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162-425: In 1929, U.S. industrialist Charles H. Wanzer with other business partners founded the brewery and started brewing the iconic Dominican beer, Presidente, in 1935. The beer was named in honor of then Dominican president Rafael Leónidas Trujillo . Presidente was initially launched as a dark beer and acquired limited success, yet in the 1960s Presidente was transformed into the pilsner that is recognized today. In 1986,

324-577: A Frenchman, appeared off the Haitian coast, taking prizes . On November 4, the squadron bombarded the Haitian village of Anse-à-Pitres and disembarked a landing party, seizing booty . The next day, the Dominican ships bombarded Les Cayes , captured a schooner and sank some small craft. Fagalde wanted to sail up the Windward Passage between Haiti and Cuba in search of more prizes. However,

486-549: A Haitian warship and bombarded two Haitian ports. In November 1855, Soulouque, having proclaimed himself Emperor Faustin I of a Haitian empire which he hoped to expand to include the Dominican Republic, invaded his neighbor again, this time with an army of 30,000 men marching in three columns. But again the Dominicans proved to be superior soldiers, defeating Soulouque's army, which vastly outnumbered them. In

648-440: A U.S. offer of military aid against Arias, Jimenes resigned on May 7, 1916. Wilson thus ordered the U.S. occupation of the Dominican Republic. U.S. Marines landed on May 16, 1916, and seized the capital and other ports, while General Arias fell back to his inland Santiago stronghold. A significant weaponry disparity between the U.S. Marines and Arias's forces led to the latter's defeat. A peace delegation from Santiago surrendered

810-465: A blockade of Dominican ports. Three columns of Haitian troops, totaling 30,000 men, were dispatched on the 10th: one toward Las Caobas under Hérard's command, another towards Neiba, and a third to Santiago and Puerto Plata. General Santana led his cowboys westward. Skirmishes followed, with Haitian forces winning most but suffering higher casualties. The Dominicans fought with stones, knives, machetes, lances, clubs, and rifles. After Santana's victory at

972-754: A corridor for the Marines guarding the U.S. Embassy. However, the Loyalists withdrew to San Isidro airfield instead. On May 2, U.S. forces were authorized to link up, and the outgunned Constitutionalists retreated to the southeastern part of the city. On May 6, U.S. diplomats persuaded the OAS to establish an Inter-American Peace Force to support American troops. The following countries volunteered: Brazil (1,250 soldiers), Costa Rica (25 police), Honduras (250 soldiers), Nicaragua (164 soldiers), and Paraguay (286 soldiers). U.S. and OAS peacekeeping troops remained in

1134-758: A cure after being defeated 15-5 versus the Boston Red Sox : "Seven Presidentes and a sleeping pill and be ready for the job tomorrow." Since 2007, Presidente has also hosted Festival Presidente de Música Latina (Presidente Festival of Latin Music) , which is a three-day event in October that showcases Dominican and International musical talent. It is held at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic . Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic

1296-583: A few pieces, considering that President Charles Rivière-Herárd , during his visit to the eastern part of the island in 1843, "had taken care to empty the State warehouses"; this explains why, within a week of receiving it, the Central Governing Board sent to buy two thousand rifles from Curaçao , undoubtedly with part of the funds raised from the forced contribution fixed as a result of the total lack of public funds. The French representative

1458-572: A figure that does not include the Dominicans, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans fighting alongside them. The Dominicans fighting for independence against Spain suffered more than 4,000 dead. Political strife again prevailed in the following years; warlords ruled, military revolts were extremely common, and the nation amassed debt. It was now Báez's turn to act on his plan of annexing the country to the United States , where two successive presidents were supportive. U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant desired

1620-544: A military revolt against the government of Vásquez. Desiderio Arias led a failed revolt against Trujillo and was killed near Mao in 1931. There was considerable economic growth during Rafael Trujillo 's long and iron-fisted regime, although a great deal of the wealth was taken by the dictator and other regime elements. There was progress in healthcare, education, and transportation, with the building of hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, and harbors. Trujillo also carried out an important housing construction program and instituted

1782-473: A mulatto who was seen as an ally promised his full support to the frontier governors, and thus he ceremonially entered the country with around 10,000 soldiers in February 1822, after most of the cities and towns proclaimed their allegiance to Boyer between November 1821 and January 1822. On February 9, 1822, Boyer formally entered the capital city, Santo Domingo, where he was received by Núñez who offered to him

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1944-403: A musket had no effective range greater than 30 meters and 90 meters when used in lines and columns, as was customary at the time; with good training, a unit could fire 3 to 4 musket shots per minute, if logistics and conditions permitted. These references to the spatial effectiveness of firearms explain why the bladed weapon, while its use drove Haitians into disarray, was given a central place in

2106-503: A naval base at Samaná and also a place for resettling newly freed African Americans. The treaty was defeated in the United States Senate in 1870. Báez was toppled in 1874, returned, and was toppled for good in 1878. Relative peace came to the country in the 1880s, which saw the coming to power of General Ulises Heureaux . "Lilís", as the new president was nicknamed, put the nation deep into debt while using much of

2268-509: A new campaign. However, on February 27, when he ordered his troops to march against the Dominicans, the Haitian army mutinied, resulting in his overthrow. The war had become highly unpopular in Haiti, therefore, Jean-Baptiste Riché , Pierrot's successor, was unable to organize another invasion. On March 9, 1849, Haiti's President Faustin Soulouque of Haiti led 10,000 troops in an invasion of

2430-617: A pension plan. He finally negotiated an undisputed border with Haiti in 1935, and achieved the end of the 50-year customs agreement in 1941, instead of 1956. He made the country debt-free in 1947. This was accompanied by absolute repression and the copious use of murder, torture, and terrorist methods against the opposition. Several Dominicans were assassinated in New York City after taking part in anti-Trujillo activities. In October 1937, Dominican troops murdered 10,000 to 15,000 Haitian men, women, and children—mostly with machetes—along

2592-691: A range of 300-350 yards (274.32 m-320.04 m), could pass through 19 men or 7 feet of compacted earth (in Santiago two 2-pound cannons were used in Fort Libertad , 4-pound cannons in Fort Patria and 8-pound cannons in Fort Dios ); the shrapnel, widely used in the Dominican defense, according to the French manuals of the time, was to be used when the enemy was 250 yards (228.60 meters) away, while

2754-412: A result of the "fog" generated by exchanges of musket and artillery fire. Smoke not only limited the vision of the battlefield for all contenders, but this feeling of disorientation caused optical and auditory illusions to be generated that deceived soldiers and officers alike. Finally, the noise generated not only by the shots of cannons and muskets but also by the snorting of horses, nearby bullets and

2916-420: A second military coup ousted the military-installed president Donald Reid Cabral . Despite tank assaults, strafing , and aerial bombardment by the opposing Loyalists, the pro-Bosch Constitutionalists maintained control of most of the capital. By April 26, armed civilians outnumbered the original rebel military regulars. Radio Santo Domingo, now fully under rebel control, began to call for more violent actions and

3078-464: A small population. John Hogan , an American diplomat who arrived in the country in 1845, reported that the population was 250,000. Navy Lieutenant David Dixon Porter , instructed to carry out an investigation with the purpose of seeing if the Dominican Republic could be recognized as an independent nation, he reported that the number of its inhabitants was 175,000 individuals. This quote is more precise than Hogan's, since unlike him, Porter investigated

3240-617: A southeast continuation of the Bahamas : Navidad Bank , Silver Bank , and Mouchoir Bank . Navidad Bank and Silver Bank have been officially claimed by the Dominican Republic. Isla Cabritos lies within Lago Enriquillo . Dominican War of Independence Dominican victory Separation of the Santo Domingo territory from Haiti The Dominican War of Independence ( Spanish : Guerra de Independencia Dominicana )

