Difference between revisions of "Hispaniola" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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===European colonization===
 
===European colonization===
European colonization of the island began in earnest the following year, when 1,300 men arrived from [[Spain]] under the watch of Bartolomeo Columbus.  
+
European colonization of the island began in earnest the following year, when 1,300 men arrived from [[Spain]] under the watch of Bartolomeo Columbus (Christopher's cousin).  
  
In 1493 the town of ''Nueva Isabela'' was founded on the north coast, near modern day Puerto Plata. From there the Spaniards could exploit the [[gold]] found in the interior of the island. After the 1496 discovery of gold in the south, Bartolomeo founded the city of [[Santo Domingo]], which is it is the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas.
+
In 1493 the town of ''Nueva Isabela'' was founded on the north coast, near modern day Puerto Plata. From there the Spaniards could easily reach the [[gold]] found in the interior of the island. After the 1496 discovery of gold in the south, Bartolomeo founded the city of [[Santo Domingo]], which is the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas.
  
 
The Taino, already weakened by [[disease]]s they had no immunity to, were forced into hard labor, panning for gold under repressive and deplorable conditions. Nicolas Ovando, who succeeded Bartolomeo Columbus as governor of the colony, organized a "feast" for the Taino chiefs near present day [[Port au Prince]], [[Haiti]]. The Taino were burned to death when the Spaniards set fire to the building they had assembled in for the feast. Those who escaped the fire were tortured to death. A similar campaign was carried out on the eastern part of the island. With their leadership virtually wiped out, resistance by the remaining population was for the most part eliminated.
 
The Taino, already weakened by [[disease]]s they had no immunity to, were forced into hard labor, panning for gold under repressive and deplorable conditions. Nicolas Ovando, who succeeded Bartolomeo Columbus as governor of the colony, organized a "feast" for the Taino chiefs near present day [[Port au Prince]], [[Haiti]]. The Taino were burned to death when the Spaniards set fire to the building they had assembled in for the feast. Those who escaped the fire were tortured to death. A similar campaign was carried out on the eastern part of the island. With their leadership virtually wiped out, resistance by the remaining population was for the most part eliminated.
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The remaining Taino population was quickly decimated through the ravages of [[famine]], the cruelties of [[forced labor]], and the introduction of [[smallpox]]. In 1501, the colony began to import [[Africa]]n slaves.  
 
The remaining Taino population was quickly decimated through the ravages of [[famine]], the cruelties of [[forced labor]], and the introduction of [[smallpox]]. In 1501, the colony began to import [[Africa]]n slaves.  
  
After 25 years of Spanish occupation, the Taino population had shrunk to less than 50,000 in the Spanish–dominated sections of the island. Within another generation, most of the native population had [[Intermarriage|intermarried]] with either the Spanish or the Africans. The people of this blended ancestry are known today as the Dominicans.  
+
After 25 years of Spanish occupation, the Taino population had shrunk to less than 50,000 in the Spanish–dominated sections of the island. Within another generation, most of the native population had [[Intermarriage|intermarried]] with either the Spanish or the African descendants. The people of this blended ancestry are known today as the Dominicans.  
  
 
[[Image:Toussaint L'Ouverture.jpg|thumb|250px|François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture]]
 
[[Image:Toussaint L'Ouverture.jpg|thumb|250px|François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture]]
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===Independence===
 
===Independence===
In 1791, a major slave revolt erupted in Saint-Domingue, inspired in part by events taking place in France during the [[French Revolution]]. Disputes between whites and mulattos in Saint Domingue led [[Toussaint Louverture]], a French black man to take charge of the revolt. Since the entire island had been ceded to France in 1795 (Treaty of Basilea) L'Ouverture and his followers claimed the entire island. In 1801, he succeeded in unifying the island.   
+
In 1791, a major slave revolt erupted in Saint-Domingue, inspired in part by events taking place in France during the [[French Revolution]]. Disputes between whites and mulattos in Saint Domingue led [[Toussaint Louverture]], a French black man, to take charge of the revolt. Since the entire island had been ceded to France in 1795 (Treaty of Basilea) L'Ouverture and his followers claimed the entire island. In 1801, he succeeded in unifying the island.   
 
