Dominican Republic History
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - HISTORY Dominican Republic (DR) is truly rich in culture, history and beauty. The walls and the cobblestoned streets of its emblema<c Colonial City bear witness to the richness of its past as the first city founded in the Americas. The island was first inhabited by the Taíno Indians, one of the most peaceful peoples of the con<nent, who lived through hun<ng, fishing and agriculture. Then on December 5, 1492, Admiral Christopher Columbus arrived on the island and named it Hispaniola, an act which determined the mee<ng of two cultures and which later made Santo Domingo the first city in the Americas. Toward the end of the XVII (17th) century, the French colonized the western part of the island. In 1795, Spain ceded the eastern part to France, leaving the island under French power. APer having suffered dominion by the French, the colony returned to Spanish hands, un<l a group of men led by José Núñez de Cáceres proclaimed Ephemeral Independence in December 1821. But in January 1822, taking advantage of the military and economic weakness of the eastern part of the island, the Hai<ans invaded this territory and imposed their rule for 22 years. Then on February 27, 1844, the fight for independence was led by Juan Pablo Duarte and the new Dominican Republic was born. Despite the cry for independence, on March 18, 1861 the republic was once again annexed by Spain un<l aPer the Restora<on War, which was led by Gregorio Luperón in 1863. The resul<ng poli<cal unrest brought economic chaos. The arrangement of mul<ple loans from the United States and Europe allowed the Dominican government to deliver the administra<on and control of its customs to the United States in 1907, and in 1916 the first North American invasion of the country took place. Following the invasion, various unstable governments followed un<l the iron dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo was established in 1930. He remained in power for 30 years un<l he was executed in 1961. Then a provisional government organized the first free elec<ons, which in 1962 took the eminent poli<cian and writer Juan Bosch to the presidency. He was overthrown seven months later, resul<ng in a civil war led by Francisco Alberto Caamaño and which would then culminate in the second North American invasion in 1965. In 1966, Joaquín Balaguer was elected and began 12 years of government that were characterized by poli<cal repression. In 1978, the country returned to the polls and Balaguer lost overwhelmingly, leaving the Dominican Revolu<onary Party (the PRD) to assume power under Antonio Guzmán, which is how Dominican democracy began its path to power. In 1982, the PRD won again under the lead of Salvador Jorge Blanco. But in 1986, Balaguer once again gained the Presidency of the Government with a majority vote, remaining in power un<l 1996. The 1996 elec<on was won by Doctor Leonel Fernández of the Party for Dominican Libera<on (PLD). Then in 2000, the PRD candidate Hipólito Mejía became president. In 2004, the people returned to the polls to give the PLD and Leonel Fernández victory, who once again began a new presiden<al term in 2008. SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL EVENTS • 1492 Arrival of Christopher Columbus to the island. • 1494 Construc<on of La Isabela, the first European sejlement in the New World. • 1498 Bartolomé Columbus, brother of the Admiral, founds the city of Santo Domingo, on the eastern shores of the Ozama River. • 1511 Fray Antón de Montesinos denounces the mistreatment of the indigenous popula<on in his Advent Sunday sermon. Subsequently slaves from Africa arrived. • 1605-1606 The Osorio devasta<on of the sugar refineries and cajle stock takes place in order to prevent smuggling. • 1697 Spain cedes the west of the island to France via the Ryswick Treaty, calling it Saint Domingue (now Haim). • 1777 The Treaty of Aranjuez is signed, which fixed the fron<ers between the Spanish and French colonies. • 1795 Spain hands over all of La Hispaniola to France via the Treaty of Basilea. In exchange, France agrees to return all the occupied territory of the Iberian Peninsula to Spain. • 1809 Spanish sovereignty is restored thanks to the Reconquest led by the Creole Juan Sánchez Ramírez. Thus begins the Era of Foolish Spain. • 1821 José Núñez de Cáceres leads the Ephemeral Independence. • 1822 Hai<an troops under the leadership of Jean Pierre Boyer march to the east and annex the Spanish part to Haim. • 1838 The secret La Trinitaria movement is founded, led by Juan Pablo Duarte. They want to overthrow Boyer and