3402-679: Is a North American country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean . It shares a maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and a land border with Haiti to the west, occupying the eastern five-eighths of Hispaniola which, along with Saint Martin , is one of only two islands in the Caribbean shared by two sovereign states . In

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3564-451: Is explained by their condition as a key piece for various tasks, the approach of a "tactical school" of the white weapon, which was erected in the pivot of the battles of independence, is questionable. The transfiguration of peasants who used machetes and lances as work tools into skilled masters of their performance as war props is contrasted with the four elements taken into account by the renowned British author John Keegan when determining

3726-414: Is impossible to understand that the Dominican army had a tactical school of edged weapons, whether machetes or lances, in front of an enemy armed with rifles and muskets. The first Dominican Government was thus faced with a serious dilemma: the lack of a quick response from France and the support for independence of "resolute, vigorous and enthusiastic men" but "barely armed." Hence, at the time of ordering

3888-504: Is perceived in the former Thirteen Colonies and in Haiti itself, when Northern Haiti, (formerly the Kingdom of Haiti under Henri Christophe ), integrated with Southern Haiti under the aegis of Boyer. Firearms marked the evolution of the process of National Independence even when it was still in its infancy. However, the firearms available for the defense of the nascent Dominican Republic were scarce and battered. The first clashes with

4050-538: Is referred to as the España Boba era. The Captaincy General of Santo Domingo had approximately 80,000 inhabitants, with the majority being European descendants and mulattos. For most of its history Santo Domingo had an economy based on mining and cattle ranching. The population in the Spanish colony was significantly lower than the French side of the island, which had a population of nearly one million slaves before

4212-639: Is reported variously as 48,442 km (18,704 sq mi) (by the embassy in the United States) and 48,670 km (18,792 sq mi), making it the second largest country in the Antilles , after Cuba . The Dominican Republic's capital and largest city Santo Domingo is on the southern coast. The Dominican Republic is located near fault action in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic has four important mountain ranges. The most northerly

4374-950: Is the Cordillera Septentrional ("Northern Mountain Range"), which extends from the northwestern coastal town of Monte Cristi , near the Haitian border, to the Samaná Peninsula in the east, running parallel to the Atlantic coast. The highest range in the Dominican Republic ;– indeed, in the whole of the West Indies ;– is the Cordillera Central ("Central Mountain Range"). In the Cordillera Central are

4536-624: Is the largest of the plains in the Dominican Republic. Stretching north and east of Santo Domingo, it contains many sugar plantations in the savannahs that are common there. West of Santo Domingo its width is reduced to 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) as it hugs the coast, finishing at the mouth of the Ocoa River. Another large plain is the Plena de Azua ("Azua Plain"), a very arid region in Azua Province . A few other small coastal plains are on

4698-474: The Separación Dominicana (5 guns), commanded by Juan Bautista Cambiaso , defeated a Haitian brigantine Pandora (4 guns) plus schooners Le signifie and La Mouche off the coast of Azua on April 15, sinking all three enemy ships and killing all the Haitian sailors without losing any of their own ships. As a result of these successive Haitian defeats, Hérard was ousted on May 3, leading to

4860-653: The Sierra de Bahoruco is a continuation of the Massif de la Selle in Haiti. There are other, minor mountain ranges, such as the Cordillera Oriental ("Eastern Mountain Range"), Sierra Martín García , Sierra de Yamasá , and Sierra de Samaná . Between the Central and Northern mountain ranges lies the rich and fertile Cibao valley. This major valley is home to the cities of Santiago and La Vega and most of

5022-664: The Americas that began with the independence of the United States in 1776, continued with that of Haiti in 1804 and concluded with that of Panama in 1903. The project of the Independent State of Spanish Haiti barely lasted nine weeks. By the same time, eastern Hispaniola apsired to join Gran Colombia , in accordance with the thought of the Liberator Simón Bolívar of emancipating and uniting

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5184-470: The Antilles , the country is the second-largest nation by area after Cuba at 48,671 square kilometers (18,792 sq mi) and second-largest by population after Haiti with approximately 11.4 million people in 2024, of whom 3.6 million reside in the metropolitan area of Santo Domingo , the capital city. The native Taíno people had inhabited Hispaniola prior to European contact , dividing it into five chiefdoms . Christopher Columbus claimed

5346-513: The Battle of Azua on March 19, he retreated, allowing Hérard's forces to occupy Azua. The Dominicans shifted their military operations to the Ocoa River and the valleys of Baní , where their cavalry and lancers could effectively operate. This hindered the Haitian advance beyond Azua. The Haitians sustained casualties in their attempts to advance through mountain passes and were repelled. In

5508-607: The Dominican War of Independence . The next 72 years saw several civil wars, failed invasions by Haiti, and a brief return to Spanish colonial status, before permanently ousting the Spanish during the Dominican Restoration War of 1863–1865. From 1930, the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo ruled until his assassination in 1961. Juan Bosch was elected president in 1962 but was deposed in a military coup in 1963 . The Dominican Civil War of 1965 preceded

5670-694: The Greater Antilles , with the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. It shares the island roughly at a 2:1 ratio with Haiti , the north-to-south (though somewhat irregular) border between the two countries being 376 km (234 mi). To the north and north-west lie The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands , and to the east, across the Mona Passage , the US Commonwealth of Puerto Rico . The country's area

5832-549: The Haitian Revolution . Santo Domingo was regionally divided with many rival and competing provincial leaders. During this period in time the Spanish crown wielded little to no influence in the colony. Some wealthy cattle ranchers had become rulers, and sought to bring control and order in the southeast of the colony where the "law of machete" ruled the land. On November 9, 1821 the former Captain general in charge of

5994-578: The Marines in Haiti was absent in the Dominican Republic. The U.S. government's rule ended in October 1922, and elections were held in March 1924. The victor was former president (1902–03) Horacio Vásquez . He was inaugurated on July 13, 1924, and the last U.S. forces left in September. In 1930, General Rafael Trujillo , who was trained by the U.S. Marines during the occupation, seized power following

6156-643: The Miami Marlins , and the Miami Heat . In 2007, Presidente was the official beer of the University of Miami Hurricanes, NCAA football team as well as the now defunct Orange Bowl in Miami . In 2009, Presidente became the Miami Heat's official imported beer. In 2012, Presidente became an official sponsor of the Miami Marlins . It was even mentioned in 2012 by former Marlins Manager, Ozzie Guillén , as

6318-558: The Organization of American States , for the first time in its history, decreed sanctions against a member state. The United States severed diplomatic relations with the Dominican Republic on August 26, 1960, and in January 1961 suspended the export of trucks, parts, crude oil, gasoline and other petroleum products. U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower also took advantage of OAS sanctions to cut drastically purchases of Dominican sugar,

6480-566: The Ozama Fortress in the capital Santo Domingo. The Haitian garrison was taken by surprise, apparently betrayed by one of its sentinels. Another group of insurgents, led by Mella, reached the Puerta de la Misericordia where he fired the legendary blunderbuss and Sánchez, at tip of Puerta del Conde , immediately raised the new Dominican flag, shouting the national slogan: Dios, Patria Y Libertad (God, Homeland and Freedom). The following day

6642-519: The Spanish crown as Spanish Haiti , on November 30, 1821. This period is also known as the Ephemeral independence. The newly independent republic ended two months later, when it was occupied and annexed by Haiti, then under the leadership of Jean-Pierre Boyer . For twenty-two years, Haiti controlled Santo Domingo, which it called Partie de l'Est , treating it as a colonial territory. The unpaid Haitian army sustained itself by taking resources from

