery, nationalized public property and most of the Church and private property that had been abandoned by the Spanish when they fled the country. Taxes were heavy, education suffered, young men were drafted into the army and many more white people fled.
Boyer introduced foreign trade, made changes to the tax and economic systems and created chaos within the farming communities. The economy failed and rebellion flared. In 1843 a mixed force composed of several factions with anti Haitian sentiments succeeded in overthrowing Boyer.
Independence at last
Juan Pablo Duarte had founded a secret society in 1838, called La Trinitaria, which sought complete independence from Haiti. In 1844, the Trinitarios, declared the independence of Santo Domingo. Duarte is known as one of the founding fathers of the now Dominican Republic, together with Francisco del Rosario Sanchez and Ramon Matias Mella. The new independent nation adopted its first constitution on November 6, 1844, modelled on the constitution of the United States.
The following decades were turbulent times in the history of Dominican Republic, with tyranny, economic difficulties and numerous rapid changes of government. There was a constant threat of invasion from Haiti. In an attempt to protect the country from Haitian attack, in 1861 Santana signed the Dominican nation over to Spain, but his opponents countered with the War of the Restoration. After two years of aggression, the Spanish left the island and The Restoration was declared in August 1863. Years of political strife, unrest and military uprisings followed. In 1869, Baez tried to make a deal with the United States to annexe the Republic, providing a sum of $1.5 million in an attempt to solve the country’s debt, but the US Senate refused.
Dominican Republic in the 20th Century
The late 19th and early 20th centuries continued to be turbulent times in Dominican Republic’s history. There were periods of economic growth and relative peace, but the trend of rebellion, short-lived governments and corrupt leaders prevented the nation from prospering.
Under the 31 year control of dictator Raphael Trujillo, Dominican Republic enjoyed economic growth and advances in education, housing, healthcare and transport. He negotiated a border with Haiti in 1935 and achieved a debt free status for the country in 1947. Unfortunately, this progress was matched with repression, indiscriminate murder and terror.
Since Trujillo’s death in 1961, Dominican Republic has been moving towards democracy and a more liberal economic model which has made it the largest economy in the region. Democratic elections have delivered a series of leaders who have worked to reduce debt, improve relations with other Caribbean nations and grow the economy, in a way unparalleled in Dominican Republic’s turbulent history.
Permalink
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Subscribe here