   
 
   
 
In 1804, following a failed attempt by [[Napoleon]]ic troops to reestablish [[slavery]] on the island, the [[Republic of Haiti]] was proclaimed, with [[Jean-Jacques Dessalines]] as its first head of state. Haiti is the second oldest country in the Americas after the [[United States]] and the oldest independent nation in [[Latin America]].
 
In 1804, following a failed attempt by [[Napoleon]]ic troops to reestablish [[slavery]] on the island, the [[Republic of Haiti]] was proclaimed, with [[Jean-Jacques Dessalines]] as its first head of state. Haiti is the second oldest country in the Americas after the [[United States]] and the oldest independent nation in [[Latin America]].
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By 1808, after various degrees of instability, Santo Domingo reverted to Spanish rule. Two years later in 1810 the French finally left Santo Domingo.  
 
By 1808, after various degrees of instability, Santo Domingo reverted to Spanish rule. Two years later in 1810 the French finally left Santo Domingo.  
 
[[Image:Juan pablo duarte.jpg.jpg|frame|right|Juan Pablo Duarte y Diez]]
 
[[Image:Juan pablo duarte.jpg.jpg|frame|right|Juan Pablo Duarte y Diez]]
Spanish lieutenant governor José Núñez de Cáceres declared the colony's independence as the state of Spanish Haiti (Haití Español) on November 30, 1821, requesting admission to the Republic of Gran Colombia, but Haitian liberation forces, led by [[Jean-Pierre Boyer]], unified the entire island, ending 300 years of [[Colonialism|colonial domination]] and [[slavery]] just nine weeks later.  
+
Spanish lieutenant governor José Núñez de Cáceres declared the colony's independence as the state of Spanish Haiti (Haití Español) on November 30, 1821, requesting admission to the Republic of Gran Colombia, but Haitian liberation forces, led by [[Jean-Pierre Boyer]], unified the entire island, ending 300 years of [[Colonialism|colonial domination]] and [[slavery]] just nine weeks later. For the next two decades Haiti controlled the entire island; a period which the Dominicans refer to as "The Haitian Occupation".  
  
In 1838 [[Juan Pablo Duarte]] founded a secret society called La Trinitaria that sought independence of the eastern section of the island with no foreign intervention. Ramón Matías Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez (the latter one being a mestizo), in spite of not being among the founding members, went on to be decisive in the fight for independence and are now hailed (along with Duarte) as the Founding Fathers of the [[Dominican Republic]].  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, modeled after that of the [[U.S.]], was adopted on November 6, 1844.   
+
In 1838 [[Juan Pablo Duarte]] founded an underground resistance group, La Trinitaria, that sought independence of the eastern section of the island with no foreign intervention. Ramón Matías Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez (the latter one being a mestizo), in spite of not being among the founding members, went on to be decisive in the fight for independence and are now hailed (along with Duarte) as the Founding Fathers of the [[Dominican Republic]].  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, modeled after that of the [[U.S.]], was adopted on November 6, 1844.   
  
Leadership of the Dominican Republic threw the nation into turmoil for the next rwo decades, until they eventually sought outside help. In 1861 at President Pedro Santana's request, the country reverted back to a colonial state of [[Spain]], the only Latin American nation to do so. Quickly regretting this action, Spain was forced out. Soon after, the United States was requested to take over. President [[Ulysses S. Grant]] supported the idea, but it was defeated by the Congress.   
+
Leadership of the Dominican Republic threw the nation into turmoil for the next rwo decades, until they eventually sought outside help. In 1861 at President Pedro Santana's request, the country reverted back to a colonial state of [[Spain]], the only Latin American nation to do so. Quickly regretting this action, Spain was forced out. Soon after, the [[United States]] was requested to take over. President [[Ulysses S. Grant]] supported the idea, but it was defeated by that nation's Congress.   
  
