UNIT 7 • READING A TIMELINE OF DOMINICAN HISTORY Ruth Glasser

PERIOD 3000 BC AD 700s 1400s

POLITICAL Several discrete Taíno tribes 1492 The Spanish Taíno tribes exist attempt to Columbus arrives Crown quells on the island, ruled confederate, on Quisqueya, rebellions by caciques, or are interrupted names it among the early chiefs. by the arrival Hispaniola Spanish settlers of the Spanish. (Española in by granting Spanish), and them land and builds the fort indigenous La Navidad. people as slaves.

SOCIAL/ECONOMIC Taínos on the Spanish decide island have to mine for gold. evolved into a well-defi ned society built around fi shing, farming, and hunting.

DEMOGRAPHIC Indigenous As many as Early Spanish settlers arrive, groups migrate 500,000 Taínos primarily from Andalusia. from South live on the America to the island. Caribbean, including to the island later known as Quisqueya.

This image of Alcázar de Colon constrasts the old and new—the 1490s fortress built by Columbus and the sculpted trees of Ciudad Trujillo, as Santo Domingo was renamed during the dictator’s regime.

SOURCES: Silvio Torres-Saillant and Ramona Hernández, Th e Dominican Americans (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998); Jan Knippers Black, Th e Dominican Republic: Politics and Development in an Unsovereign State (Boston: Allen and Unwin, 1986); Frank Moya Pons, Th e Dominican Republic: A National History (New Rochelle, NY: Hispaniola Books, 1995); H. Hoetink, Th e Dominican People 1850–1900: Notes for a Historical Sociology (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982); BBC News, “Timeline: Dominican Republic,” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profi les/1216926.stm

PART I: GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, ECONOMY 27 A TIMELINE OF DOMINICAN HISTORY

PERIOD 1500s LIBRARY YALEUNIVERSITY COLLECTION, MAP 1600s

POLITICAL 1500 1605 First governor of the island is Colonial authorities appointed by the Spanish monarchs. burn areas where merchants Spanish make Hispaniola the fi rst 1544 colonial map of Santo Domingo. are involved Spanish colony in the New World, in smuggling. naming it Santo Domingo. The 1519–33 The burned-out island becomes a base for Spanish Remaining Taínos attack Spanish western areas colonizing expeditions to other settlements, leading to a series become hideouts parts of what is now Latin America. of wars between the settlers and for European the indigenous people. Peace pirates and other is fi nally made with cacique Etching illustrates colonization marauders. showing Spain as angelic fi gure. Enriquillo in 1533.

SOCIAL/ECONOMIC 1516 1577 Sugarcane cultivation Smuggling of and processing begin French and to supplant mining. English goods Many Africans are becomes the brought in to provide basis of the slave labor. economy of the northern Ranching and timber and western become important parts of the sources of income island. along with sugar, spawning a class of wealthy merchants.

DEMOGRAPHIC Taínos are decimated by European diseases, hunger, and forced labor. 1606 Some fl ee to the mountains. Approximately 1502 1508 1519 1568 9,648 slaves First slaves arrive in Only Only 30,000 There are an remain in Santo Santo Domingo, to be 60,000 Taínos estimated 20,000 Domingo. With used mostly as domestic Taínos remain. slaves in Santo decline of sugar servants. Brought from remain. Domingo. production, some Spain and Portugal, slaves are sold the fi rst slaves are elsewhere, while Hispanicized blacks known others escape into as ladinos. After the fi rst the interior of the slaves arrive, many more island or die of are forcibly imported epidemic diseases. directly from Africa.

28 CARIBBEAN CONNECTIONS: THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 1700s

1655 1667 1690–95 1697 1777 English French-led French and Spanish Peace of Ryswick Treaty of Aranjuez attack on group attacks on the island treaty signed, defi nes a border Hispaniola and pillages stage attacks and making peace between the Spanish is defeated. the city of counterattacks. between the French and French colonies, Santiago. colony of Saint Santo Domingo and Domingue, which Saint Domingue. occupies the western third of the island, and the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo, which occupies the eastern two-thirds.

1670s 1681 Western areas Spaniards on the of the island island start selling Early 1700s fi ll with meat and livestock Sugar mills begin to proliferate French-owned to the French in in Saint Domingue. Cattle plantations exchange for Tobacco leaves. ranching declines and French using African European goods, increasingly depend on cattle slave labor, and and producing from Santo Domingo. growing mainly tobacco for tobacco. French use.

Few new slaves are 1680s 1720s–60s imported into the Canary Islanders are brought to Santo Domingo impoverished colony. the island to combat the numerical continues to Racial mixing gives rise to superiority of the French. import settlers a demographic majority of from the Canary mulattoes, which persists Islands. to this day.