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6804-464: The " New World ". The Spaniards created a plantation economy . Initially, after friendly relationships, the Taínos resisted the conquest, led by female Chief Anacaona of Xaragua and her ex-husband Chief Caonabo of Maguana, as well as Chiefs Guacanagaríx , Guamá , Hatuey , and Enriquillo . The latter's successes gained his people an autonomous enclave on the island. Within a few years after 1492,

6966-418: The Caribbean from South America during the 1st millennium BC, reaching Hispaniola by around 600 AD. These Arawakan peoples engaged in farming, fishing, hunting and gathering, and the widespread production of ceramic goods. The estimates of Hispaniola's population in 1492 vary widely, ranging from tens of thousands to 2,000,000. By 1492, the island was divided into five Taíno chiefdoms. The Taíno name for

7128-539: The Caribbean's largest lake and lowest point, Lake Enriquillo . The island has an average temperature of 26 °C (78.8 °F) and great climatic and biological diversity. The country is also the site of the first cathedral , palace , monastery , and fortress built in the Americas, located in Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone , a World Heritage Site . The name Dominican originates from Saint Dominic ,

7290-645: The Caribbean. The country did not make a military contribution to the war, but Dominican sugar and other agricultural products supported the Allied war effort. Over a hundred Dominicans served in the American armed forces. The arsenal at San Cristóbal , operated under Trujillo's regime, produced rifles, machine guns, and ammunition. Trujillo also formed a Foreign Legion of 3,000 mercenaries to attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba. Major William Morgan agreed to lead

7452-457: The Dominican Republic to Spain in 1861. The annexation led to a guerrilla war between Dominican nationalists and Spanish forces beginning in 1863. This war resulted in 10,888 Spanish soldiers killed or wounded and another 30,000 dead from yellow fever . Spain spent over 33 million pesos on the war. This immense monetary cost, combined with the heavy human toll of the war, led Spain to finally withdraw its forces in 1865. The Dominicans who opposed

7614-467: The Dominican Republic was born without a shilling in its coffers. When studying the process of Dominican independence, which began to take shape by the 1820s, the influences of Pradt's work, and the pactist ideas of John Locke , in his Essays on Civil Government , and the Declaration of Independence of the United States become apparent. These struggles intertwined into the emancipation process of

7776-519: The Dominican Republic, but the Haitian forces were defeated after a short war. After defeating a new Haitian invasion in April 1849 at the Battle of Las Carreras , Santana marched on Santo Domingo and deposed president Manuel Jimenes (who had ousted Santana as president) in a coup d'état . At his behest, Congress elected Buenaventura Báez as president, but Báez was unwilling to serve as Santana's puppet. In November–December 1849, Dominican seamen raided

7938-404: The Dominican Republic. The Haitians attacked the Dominican garrison at Las Matas. According to historian Robert L. Scheina, "The demoralized defenders offered almost no resistance and abandoned their weapons." The Haitian army continued their campaign against the Dominicans, capturing and burning the town of Azua. Dominican General (and presidential contender) Santana raised 800 soldiers and, with

8100-424: The Dominican crews mutinied so Fagalde returned to the port of Santo Domingo. On November 8, Soulouque declared the Dominicans pirates, but possessing no naval force at that time he could do little else. Following a Haitian rejection of a Dominican peace proposal, Báez dispatched a second naval expedition against Haiti. On December 3, the squadron composed of the brigantines 27 de Febrero and General Santana and

8262-520: The Dominican economy, reduced the nation's debt, built a road network that at last interconnected all regions of the country, and created a professional National Guard to replace the warring partisan units. Additionally, with grass-roots support from local communities and assistance from both Dominican and US officials, the Dominican education system expanded significantly during US occupation. Between 1918 and 1920, more than three hundred schools were established nationwide. The system of forced labour used by

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8424-589: The Dominican forces had confined the Spanish troops to Santo Domingo, and the Spaniards were afraid to venture outside the capital. After nearly two years of fighting, Spain abandoned the island in July 1865. One military historian estimates Spanish casualties at 10,888 killed or wounded in action and thousands dead from yellow fever , while the Dominican forces fighting for Spain suffered 10,000 casualties. Another military historian estimates that Spain lost 18,000 dead,

8586-584: The Dominican forces under the command of General José María Imbert and General Fernando Valerio defeated another Haitian army, which in its retreat committed numerous misdeeds, robberies and fires until reaching Haiti. The first naval battle was fought on April 15, 1844. The result of the battle was that the Dominicans sank three enemy ships, without losing a single one of their own. A second campaign, led by Jean-Louis Pierrot , began after intense border hostilities. In May 1845, President Santana, assisted by General Duvergé and General José Joaquín Puello , defeated

8748-437: The Dominican people and land without compensation. In 1838, Juan Pablo Duarte founded a secret society called La Trinitaria , which sought the complete independence of Santo Domingo without any foreign intervention. Also Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Ramon Matias Mella , despite not being among the founding members of La Trinitaria, were decisive in the fight for independence. Duarte, Mella, and Sánchez are considered

8910-537: The Dominican stronghold at Fort Cachimán. The Haitians were repulsed after a battle that lasted three and a half hours, in which the Dominicans only suffered seven casualties. But the arrival of Haitian reinforcements soon compelled the Dominicans to retreat back across the frontier. On August 6, Pierrot ordered his army to invade the Dominican Republic. A member of La Trinitaria, José María Serra, claimed that over 3,000 Haitian soldiers and less than 20 Dominican militias had been killed at this point. On September 17, 1845,

9072-515: The Dominican territory. The two largest islands near shore are Saona , in the southeast, and Beata , in the southwest. Smaller islands include the Cayos Siete Hermanos , Isla Cabra , Cayo Jackson , Cayo Limón , Cayo Levantado , Cayo la Bocaina , Catalanita , Cayo Pisaje and Isla Alto Velo . To the north, at distances of 100–200 kilometres (62–124 mi), are three extensive, largely submerged banks , which geographically are

9234-415: The Dominicans defeated the Haitian vanguard near the frontier at Estrelleta where the Dominican "square" repulsed, with the use of bayonets, a Haitian cavalry charge. On September 27, 1845, Dominican General Francisco Antonio Salcedo defeated a Haitian army at the Battle of Beler , a frontier fortification. Salcedo was supported by Admiral Juan Bautista Cambiaso's squadron of three schooners, which blockaded

9396-582: The Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic. On February 27, 1844, the members of La Trinitaria , now led by Tomás Bobadilla , declared independence from Haiti. The Trinitarios were backed by Pedro Santana , a wealthy cattle rancher, who became general of the army of the nascent republic. The decades that followed were filled with tyranny, factionalism, economic difficulties, rapid changes of government, and exile for political opponents. Archrivals Santana and Buenaventura Báez held power most of

9558-422: The French were expelled from the island and Santo Domingo returned to Spanish rule . After a dozen years of discontent and failed independence plots by various opposing groups, including a failed 1812 revolt led by Dominican conspirators José Leocadio, Pedro de Seda, and Pedro Henríquez, Santo Domingo's former Lieutenant-Governor (top administrator), José Núñez de Cáceres , declared the colony's independence from

9720-553: The French, but Chancellor François Guizot , Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, did not want to arouse Great Britain 's susceptibility(14) and delayed the response of the acceptance of the protectorate agreed with his consul in Port-au-Prince . However, the development of events and the confidence in Gallic support led those involved to proclaim the separation on February 27, but with limited weapons. The use of rifles in