 
Haitian authorities in the meantime, fearful of the reestablishment of Spain as colonial power, gave refuge and logistics to revolutionaries seeking to re-establish the independent nation of the Dominican Republic. The ensuing [[civil war]], known as the ''War of Restoration'', was led by two black men of Haitian descent: [[Ulises Heureaux]], who was also a three-time President of the Dominican Republic, and General [[Gregorio Luperón]]. The War of Restoration began on August 16, 1863; after two years of fighting, Spanish troops abandoned the island.   
 
Haitian authorities in the meantime, fearful of the reestablishment of Spain as colonial power, gave refuge and logistics to revolutionaries seeking to re-establish the independent nation of the Dominican Republic. The ensuing [[civil war]], known as the ''War of Restoration'', was led by two black men of Haitian descent: [[Ulises Heureaux]], who was also a three-time President of the Dominican Republic, and General [[Gregorio Luperón]]. The War of Restoration began on August 16, 1863; after two years of fighting, Spanish troops abandoned the island.   
  
 
    
 
    
===HERE===
+
 
  
 
===U.S. Treaty for Control===
 
===U.S. Treaty for Control===
In 1906, the [[Dominican Republic]] and the [[United States of America|United States]] entered into a 50-year treaty <ref name=Encarta /> under which the former gave control of its administration and customs to the United States. In exchange, the United States agreed to help reduce the immense foreign debt that the Dominican Republic had established.<ref name=Encarta />  Starting in 1914, the United States, due to extreme political internal instability in the Dominican Republic due to its inability to elect a president, expressed concern and stated that a leader must be elected.<ref name="congress">{{cite web
+
In 1906, the [[Dominican Republic]] and the [[United States]] entered into a 50-year treaty under which the former gave control of its administration and customs to the United States. In exchange, the United States agreed to help reduce the immense foreign debt that the Dominican Republic had accrued. Beginning in 1914, the United States, due to extreme political internal instability in the Dominican Republic due to its inability to elect a president, expressed concern and stated that a leader must be elected. <ref name="congress">{{cite web
 
   | last =
 
   | last =
 
   | first =
 
   | first =
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----
 
----
<ref name=Sagas>
 
{{cite web
 
  | last = Sagas
 
  | first = Ernesto
 
  | title = An Apparent Contradiction? - Popular Perceptions of Haiti and the Foreign Policy of the Dominican Republic
 
  | work = Sixth Annual Conference of the Haitian Studies Association, Boston, MA
 
  | publisher = [[Webster University]]
 
  | date = October 14-15, 1994
 
  | url = http://www.websterfl.edu/~corbetre/haiti//misctopic/dominican/conception.htm
 
  | accessdate = 2007-06-06 }}</ref>
 
 
<ref name="hutchinson">
 
{{cite web
 
  | last = Hutchinson
 
  | first = Sydney
 
  | authorlink =
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = Dominican Republic - background
 
  | work =
 
  | publisher = Merengue típico
 
  | date = 2006
 
  | url = http://www.merengue-ripiao.com/background.htm
 
  | format =
 
  | doi =
 
  | accessdate = 2007-05-29 }}</ref>
 
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
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* Corbett, Bob. October 27, 1995. [http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/401.html Chronology of Haitian History] ''World History Archives''. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
 
* Corbett, Bob. October 27, 1995. [http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/401.html Chronology of Haitian History] ''World History Archives''. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
 
* ''Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia''. 2007. [http://encarta.msn.com Dominican Republic] Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
 
* ''Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia''. 2007. [http://encarta.msn.com Dominican Republic] Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
 
+
* Sagas, Ernesto. October 14-15, 1994. [http://www.websterfl.edu/~corbetre/haiti//misctopic/dominican/conception.htm An Apparent Contradiction? - Popular Perceptions of Haiti and the Foreign Policy of the Dominican Republic] Sixth Annual Conference of the Haitian Studies Association, Boston, MA. ''Webster University.'' Retrieved October 15, 2007.
 