create an independent na<on. • 1844 A group of patriots from Spanish Santo Domingo headed up by Juan Pablo Duarte declares the birth of the Dominican Republic and its independence from Haim. • 1844 The Cons<tuent Assembly is organized to draP the first Cons<tu<on of the Republic, enacted on November 6. On November 14, Pedro Santana is elected the first Cons<tu<onal President of the country. • 1861-65 Santana annexes the country to Spain. In 1863, the War for the Restora<on of Independence begins with Gregorio Luperón as leader. • 1883-1899 Government and dictatorship of Ulises Heureaux. The sugar industry is developed, which also brings about the establishment of small manufacturing companies. • 1916-24 Financial weakening leads to a military interven<on in the country by the United States, in order to recover the interna<onal debt. • 1930 Rafael Leonidas Trujillo assumes the presidency and becomes a dictator. • 1960 Assassina<on of the sisters Patria, Minerva and María Teresa Mirabal because of their opposi<on to the Trujillo regime. • 1961 Execu<on of Trujillo. • 1962 Juan Bosch wins the first free elec<ons in the country and takes charge on February 27, 1963. • 1963 Overthrow of Juan Bosch’s government. • 1965 Beginning of the Civil Revolu<on to restore the government. Arrival of troops from the United States for the second <me. • 1966-1978 Governments of Joaquín Balaguer from the Social Chris<an Reformist Party (PRSC). • 1978-1986 Takeover of par<es, presided over by Antonio Guzmán and Salvador Jorge Blanco of the Dominican Revolu<onary Party (PRD). • 1986-1996 Governments of Joaquín Balaguer (PRSC). • 1996-2000 Government of Leonel Fernández from the Dominican Libera<on Party (PLD). • 2000-2004 Government of Hipólito Mejía (PRD). • 2004-2012 Governments of Leonel Fernández (PLD). • 2012 Governments of Danilo Medina (PLD), elected in May 2012. MAIN PATRIOTIC SYMBOLS 1. The Flag, conceived by Juan Pablo Duarte and made by Concepción Bona and María Trinidad Sánchez during the era of independence, is the symbol that iden<fies DR as a free and sovereign country. It was raised for the first <me on February 27, 1844. The Dominican Cons<tu<on establishes that the na<onal flag should include the colors ultramarine blue and vermillion red in cornered and alternated quarters in such a way that the blue is at the top of the flagpole, separated by a white cross, with a width that is the same as half the height of each quarter, and in the center featuring the coat of arms of the republic. The colors of our na<onal flag have a par<cular meaning. The red represents the blood spilled by our liberators; the blue expresses our ideals on progress and liberty, and that God should protect the Dominican na<on; and the cross is the symbol of the fight by our liberators to bequeath us a free homeland. 2. The Shield was created during the era of the proclama<on of na<onal independence and is the only one with the Sacred Bible in the center. From the beginning, the shield has undergone various changes as Dominican history can show more than 14 shields. In 1913, Casimiro Nemesio de Moya designed the current official country shield in force. In Ar<cle 96 of the Dominican Cons<tu<on, it is established that the shield will have the same colors as the na<onal flag and be set out in the same way, in the center including the book of Gospels and opened at Saint John 8:32 which says “And the truth will set you free,” with a cross over the top, both emerging from a trophy made up of two spears and four na<onal flags without shields, placed on either side; it would have a laurel branch on the leP hand side and a palm leaf to the right; and it will be crowned by an ultramarine blue band which carries the mojo: God, Country and Liberty. On the base there would be another band in vermillion red with the words “Dominican Republic.” 3. The Anthem, which is an important symbol in Dominican history, was composed by Emilio Prud’Homme and the music is by José Reyes. It was sung for the first <me in 1897, and officially since 1934. These are the words of our na<onal anthem: I. Brave men of Quisqueya Let us sing with strong feeling, And let us show the world Our invincible, glorious banner. Hail! the people who, strong and intrepid, Launched into war to their death, Under a warlike menace of death, You broke your chains of slavery. No country deserves to be free If it is an indolent and servile slave; If the call does not grow within, Tempered by a virile heroism. But the brave and indomitable Quisqueya Will always hold its head up high; For if it were a thousand Jmes enslaved It would a thousand Jmes regain freedom.