9882-577: The Haitian advance and was forced to accept the decision of the Congress of the Republic to call General Santana in the company of General Duvergé to confront the invading army. The two leading commanders, along with General Sánchez and General Mella, were ultimately successful in defeating Soulouque's forces, who were pushed back to Haiti after a few weeks of combat. Later that same year, Dominican naval forces bombarded, sacked and burned several villages on

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10044-548: The Haitian coasts, plundered seaside villages, as far as Dame Marie , and butchered crews of captured enemy ships. A fourth and final invasion by Haiti in November 1855 was defeated by Dominican forces by January 27, 1856, resulting in thousands of Haitian casualties. Again Santana and Báez plotted against each other for political dominance, with Báez winning the first encounter and expelling Santana in 1857, and Santana winning

10206-426: The Haitian garrison surrendered. As these Haitian troops withdrew to the west side of the island, they pillaged and burned. In retaliation, Dominican gunboats bombarded Haitian ports. In the days following the proclamation of independence, all Haitian officials left Santo Domingo. Mella headed the provisional governing junta of the new Dominican Republic. The provisional government quickly organized an army to defend

10368-476: The Haitian port of Cap-Haïtien . Among the dead were three Haitian generals. On October 28, other Haitian armies attacked the frontier fort "El Invencible" and were repulsed after five hours of hard fighting. In a significant naval action between the Hispaniolan rivals, a Dominican squadron captured 3 small Haitian warships and 149 seamen off Puerto Plata on December 21. On January 1, 1846, Pierrot announced

10530-568: The Haitian troops at Estrelleta and Beller, capturing the Haitian squadron in Puerto Plata that had bombarded that town, causing extensive damage. The Haitians were pushed back to Haiti across the Dajabón River . Several years later, in 1849, Faustin Soulouque led perhaps the deadliest campaign against the Dominican Republic at the head of an army of 18,000 soldiers, who overwhelmed the Dominican forces, forcing them to retreat. Along

10692-462: The Haitian-Dominican border under the orders of Trujillo. During World War II , Trujillo symbolically sided with the Allies and declared war on Japan the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor and on Nazi Germany and Italy four days later. Soon after, German U-boats torpedoed and sank two Dominican merchant vessels—the San Rafael off Jamaica and the Presidente Trujillo off Fort-de-France . German U-boats also sank four Dominican-manned ships in

10854-409: The Haitians, although they ended in victories, took place in extremely disadvantageous conditions from the point of view of the quantity and suitability of the weapons used, which, however, were handled beneficially. Despite their limited numerical presence, rifles and knives supported the Dominican defense. Independence was achieved both with shooting and with machetes. Firearms marked the evolution of

11016-607: The Haitians. By April 15, Dominican forces had defeated the Haitian forces on both land and sea. In early July 1844, Duarte was urged by his followers to take the title of President of the Republic. Duarte agreed, but only if free elections were arranged. However, Santana's forces took Santo Domingo on July 12, and they declared Santana ruler of the Dominican Republic. Santana then put Mella, Duarte, and Sánchez in jail. On February 27, 1845, Santana executed María Trinidad Sánchez , heroine of La Trinitaria, and others for conspiracy. In August of that year, Haiti made another attempt to conquer

11178-426: The Latin American countries and also the tendency towards union in Central America , as shown in the days preceding December 1, 1821, when the old Central American Provinces were linked into a confederation , except Guatemala , which was integrated, (until 1823), into the First Mexican Empire under Agustín de Iturbide , and El Salvador , which wanted to march alone outside the Hispano-American framework. This trend

11340-427: The PRD's Hipólito Mejía won the election. This was a time of economic troubles. Under Mejía, the Dominican Republic participated in the US-led coalition, as part of the Multinational Plus Ultra Brigade , during the 2003 invasion of Iraq , suffering no casualties. In 2008, Fernández was elected for a third term. Fernández and the PLD are credited with initiatives that have moved the country forward technologically, on

11502-464: The San Juan Valley is provided by the San Juan River, tributary of the Yaque del Sur , which empties into the Caribbean, in the south. The Artibonito is the longest river of Hispaniola and flows westward into Haiti. There are many lakes and coastal lagoons. The largest lake is Enriquillo , a salt lake at 45 metres (148 ft) below sea level, the lowest elevation in the Caribbean. There are many small offshore islands and cays that form part of

11664-547: The Spanish forces. The Haitian rebel Sylvain Salnave , fearful of the reestablishment of Spain as colonial power, gave refuge and logistics to revolutionaries seeking to reestablish the independent nation. The ensuing civil war, known as the War of Restoration , killed more than 50,000. The war began on August 16, 1863. The Spanish garrison of Santiago was forced to retreat to Puerto Plata by mid-September. The Dominicans bombarded

11826-425: The Spanish occupation suffered 4,000 dead, while the pro-Spanish militia under Santana suffered 10,000 casualties during the course of the conflict. The Dominican Restoration War forced Haiti to realize that the goal of conquering the Dominican Republic was unattainable, and it finally recognized its independence in 1867. However, since the border situation was not defined after the conflict, Haiti continued to occupy

11988-521: The Trinitarios met clandestinely at the home of Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, and agreed on the plans and date of the uprising, which was an uprising of a revolutionary nature that took control of the walled city of Santo Domingo. From there, the rebel emissaries were dispatched to the various regions of the country, with the clear purpose of making known the decisions made at the meeting. On February 27, 1844, some 100 Dominicans, lead by Sánchez, took

12150-499: The Trujillos attempted to "reassert dictatorial domination". Following this warning, and the arrival of a 14-vessel U.S. naval task force within sight of Santo Domingo, Ramfis and his uncles fled the country on November 19. The OAS lifted its sanctions on January 4, 1962. In February 1963, a democratically elected government under leftist Juan Bosch took office but it was overthrown by a military coup in September. On April 24, 1965,

12312-427: The U.S. occupation of 1916–24, peasants from the countryside, called Gavilleros, would not only kill U.S. Marines, but would also attack and kill Arab vendors traveling through the countryside. From 1902 on, short-lived governments were again the norm, with their power usurped by caudillos in parts of the country. Furthermore, the national government was bankrupt and, unable to pay its debts to European creditors, faced

12474-467: The United States would halt its plans to expand its control in the Caribbean until some years after the conclusion of the American Civil War . The U.S officially recognized Dominican Republic in 1866. Dominican forces were able to defeat another Haitian invasion in 1859, but the country was in ruins economically and the constant threat of renewed Haitian invasion led Pedro Santana to annex

12636-475: The adjectival form of "Domingo", and as such, the revolutionaries named their newly independent country the "Dominican Republic" ( la República Dominicana ). In the national anthem of the Dominican Republic ( himno nacional de la República Dominicana ), the poetic term "Quisqueyans" ( Quisqueyanos ) is used instead of "Dominicans". The word "Quisqueya" derives from the Taíno language , and means "mother of

12798-411: The artillery and infantry pieces of Dominican forces was limited and that therefore the fighting was at short distances: a muzzle-loading, unrifled, twelve-pound gunpowder cannon, standard piece of the time and called Napoleon for obvious reasons, in optimal conditions could reach 600-700 yards (548.64 m-640.08 meters), penetrate 36 human beings or 8 feet of compacted earth, while a six-pounder would have

12960-404: The artillery corps would be trained in the handling of both the cannon and the rifle and would have a rifle and a sabre as weapons; the infantry corps would be trained in the handling of the rifle and would have the same weapons, while the cavalry corps would be equipped with sabres, pistols and lances (Art. 28). Although the members of all the corps carried sabres as complementary weapons - which