+
* Hutchinson, Sydney. [http://www.merengue-ripiao.com/background.htm Dominican Republic - background] ''Merengue típico''. Retrieved October 15, 2007. 
 
 
 
* Moya Pons, Frank. 1998. ''The Dominican Republic a national history''. Princeton, N.J.: Markus Wiener Publishers. ISBN 9781558761926
 
* Moya Pons, Frank. 1998. ''The Dominican Republic a national history''. Princeton, N.J.: Markus Wiener Publishers. ISBN 9781558761926
 
* Mann, Paul, Grenville Draper, and John F. Lewis. 1991. ''Geologic and tectonic development of the North America-Caribbean plate boundary in Hispaniola''. Boulder, Colo: Geological Society of America. ISBN 0813722624 and ISBN 9780813722627  
 
* Mann, Paul, Grenville Draper, and John F. Lewis. 1991. ''Geologic and tectonic development of the North America-Caribbean plate boundary in Hispaniola''. Boulder, Colo: Geological Society of America. ISBN 0813722624 and ISBN 9780813722627  

Revision as of 23:23, 15 October 2007


Early map of Hispaniola


Christopher Columbus landed on the island on December 5, 1492 and named it La Isla Española, "The Spanish Island", which was supposedly Anglicized to Hispaniola. The island is the second-largest island of the Greater Antilles, lying between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east. On Columbus' second voyage in 1493 he founded the first Spanish colony in the New World upon it. Hispaniola was the only island visited on all four of Columbus' voyages.

Haiti occupies the western third of the island, the remaining eastern two-thirds of the island make up the Dominican Republic. The population is very nearly equally divided between the two countries. However, due to the Dominican Republic's larger geographic area, its population density is 179 per square kilometer as opposed to Haiti's 255 per square kilometer.

The Taino called the island Quisqueya (or Kiskeya),which means "mother of the earth". The name is still used in both countries. It poetically refers to the Dominican Republic in the Dominican Republics's national anthem, Quisqueyanos valientes. The Spanish rechristened the island Santo Domingo, and the corresponding term Saint-Domingue was taken up by the French. The Arawak name, Ayiti or variants thereof, was reintroduced in 1804 as the name for independent Haiti. The name Haiti was originally intended to mean the entire island, not just the western part, and in fact the present-day Dominican Republic was known briefly as Spanish Haiti. Bohio is yet a third indigenous name for the island.

Topography map of Hispaniola


Geography

Hispaniola, originally known as Española, is the second largest island in the West Indies, lying within the Greater Antilles. It is politically divided into the Republic of Haiti in the west and the Dominican Republic in the east. The island's area is 29,418 square miles (76,192 square km); with its greatest length at nearly 400 miles (650 km) long, and a width of 150 miles (241 km). It is the second-largest island in the Caribbean (after Cuba), with an area of 76,480 km².

The island of Cuba lies to the northwest across the Windward Passage, the strait connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. To Hispaniola's southwest lies Jamaica, separated by the Jamaica Channel. Puerto Rico lies east of Hispaniola across the Mona Passage. The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands lie to the north.

Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico are collectively known as the Greater Antilles. These islands are made up of continental rock, as distinct from the Lesser Antilles, which are mostly young volcanic or coral islands.

The Island of Hispaniola has five major mountain ranges:

  • The Central Range, known in the Dominican Republic as the Cordillera Central, span the central part of the island, extending from the south coast of the Dominican Republic into northwestern Haiti, where they are known as the Massif du Nord. This mountain range boasts the highest peak in the Antilles, Pico Duarte at 10,128 feet (3,087 meters) above sea level.
  • The Cordillera Septentrional runs parallel to the Central Range across the northern end of the Dominican Republic, extending into the Atlantic Ocean as the Samaná Peninsula. The highest point in the Cordillera Septentrional is Pico Diego de Ocampo. The Cordillera Central and Cordillera Septentrional are separated by the lowlands of the Cibao Valley and the Atlantic coastal plains, which extend westward into Haiti, becoming the Plaine du Nord (Northern Plain).
  • The lowest of the ranges is the Cordillera Oriental, in the eastern part of the island.
  • The Sierra de Neiba rises in the southwest of the Dominican Republic, and continues northwest into Haiti, parallel to the Cordillera Central, as the Montagnes Noires, Chaîne des Matheux and the Montagnes du Trou d'Eau. The Plateau Central lies between the Massif du Nord and the Montagnes Noires, and the Plaine de l'Artibonite lies between the Montagnes Noires and the Chaîne des Matheux, opening westward toward the Gulf of Gonâve.
  • The southern range begins in the southwestern–most Dominican Republic as the Sierra de Bahoruco, and extends west into Haiti as the Massif de la Selle and the Massif de la Hotte, which form the mountainous spine of Haiti's southern peninsula. Pic de la Selle is the highest peak in the southern range and is the highest point in Haiti, at 8,793 feet (2,680 meters) above sea level. A depression runs parallel to the southern range, between the southern range and the Chaîne des Matheux-Sierra de Neiba. It is known as the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac in Haiti, and Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince lies at its western end. The depression is home to a chain of salty lakes, including the Saumatre Lagoon in Haiti and Lake Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic.

The climate of Hispaniola is generally humid and tropical. There are four distinct eco-regions on the island.

  • The Hispaniolan moist forests eco-region covers approximately 50 percent of the island, especially the northern and eastern portions, predominantly in the lowlands but extending up to 2,100 meters elevation.
  • The Hispaniolan dry forests eco-region occupies approximately 20 percent of the island, lying in the rain shadow of the mountains in the southern and western portion of the island and in the Cibao valley in the north-center part of the island.
  • The Hispaniolan pine forests occupy the mountainous 15 percent of the island, above 850 meters in elevation.
  • The Enriquillo wetlands are a flooded grasslands and savannas eco-region that surround a chain of lakes and lagoons that includes Lake Enriquillo, Rincón Lagoon, and Lake Caballero in the Dominican Republic and Saumatre Lagoon and Trou Cayman in Haiti.

In general, the mountains are forested and sparsely populated, however, in some places, mostly in Haiti, the population pressure has brought about deforestation of land for cultivation.

Mostly occurring throughout the humid mountainous regions, coffee growth is the chief agricultural activity of the highlands. Numerous amounts of crops, mainly cacao, are grown on the heavily populated northern plains, especially in the humid eastern section known as La Vega Real, “The Royal Plain”. In the upper Yaque Plain, tobacco is a dominant crop. In the semi-arid lower plains irrigated rice is the crop of choice. Along the northern coast, the Plaine du Nord, in the west of Haiti, sugarcane and sisal are the main crops. The southern plains of the island are also very productive, boasting sugarcane, livestock pasture, and cotton, although irrigation is a necessity in many of its areas.

History

The island of Hispaniola was occupied by Amer-Indians for at least 5,000 years prior to the European arrival in the Americas . Multiple waves of indigenous immigration to the island had occurred, mainly from Central and South America. Those from the South American continent were descendants of the Arawak, who passed through Venezuela. These tribes blended through marriage, forming the Taino, who greeted Christopher Columbus upon his arrival. It is believed that there were probably several million of these peaceful natives living on the island at that time.

Columbus had visited Cuba and the Bahamas before landing on Hispaniola (known alternatively as Quisqueya, Haití, or Bohío to the natives) in December 1492. However, it was Hispaniola that seemed to impress Columbus most strongly. It is said that when he first laid eyes on its shores, he termed it "La Perle des Antilles" or "the Pearl of the Caribbean". His journal described the beauty of the high, forested mountains and large river valleys which were inhabited by a peaceful amiable people. On his return the following year, he quickly founded the first permanent European settlement in America.