13122-486: The assassinations of political opposition, the massacre of Haitians , and Trujillo's plots against other countries. The U.S. finally broke with Trujillo in 1960, after Trujillo's agents attempted to assassinate the Venezuelan president, Rómulo Betancourt , with a car bomb, as he was a fierce critic of Trujillo. After its representatives confirmed Trujillo's complicity in the nearly successful assassination attempt,

13284-491: The attack for $ 1 million, but Castro learned of the plot and instructed Morgan to go along with it and report back. Trujillo was tricked into believing that Morgan had captured Trinidad . On August 13, 1959, a C-47 transport flying from the Dominican Republic carrying military advisors and supplies landed at Trinidad airport. Castro seized the aircraft and the ten occupants and arrested some 4,000 suspects throughout Cuba. On November 25, 1960, Trujillo's henchmen killed three of

13446-646: The authoritarian rule of Joaquín Balaguer (1966–1978 and 1986–1996). Since 1978, the Dominican Republic has moved towards representative democracy . The Dominican Republic has the largest economy in the Caribbean and the seventh-largest in Latin America . Over the last 25 years, the Dominican Republic has had the fastest-growing economy in the Western Hemisphere – with an average real GDP growth rate of 5.3% between 1992 and 2018. GDP growth in 2014 and 2015 reached 7.3 and 7.0%, respectively,

13608-476: The battles, by indicating that the national victories were due, above all, to their steels. For General Radamés Hungría Morell, flintlock rifles and carbines were those that "made possible (...) the maintenance of our independence." In support of this consideration, it is worth citing the letter of an officer sent to the editors of El Dominicano, after the triumph in Santomé on December 22, 1855, in which he refers to

13770-613: The beginning of the 1800s, the colony of Santo Domingo , which had once been the headquarters of Spanish power in the New World centuries prior, was suffering an economic decline. Spain during this time was embroiled in the Peninsular War in Europe, and other various wars to maintain control of the Americas . With Spain's resources spread among its larger colonies, its Caribbean territories became relatively neglected. This period

13932-545: The bitterness held by the Dominicans toward the Haitians suggests that during the fighting between them the loss of life and destruction of property were severe. This would be one of the main sources of tension in the Dominican Republic's relationship with Haiti , which still remains strained to this day. The creation of the Dominican Republic was an event that had a great impact on the Caribbean. At that time, it

14094-508: The blunderbuss shot of Matías Ramón Mella . However, the firearms available for the defense of the nascent Dominican Republic were scarce and in poor condition. The city's arsenal, "defended only by about sixty poorly armed and ill-disciplined soldiers," easily taken by the National Guard that same night and formally handed over to the authorities of the new State on February 29 in the presence of Saint Denys, must have contained only

14256-561: The brewery was acquired by Dominican cigarette company Grupo León Jimenes . In 2012, Anheuser-Busch InBev's Brazilian unit AmBev agreed to buy a controlling stake in the Dominican Republic-based brewer Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana (CND) from Grupo Leon Jimenes for over $ 2 billion, forming the biggest beverage company in the Caribbean. Some of Presidente's export partners include the University of Miami Hurricanes ,

14418-426: The case of the former, and from San Francisco de Macorís, Moca, La Vega and San José de Las Matas and from El Seibo, in the case of the latter, so their physical condition at the time of the confrontations must not have been satisfactory, in addition to the sure lack of knowledge of the terrain by a good part of the troops and officers of both sides. Marching from the plains of El Seibo to the dry forests of Azua and from

14580-441: The central highlands, where the cities of Hincha, Las Caobas, San Miguel de la Atalaya and San Rafael de la Angostura are located. This issue remained unresolved until 1936, when Dominican Republic ended up renouncing these territories to Haiti. No one has estimated the loss of lives and property incurred during the decades of fighting for independence by the Dominicans against Spain, France, Haiti, and then Spain again. To this day,

14742-501: The city on July 5, coinciding with General Arias' surrender to the Dominican governor. The military government established by the U.S. under the Navy and Marine Corps on November 29, led by Vice Admiral Harry Shepard Knapp , was widely repudiated by the Dominicans, but organized resistance ceased. The occupation regime kept most Dominican laws and institutions and largely pacified the general population. The occupying government also revived

14904-517: The colony, José Núñez de Cáceres , influenced by all the revolutions that were going on around him, finally decided to overthrow the Spanish government and declared independence from Spanish rule, this would usher in an Ephemeral Independence . A group of Dominican politicians and military officers in the frontier region had expressed interest in uniting the entire island, while they sought power with military support from Haitian officials against their enemies. Haiti's president, Jean-Pierre Boyer ,

15066-483: The cost of only 2 killed. The invaders captured two towns on the Plateau du Centre and established a bastion at Cachimán. Haitian President Jean-Louis Pierrot quickly mobilized his army and counterattacked on July 13, resulting in over 200 casualties on the Haitian side, while the Dominican forces were able to repulse the attack without suffering any casualties. On July 22, the Haitian forces launched another attack on

15228-410: The country against Medina's government), marking the end to 16 years in power of the centre-left Dominican Liberation Party (PLD). In May 2024, President Luis Abinader won a second term in elections . Especially his tough policies towards migration from neighbouring Haiti was popular among voters. The Dominican Republic comprises the eastern five-eighths of Hispaniola , the second-largest island in

15390-538: The country for over a year and left after supervising elections in 1966 won by Joaquín Balaguer . He had been Trujillo's last puppet-president. Balaguer remained in power as president for 12 years. His tenure was a period of repression of human rights and civil liberties. His rule was criticized for a growing disparity between rich and poor. It was, however, praised for an ambitious infrastructure program, which included construction of large housing projects, sports complexes, theaters, museums, aqueducts, roads, highways, and

15552-462: The country overthrew the Spanish crown in 1821 before unifying with Haiti a year later. The First Dominican Republic was proclaimed at the Puerta de la Misericordia after the blunderbluss shot by the patrician Matías Ramón Mella in the early morning of February 27, 1844 and by the raising of the tricolor flag at the Puerta del Conde by the patrician Francisco del Rosario Sánchez , both inspired by

15714-403: The country's major export. This action ultimately cost the Dominican Republic almost $ 22,000,000 in lost revenues at a time when its economy was in a rapid decline. Trujillo had become expendable, and dissidents inside the Dominican Republic argued that assassination was the only certain way to remove him. On May 30, 1961, Trujillo was shot and killed by Dominican dissidents. Ramfis Trujillo ,

15876-481: The deaths of over 1,000 Haitians, with numerous others wounded and reported missing during their return to the capital. On January 27, 1856, some 8,000 Dominicans defeated 22,000 Haitians at the Battle of Sabana Larga near Dajabón after eight hours of fighting which came down to hand-to-hand combat. Thousands of dead or dying were abandoned on the battlefield. Upon Soulouque's arrival in Port-au-Prince with

16038-456: The dictator's son, remained in de facto control of the government for the next 6 months, as commander of the armed forces. Trujillo's brothers, Hector Bienvenido and Jose Arismendi Trujillo, returned to the country and plotted against President Balaguer. On November 18, 1961, as a planned coup became more evident, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk issued a warning that the US would not "remain idle" if

16200-402: The eastern part of the island before the Haitian constituent assembly agreed on the guidelines of a protectorate that included the supply by France of “everything that was necessary to establish and consolidate” the future Dominican government, particularly “arms, ammunition for war and for muzzle loading” (…) in sufficient quantity to arm the active part of the population that will be called under

16362-643: The eastern part of the island to start a movement against the Haitian government was a negative condition recognized since 1843: when on November 15 of that year Vicente Celestino Duarte and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez wrote to Duarte, then in Caracas, they demanded, "even at the cost of a star in the sky," two thousand, one thousand or five hundred rifles; four thousand cartridges; 2 ½ or 3 quintals of gunpowder and “500 lances or as many as you can get.” Just one month later, Consul André-Nicolas Levasseur , French diplomatic representative in Haiti, and representatives of

16524-462: The eastern region, and together with his nephews and the help of maids, they turned lead plates used in the linings of ships, which were in their father's warehouse, into bullets. The very act of initiation of emancipation, the signal given on the night of February 27, 1844 in Santo Domingo was announced by a "discharge of musketry fired into the air," according to the French consul Eustache de Juchereau de Saint Denys , which has gone down in history as

16686-410: The effect of smoke on the battlefield in that era of black powder. It is worth noting that its impact was so great that the colorful uniforms that characterized warfare in the 19th century were intended primarily to allow commanders to have an idea of the disposition of their troops over the smoke; even so, it was common for a commanding officer to lose momentary vision of the battlefield and his troops as

16848-461: The entire island was either Ayiti or Quisqueya . Christopher Columbus arrived on the island on December 5, 1492, during the first of his four voyages to the Americas. He claimed the land for Spain and named it La Española , due to its diverse climate and terrain, which reminded him of the Spanish landscape. In 1496, Bartholomew Columbus , Christopher's brother, built the city of Santo Domingo , Western Europe's first permanent settlement in

17010-811: The farming areas of the nation. Rather less productive are the semi-arid San Juan Valley, south of the Central Cordillera, and the Neiba Valley, tucked between the Sierra de Neiba and the Sierra de Bahoruco. Much of the land around the Enriquillo Basin is below sea level, with a hot, arid, desert-like environment. There are other smaller valleys in the mountains, such as the Constanza , Jarabacoa , Villa Altagracia , and Bonao valleys. The Llano Costero del Caribe ("Caribbean Coastal Plain")

17172-572: The flags of independence.” In the "Demonstration of the peoples of the eastern part of the island formerly Hispaniola or Santo Domingo, on the causes of their separation from the Haitian Republic," of January 16, 1844, in a veiled allusion to the so-called Levasseur Plan, it was specified that, in addition to their own resources, "those that could be provided to us in such a case by foreigners" would be used, if necessary. The foreigners who would provide these resources would be none other than

17334-522: The four Mirabal sisters , nicknamed Las Mariposas (The Butterflies). Along with their husbands, the sisters were conspiring to overthrow Trujillo in a violent revolt. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is observed on the anniversary of their deaths. For a long time, the U.S. and the Dominican elite supported the Trujillo government. This support persisted despite

17496-483: The four highest peaks in the Caribbean: Pico Duarte (3,098 metres or 10,164 feet above sea level), La Pelona (3,094 metres or 10,151 feet), La Rucilla (3,049 metres or 10,003 feet), and Pico Yaque (2,760 metres or 9,055 feet). In the southwest corner of the country, south of the Cordillera Central, there are two other ranges: the more northerly of the two is the Sierra de Neiba , while in the south

17658-567: The heavy taxation that was imposed on their side. The country was hit with a severe economic crisis after having been forced to pay a huge indemnity to France. A debt was accrued by Haiti in order to pay for their own independence from the European nation; this would give rise to many anti-Haitian plots. In 1838, Juan Pablo Duarte , an educated nationalist , founded a resistance movement called La Trinitaria ("The Trinity") along with Ramón Matías Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez . It

17820-525: The help of several gunboats , routed the Haitian invaders at the Battle of Las Carreras on April 21–22. The battle opened with a cannon barrage and devolved into hand-to-hand combat. In November 1849, Dominican President Buenaventura Báez launched a naval offensive against Haiti to forestall the threat of another invasion. A Dominican squadron composed of the brigantine 27 de Febrero and schooner Constitución and commanded by Captain Charles J. Fagalde,

17982-582: The highest in the Western Hemisphere. Recent growth has been driven by construction, manufacturing, tourism, and mining. The country is the site of the third largest (in terms of production) gold mine in the world, the Pueblo Viejo mine . The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean. A geographically diverse nation, the Dominican Republic is home to both the Caribbean's tallest mountain peak, Pico Duarte , and

18144-438: The ideals of their leader, Juan Pablo Duarte , ending the 22 years of Haitian rule . In response, Charles Rivière-Hérard issued the first Haitian campaign against the Dominicans. Thanks to the efforts of Generals Pedro Santana and Antonio Duvergé , the Haitian column that attacked Azua was successfully defeated. However, Hérard, in his retreat, burned the town of Azua, executing all the prisoners he had taken. In Santiago ,

18306-486: The independence of Haiti, massive portions of the remaining French population were murdered. France would lose the rest of the island forever in 1809. After this, the eastern portion of the island gradually prepared itself for an eventual separation from Spain. Early attempts of independence by the Dominicans were suppressed by the Spanish, as they regained the eastern side of the island under the Treaty of Paris in 1814. At

18468-529: The island for Castile , landing there on his first voyage in 1492 . The colony of Santo Domingo became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas . In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which became the independent First Empire of Haiti in 1804. A group of Dominicans deposed the Spanish governor and declared independence from Spain in November 1821, but were annexed by Haiti in February 1822. Independence came 22 years later in 1844, after victory in

18630-500: The keys of the Palace. Boyer rejected the offer, while saying: "I have not come into this city as a conqueror but by the will of its inhabitants". The island was thus united from "Cape Tiburon to Cape Samana in possession of one government." Eventually, the Haitian government became extremely unpopular throughout the country. The Dominican population grew increasingly impatient with Haiti's poor management and perceived incompetence, and

18792-463: The killing of all police officers. On April 28, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson deployed U.S. Marines to Santo Domingo to protect American citizens, with U.S. forces subsequently expanded to 24,000 troops. On April 30, two battalions of the 82nd Airborne Division landed at San Isidro airfield . Hours later, U.S. troops crossed the Duarte Bridge to link up with Loyalists, who were to secure

18954-407: The lance." Other authors, however, see the machete as the basis for the patriotic war. Historian Adriano Miguel Tejada maintains that "the Dominican armies (...) without weapons, without supplies, and only with a sharpened machete and the will to triumph, kept the tricolor flag waving on the border." Historian José Miguel Soto Jiménez, on the other hand, despite recognizing that the machete, "within

19116-459: The lands". It is often used in songs as another name for the country. The name of the country in English is often shortened to "the D.R." ( la R.D. ), but this is rare in Spanish. The islands of the Caribbean were first settled around 6,000 years ago by hunter-gatherer peoples originating from Central America or northern South America. The Arawakan-speaking ancestors of the Taíno moved into

19278-424: The logic of war, is not and has never been a master weapon, a fundamental or determining tactical element," points out that in our history it stands as "the primary graphic sign of Dominicanness," the "symbol of our defense as a nation," as its companion was "overwhelming and predominant in five centuries of history marked by social turmoil and armed violence." For this author, the machete was "the primary weapon of

19440-582: The loyalty of two Dominican-manned Haitian regiments. In 1843, the revolution made a breakthrough: they worked with a liberal Haitian party that overthrew President Jean-Pierre Boyer . However, the Trinitarios ' work in the overthrow gained the attention of Boyer's replacement, Charles Rivière-Hérard . Rivière-Hérard imprisoned some Trinitarios and forced Duarte to leave the island. While gone, Duarte searched for support in Colombia and Venezuela , but

19602-414: The march towards Santiago and Azua, but it is clear that, at least on the Dominican side, they lived off the land, largely by buying or "requisitioning" whatever provisions they could find, which, together with wild cattle, could sustain part of an army, but not all of the soldiers, so it is not difficult to deduce that there were deficiencies in the food supply on both sides. Thirdly, it is worth highlighting