European colonization

European colonization of the island began in earnest the following year, when 1,300 men arrived from Spain under the watch of Bartolomeo Columbus (Christopher's cousin).

In 1493 the town of Nueva Isabela was founded on the north coast, near modern day Puerto Plata. From there the Spaniards could easily reach the gold found in the interior of the island. After the 1496 discovery of gold in the south, Bartolomeo founded the city of Santo Domingo, which is the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas.

The Taino, already weakened by diseases they had no immunity to, were forced into hard labor, panning for gold under repressive and deplorable conditions. Nicolas Ovando, who succeeded Bartolomeo Columbus as governor of the colony, organized a "feast" for the Taino chiefs near present day Port au Prince, Haiti. The Taino were burned to death when the Spaniards set fire to the building they had assembled in for the feast. Those who escaped the fire were tortured to death. A similar campaign was carried out on the eastern part of the island. With their leadership virtually wiped out, resistance by the remaining population was for the most part eliminated.

The remaining Taino population was quickly decimated through the ravages of famine, the cruelties of forced labor, and the introduction of smallpox. In 1501, the colony began to import African slaves.

After 25 years of Spanish occupation, the Taino population had shrunk to less than 50,000 in the Spanish–dominated sections of the island. Within another generation, most of the native population had intermarried with either the Spanish or the African descendants. The people of this blended ancestry are known today as the Dominicans.

François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture

By the early sixteenth century, the gold deposits of Hispaniola were becoming exhausted. Most of the Spanish left for Mexico as word of that area's riches spread. Only a few thousand Spanish remained, most of whom were of mixed blood with the Taino. They began to raise livestock (Columbus had introduced pigs and cattle to the island), which they used to supply passing ships on their way to the mainland.

By the early 17th century, the island and its smaller neighbors (notably Tortuga) became regular stopping points for Caribbean pirates. In 1606, the king of Spain ordered all inhabitants of Hispaniola to move close to Santo Domingo for their protection. Rather than secure the island, however, this resulted in French, English and Dutch pirates establishing bases on the now-abandoned north and west coasts.

In 1665, French colonization of the island was officially recognized by Louis XIV. The French colony was given the name Saint-Domingue. In the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick, Spain formally ceded the western third of the island to France. Saint-Domingue quickly came to overshadow the east in both wealth and population. Nicknamed the "Pearl of the Antilles," it became the richest colony in the West Indies and one of the richest in the world. Large sugar cane plantations were established and worked by hundreds of thousands of African slaves who were imported to the island.

Independence

In 1791, a major slave revolt erupted in Saint-Domingue, inspired in part by events taking place in France during the French Revolution. Disputes between whites and mulattos in Saint Domingue led Toussaint Louverture, a French black man, to take charge of the revolt. Since the entire island had been ceded to France in 1795 (Treaty of Basilea) L'Ouverture and his followers claimed the entire island. In 1801, he succeeded in unifying the island.

In 1804, following a failed attempt by Napoleonic troops to reestablish slavery on the island, the Republic of Haiti was proclaimed, with Jean-Jacques Dessalines as its first head of state. Haiti is the second oldest country in the Americas after the United States and the oldest independent nation in Latin America.

By 1808, after various degrees of instability, Santo Domingo reverted to Spanish rule. Two years later in 1810 the French finally left Santo Domingo.

File:Juan pablo duarte.jpg.jpg
Juan Pablo Duarte y Diez

Spanish lieutenant governor José Núñez de Cáceres declared the colony's independence as the state of Spanish Haiti (Haití Español) on November 30, 1821, requesting admission to the Republic of Gran Colombia, but Haitian liberation forces, led by Jean-Pierre Boyer, unified the entire island, ending 300 years of colonial domination and slavery just nine weeks later. For the next two decades Haiti controlled the entire island; a period which the Dominicans refer to as "The Haitian Occupation".