19764-615: The massive Columbus Lighthouse , completed in 1992 during a later tenure. In 1978, Balaguer was succeeded to the presidency by opposition candidate Antonio Guzmán Fernández , of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). Hurricane David hit the Dominican Republic in August 1979, which left upwards of 2,000 people dead and 200,000 homeless. The hurricane caused over $ 1 billion in damage. Another PRD win in 1982 followed, under Salvador Jorge Blanco . Balaguer regained

19926-462: The neighboring French colony of Saint-Domingue —the wealthiest colony in the Caribbean and whose population of half a million was 90% enslaved and four times as numerous as Santo Domingo. In 1795, Spain ceded Santo Domingo to France by the Treaty of Basel as a result of its defeat in the War of the Pyrenees . Saint-Domingue achieved independence as Haiti from France on January 1, 1804. In 1809,

20088-442: The north, heavily outnumbered Dominican troops, under the command of General José María Imbert , defeated Haitian troops led by General Jean-Louis Pierrot at the Battle of Santiago on March 30, thanks to a warning of the pending attack by an Englishman, Stanley Theodore Heneken. The Haitian column abandoned the field of battle the following day, and during its retreat was harassed, resulting in additional casualties. Meanwhile, in

20250-660: The northern coast and in the Pedernales Peninsula. Four major rivers drain the numerous mountains of the Dominican Republic. The Yaque del Norte is the longest and most important Dominican river. It carries excess water down from the Cibao Valley and empties into Monte Cristi Bay, in the northwest. Likewise, the Yuna River serves the Vega Real and empties into Samaná Bay, in the northeast. Drainage of

20412-408: The order of the elements with which a new attack by Faustin Soulouque would be responded to: "If it is true that the barbarian emperor Soulouque is nearby, he will try to return for his honor, something that we all desire in order to dispute who will get hold of that braggart sooner. He has said that he is coming to free us, and from whom and why? This was explained to him with the rifle, the sabre and

20574-444: The orders of sergeants and officers (on both sides, since the distance at which you fought allowed you to hear your enemy), must have been a real madness for someone who was not accustomed to it. To this picture must be added the screams of the wounded and dying on both sides, which could chill the blood of any mortal. Only discipline could prevent the collapse of a line of fire before such a Dantesque spectacle. Under these conditions, it

20736-473: The other hand, his administrations have been accused of corruption. Danilo Medina of the PLD was elected president in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. On the other hand, a significant increase in crime, government corruption and a weak justice system threaten to overshadow their administrative period. He was succeeded by the opposition candidate Luis Abinader in the 2020 election (weeks after protests erupted in

20898-605: The parish archives. However, in the many years after its independence, the country was still small in population. Mariano Torrente, a Spanish visitor in 1852, estimated the number of inhabitants at 150,000, and in 1860, the Spanish consul in Santo Domingo, Mariano Deal, considered the population to be 186,700 people. The new nation was, in essence, poor in an economic sense. Despite the impressive natural resources, they had not been exploited and energized to generate wealth. Teodoro Stanley Heneken , an Englishman, informed Henry John Temple , Minister of Foreign Affairs of Great Britain, that

21060-649: The patron saint of astronomers , and founder of the Dominican Order . The Dominican Order established what is now known as the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo , the first university in the New World. For most of its history, up until independence, the colony was known simply as Santo Domingo and continued to be commonly known as such in English until the early 20th century. The residents were called "Dominicans" ( Dominicanos ),

21222-462: The plains and mountain ranges of Cibao to the semi-arid lands of Santiago, surely also entailed a significant decrease in the capabilities of the soldiers. Modern studies tell us that the average man needs two weeks to adjust to a sudden change in altitude and/or temperature before his effectiveness as a fighter can be restored. Secondly, little is known about the Creole and Haitian quartermasters during

21384-525: The popular imagination. The same anonymous author of the letter published in 1855 in El Dominicano says: "Our cowardly and villainous enemies have wanted war and devastation, and they will have war and devastation, cruel as never before. Later, peace will come, when the machete has had its effect." According to the Executive decree on the organization of the army, dated July 15, 1845, the members of

21546-538: The population of Taínos had declined drastically due to smallpox , measles, and other diseases that arrived with the Europeans. African slaves were imported to replace the dwindling Taínos. The last record of pure Taínos in the country was from 1864. Still, Taíno biological heritage survived due to intermixing. Census records from 1514 reveal that 40% of Spanish men in Santo Domingo were married to Taíno women, and some present-day Dominicans have Taíno ancestry. By

21708-429: The port of Puerto Plata and destroyed much of the town. In the south, Spanish forces were successful in driving the rebels out of several towns and into Haiti. However, the capture of Azua proved to be a costly endeavor, with two months of fighting and a significant loss of lives for the Spanish. Spanish forces from Cuba attacked and captured Monte Cristi on the north coast, but sustained heavy casualties. By 1865,

21870-422: The presidency in 1986 and was re-elected in 1990 and 1994, in the latter defeating PRD candidate José Francisco Peña Gómez , a former mayor of Santo Domingo. The 1994 elections were flawed, bringing international pressure, to which Balaguer responded by scheduling another presidential contest in 1996. Balaguer was not a candidate. The PSRC candidate was his Vice President Jacinto Peynado Garrigosa . In 1996, with

22032-416: The proceeds for his personal use and to maintain his police state. In 1899, he was assassinated. However, the relative calm over which he presided allowed improvement in the Dominican economy. The sugar industry was modernized, and the country attracted foreign workers and immigrants. Lebanese, Syrians, Turks, and Palestinians began to arrive in the country during the latter part of the 19th century. During

22194-536: The process of National Independence even when it was still in its infancy: an excited Manuel María Frómeta, while Juan Evangelista Jiménez read out loud the manifesto of September 1843 in Santo Cerro, offered his children as cartridges. By February 1844, Juan Pablo Duarte 's sisters manufactured cartridges, some of which were distributed by his brother Vicente Celestino Duarte in Los Llanos and other towns in

22356-440: The rebels decided to take action anyway with the leadership of Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, Ramón Matías Mella, and Pedro Santana, a wealthy cattle-rancher from El Seibo who commanded a private army of peons who worked on his estates. In January 1844, the manifesto of independence was published in several Dominican cities, which stated the reasons why the Dominican population could no longer remain united with Haiti. A month later,

22518-498: The remaining remnants of his army, he faced vehement curses from women who had lost their sons, brothers, and husbands in the war. Nevertheless, he succeeded in securing for Haiti possession of Lascahobas and Hinche . As war ravanged throughout the island, the Dominican Republic had successfully disrupted annexation attempts from France and Great Britain, both of which eventually gave up on these plans and had officially recognized Dominican independence in 1850. A brief scuffle with

22680-562: The schooners Constitución and Las Mercedes and commanded by Juan Alejandro Acosta , bombarded and burned the town of Petit Rivière. The Dominicans also captured Dame-Marie on the west coast of Haiti, which they plundered and set on fire. In 1851, a truce was mediated by the United Kingdom , France , and the United States . By late 1854, the Hispaniolan nations were at war again. In November, 2 Dominican ships captured

22842-539: The second and expelling Báez in 1859. In 1861, after imprisoning, exiling, and executing many of his opponents and due to political and economic reasons, Santana asked Queen Isabella II of Spain to retake control of the Dominican Republic. Spain, which had not come to terms with the loss of its mainland American colonies 40 years earlier, made the country a colony again. The island was occupied by 30,000 Spanish troops bolstered by battalions of Cuban and Puerto Rican volunteers and 12,000 Dominicans who aligned themselves with

23004-482: The soldiers who forged the Republic on the battlefields," which sowed in the Haitian conscience "a kind of respect for the Dominican people," the "ritual" and the backbone of the regular military organization of the First Dominican Republic; in short, in his opinion, "Independence was achieved with pure clean machetes." To the advantage of this position, it cannot be overlooked that the range of

23166-485: The south, 4,500 Dominicans led by José María Cabral defeated 12,000 Haitian troops on December 22, 1855, at the Battle of Santomé . The Haitians lost 695 men, including General Antoine Pierrot . On the same day another force of 400 Dominicans defeated 6,000 Haitian troops at the Battle of Cambronal . The Dominicans achieved a subsequent victory over a Haitian contingent of 6,000 soldiers in Ouanaminthe , resulting in

23328-416: The south, the Haitian column at Azua, unable to advance and suffering constant casualties, also retreated to Port-au-Prince. As the Haitians retreated, they laid waste to the land. The Dominicans' effective use of artillery fire on the field of battle enabled them to defeat the Haitians with minimal casualties. At sea, the Dominican schooners Maria Chica (3 guns), commanded by Juan Bautista Maggiolo, and

23490-407: The southern and western coasts of Haiti. In 1855, some few years after foreign intervention, Soulouque, who declared himself emperor, invaded the Dominican Republic again with 30,000 soldiers divided into three columns, spreading terror and burning everything in their path. By January 1856, Haitian forces were decisively defeated and forced back across the border by José María Cabral 's forces, ending

23652-434: The staged battles and the insistent need for their presence in the Dominican cantons make it clear that bladed weapons were not the only ones that determined the Dominican triumph and that the glorification of the machete by certain authors is more in keeping with its condition as an indispensable instrument of the rural masses, key protagonists of the war and as such indirectly exalted in the reports and communications about

23814-412: The state of a troop before and during a battle in the 19th century, namely, fatigue, hunger, smoke and sound. Virgilio Méndez Amaro, a scholar of the military history of the Dominican Republic, calls this to attention: First of all, the march of the Haitian and Dominican armies to the battlefields of Santiago and Azua, for example, was carried out in days without pause —its components came from Haiti, in

23976-412: The successful uprising and crush the counteroffensive of the reactionary troops sent from Port-au-Prince. On March 14, Duarte finally returned after recovering from his illness and was greeted in celebration. The population of the new republic stood at approximately 5,200 whites, 135,000 mulattoes, and 34,000 blacks. The war of independence had now begun. On March 7, 1844, Haiti's President Hérard ordered

24138-692: The support of Joaquín Balaguer and the Social Christian Reform Party in a coalition called the Patriotic Front, Leonel Fernández achieved the first-ever win for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), which Bosch had founded in 1973 after leaving the PRD. Fernández oversaw a fast-growing economy: growth averaged 7.7% per year, unemployment fell, and there were stable exchange and inflation rates. In 2000,

24300-437: The temporary suspension of Haitian military operations. Santana's forces captured Santo Domingo on July 12 and proclaimed Santana as the ruler of the Dominican Republic. Consequently, the Trinitarios were ousted from power. A year later, on June 17, 1845, a small Dominican detachment from Las Matas , under the command of General Antonio Duvergé , invaded Haiti, capturing four enemy trenches and killing over 100 Haitian troops at

24462-519: The threat of military intervention by France, Germany , and Italy . United States President Theodore Roosevelt sought to prevent European intervention, largely to protect the routes to the future Panama Canal . He made a small military intervention to ward off European powers, to proclaim his famous Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine , and also to obtain his 1905 Dominican agreement for U.S. administration of Dominican customs, which

24624-458: The time of the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697, which ceded the western one-third of the island to France, the population of Santo Domingo consisted of a few thousand whites, approximately 30,000 black slaves, and a few Taínos. By 1789, the population had grown to 125,000, but Santo Domingo remained one of Spain's less wealthy and strategically important colonies in the New World. The population composition of Santo Domingo sharply contrasted with that of

24786-411: The time, both ruling arbitrarily. They promoted competing plans to annex the new nation to a major power. The Dominican Republic's first constitution was adopted on November 6, 1844, and its population in 1845 was approximately 230,000 people (100,000 whites; 40,000 blacks; and 90,000 mulattoes). In March 1844, Haiti invaded, but the Dominicans put up stiff opposition and inflicted heavy casualties on

24948-436: The war. In the late 18th century, the island of Hispaniola had been divided into two European colonies: Saint-Domingue in the west, governed by France ; and Santo Domingo in the east, governed by Spain , occupying two-thirds of Hispaniola. By the 1790s, large-scale slave rebellions erupted in the western portion of the island, which led to the eventual removal of the French and the independence of Haiti in 1804. Following

25110-489: The way, Haitian forces committed many acts of horrors during their march to the capital. The terror inflicted by the invading Haitian army was such that the inhabitants of the ravaged cities had to take refuge in the city of Santo Domingo in the face of violence unleashed by the Haitian soldiers. Because of this situation, the Dominican President, Manuel Jimenes , found himself unsuccessful in his attempt to stop

25272-537: Was a war of independence that began when the Dominican Republic declared independence from the Republic of Haiti on February 27, 1844 and ended on January 24, 1856. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola had been united for 22 years when the newly independent nation, previously known as the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo , was unified with the Republic of Haiti in 1822. The criollo class within

25434-461: Was able to directly verify the condition of the weapons of the troops that made up the city's garrison, since these were placed in his hands on the occasion of the transfer of command of the square to be returned to the Haitian soldiers "when they returned to their homes," just as the members of the Central Governing Board had accepted when accepting the bases of the capitulation proposed by the occupying authorities. The lack of sufficient weapons in

25596-769: Was not considered if the new nation had the sufficient capacity to attain its emancipation. According to French clergyman Dominique Georges de Pradt , in his work The Colonies and the Current Revolution of America , (which was a model of political orientation for the independende fighters throughout Latin America in the 19th-century), he states that for a country to achieve its emancipation, it needed to bring together three conditions: increase in population, increase in wealth and increase in education. The Dominican Republic, however, did not meet these three conditions. It emerged as an unstable and impoverished nation with such

25758-654: Was several years of great political instability and civil war . U.S. mediation by the William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson administrations achieved only a short respite each time. A political deadlock in 1914 was broken after an ultimatum by Wilson telling the Dominicans to choose a president or see the U.S. impose one. A provisional president was chosen, and later the same year relatively free elections put former president (1899–1902) Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra back in power. With his former Secretary of War Desiderio Arias maneuvering to depose him and despite

25920-464: Was so named because its original nine members had organized themselves into cells of three. The cells went on to recruit as separate organizations, maintaining strict secrecy, with little or no direct contact among themselves, in order to minimize the possibility of detection by the Haitian authorities. Many recruits quickly came to the group, but it was discovered and forced to change its name to La Filantrópica ("The Philanthropic"). The Trinitarios won

26082-422: Was the chief source of income for the Dominican government. A 1906 agreement provided for the arrangement to last 50 years. The United States agreed to use part of the customs proceeds to reduce the immense foreign debt of the Dominican Republic and assumed responsibility for said debt. After six years in power, President Ramón Cáceres (who had himself assassinated Heureaux) was assassinated in 1911. The result

26244-425: Was unsuccessful. Upon returning to Haiti, Hérard, a mulatto, faced a rebellion by blacks in Port-au-Prince . The two regiments of Dominicans were among those used by Hérard to suppress the uprising. In December 1843, the rebels told Duarte to return since they had to act quickly because they were afraid the Haitians had learned of their insurrection plans. When Duarte had not returned by February, because of illness,

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