In 1838 Juan Pablo Duarte founded an underground resistance group, La Trinitaria, that sought independence of the eastern section of the island with no foreign intervention. Ramón Matías Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez (the latter one being a mestizo), in spite of not being among the founding members, went on to be decisive in the fight for independence and are now hailed (along with Duarte) as the Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic. 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, modeled after that of the U.S., was adopted on November 6, 1844.

Leadership of the Dominican Republic threw the nation into turmoil for the next rwo decades, until they eventually sought outside help. In 1861 at President Pedro Santana's request, the country reverted back to a colonial state of Spain, the only Latin American nation to do so. Quickly regretting this action, Spain was forced out. Soon after, the United States was requested to take over. President Ulysses S. Grant supported the idea, but it was defeated by that nation's Congress.

Haitian authorities in the meantime, fearful of the reestablishment of Spain as colonial power, gave refuge and logistics to revolutionaries seeking to re-establish the independent nation of the Dominican Republic. The ensuing civil war, known as the War of Restoration, was led by two black men of Haitian descent: Ulises Heureaux, who was also a three-time President of the Dominican Republic, and General Gregorio Luperón. The War of Restoration began on August 16, 1863; after two years of fighting, Spanish troops abandoned the island.


U.S. Treaty for Control

In 1906, the Dominican Republic and the United States entered into a 50-year treaty under which the former gave control of its administration and customs to the United States. In exchange, the United States agreed to help reduce the immense foreign debt that the Dominican Republic had accrued. Beginning in 1914, the United States, due to extreme political internal instability in the Dominican Republic due to its inability to elect a president, expressed concern and stated that a leader must be elected. [1] As a result, Ramón Báez Machado was elected provisional president in the Dominican Republic.[1] By 1916, the U.S. took complete control of the Dominican Republic, having grown tired of its role of mediator, due to the stepping down of Ramón Báez Machado and the rise of Desiderio Arias (who refused to take power). The results were immediate with the budget balanced, debt reduced, and economic growth renewed.[1] U.S. troops came from Haiti, which was in danger from large European powers such as Germany, who stated that they would take over Haiti due to debts owed. The U.S. had used this argument previously to send in U.S. Marines to occupy Haiti.[1]

1930 to 1980

The Dominican Republic was ruled by dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo (who was himself 1/4 Haitian) from 1930 until his assassination in 1961.[2] Trujillo ruled with an iron hand persecuting anyone who opposed his regime. He also renamed many towns and provinces after himself and his family, including the capital city Santo Domingo. In 1937 Trujillo ordered the Army to kill all Haitians on the Dominican side of the border; an estimated 17,000 to 35,000 Haitians were killed in a single day.[2][3] This massacre was alleged to have been an attempt to seize money and property from Haitians living on the border.[4] As a result of this act of genocide the Dominican Republic was forced to pay Haiti $750,000.00.[5][6] Currently there is a lawsuit for reparations for damages from this genocide.[7]

The Dominican government headed by Trujillo for a time was supported by the USA (because of his anti-communist stance and a mutually friendly relationship between the Dominican Republic and the USA), the Catholic Church and the Dominican elite; even after the death of Dominican dissidents and over 17,000 Haitians.[3]

Both nations faced a great deal of political instability in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The United States occupied both countries and temporarily took over their customs duties. Later, both came under the rule of dictators - the Duvaliers in Haiti and Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. In recent decades, they have taken divergent paths, however, as the Dominican Republic has achieved significantly greater levels of political stability and economic growth than its neighbor.


Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dominican Republic: Occupation by the United States, 1916-1924. U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Rafael Trujillo: Killer File. Moreorless.com. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Forrest, Dave. The Dominican Dictator: Rafael Trujillo. James Logan High School. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  4. Posting - : Temwayaj Kout Kouto, 1937: Eyewitnesses to the Genocide (fwd). haiti@lists.webster.edu. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  5. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Sagas
  6. Historical and Cultural Connections: La République d’Haïti and La República Dominicana. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  7. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Trujillo's Victims Seek Justice, Nearly Five Decades On. Retrieved 2007-08-10.

Sources and Further Reading

External links


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