PART I: GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, ECONOMY 29 A TIMELINE OF DOMINICAN HISTORY

PERIOD 1700s continued 1800s

POLITICAL 1791 1795 1801–09 1821 1822 Slave revolts Spain cedes First Haiti, then France In a period of Haiti takes in Saint entire island rules the entire island. “ephemeral over the Domingue to France independence,” Spanish 1801 set in motion through the the Dominican part of Toussaint Louverture the Haitian Treaty of Republic Hispaniola. abolishes slavery. Revolution. Basel. becomes an 1804 independent Republic of Haiti nation for fi ve is declared an weeks. independent nation.

SOCIAL/ECONOMIC 1809 onward Tobacco exports become the economic base of the central Cibao region, while mahogany is the main export in the south and cattle raising continues in the east. Peasant farmers in all areas cultivate subsistence food and livestock. AMERICAN BANK NOTE NOTE BANK AMERICAN COMPANY. LIBRARY

Mahogany

DEMOGRAPHIC 1783 Man plowing with oxen. Spanish colony now has more than 80,000 1809 1820s–40s people due to infl ux of War reduces New populations come to Santo Canary Islanders and population of Domingo, including freed African immigrants from other the Spanish Americans from North America parts of the Caribbean. colony to less and Sephardic Jews from Curaçao. than 90,000. 1789 Spanish colony now has about 180,000 inhabitants.

30 CARIBBEAN CONNECTIONS: THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 1838 1844 Allegorical illustration depicts the Spanish colonial 1860s–1900 Juan Pablo The Dominican relationship during the reign of Isabel II. Dominican Republic is ruled by a Duarte, Francisco Republic proclaims 1861 1863–65 number of caudillos, some of whom del Rosario its independence from Dominican War of Restoration seek to resolve the country’s chronic Sánchez, and Haiti and becomes a Republic is fought to overthrow debt through annexation or sale of Ramón Matías sovereign nation. annexed to Spanish rule. land to the U.S. Mella form the Spain. 1844–61 secret society La 1865 “Counterpoint” of Dominican Trinitaria in Santo caudillos: Pedro Republic becomes Domingo to work Santana and independent once for independence Buenaventura Báez again.

from Haiti. CONGRESS OF LIBRARY alternately rule the Dominican Republic.

Soldiers on Parade, Santo Domingo, ca. 1904. AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, NOTE BANK AMERICAN 1870s 1880s Late 1800s Buenaventura Báez A modern sugar Cibao Refugees come from Cuba, fl eeing that island’s industry begins, along begins to independence struggle, and build an oligarchy with a rise in coffee cultivate based on the trading of tobacco from the central and cacao production cacao and Cibao region. and decline of tobacco coffee. Other Caribbean refugees settle in the Santo and mahogany. Power Juan Pablo Duarte Domingo region to cultivate sugar. Santo begins to shift toward Domingo emerges as the nation’s commercial, Santo Domingo and fi nancial, and political center. away from Santiago, the main urban center of the Cibao.

1844 1860s 1870s Dominican Spanish Large numbers of Italians and population immigrants Syrian and Lebanese Christians reaches arrive as begin to arrive, along with 126,000; Haitian a result of some Cubans and Puerto population is the Spanish Ricans. 800,000. occupation. 1870s–1900 Haitians, Curaçaoans, and immigrants from the English- speaking Caribbean arrive to work on sugar plantations. Tobacco plant.

PART I: GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, ECONOMY 31 U.S. MARINE CORPS/NATIONAL ARCHIVES CORPS/NATIONAL MARINE U.S. A TIMELINE OF DOMINICAN HISTORY PERIOD 1900–1950s

POLITICAL Early 1900s 1905 European United States takes governments over Dominican send warships customs collection U.S. Marines patrol the Ozama River, Santo Domingo, 1919. to Santo to establish U.S. 1916–24 1929 Domingo to dominance and U.S. military occupies the Dominican New treaty force repayment forestall European Republic. between of debts. infl uence in the Haiti and the 1924 Caribbean region. Dominican Financial crisis and popular rebellion U.S. is involved Republic help end the U.S. occupation, but the in managing a resolves U.S. maintains strong fi nancial and series of unstable border political control. governments in the questions. Dominican Republic.

SOCIAL/ECONOMIC 1910 1919 1920s 1929 Sugar and cacao Most Dominican Flourishing Worldwide now account commerce, including agriculture, economic for four-fi fths of sugar industry, now commerce, depression country’s foreign tied to U.S. interests. and industry leads to earnings. Post-WW I rise in permit more collapse of

LINDA-ANNE REBHUN LINDA-ANNE sugar prices allows public works export-based for importation of projects. economy. goods urbanization, and health, education, and construction

Cacao. projects linking the country through new highways.

DEMOGRAPHIC Thousands of 1920s Puerto Ricans and Increasing other immigrants numbers of continue to arrive Haitians come to in the Dominican the Dominican Republic, especially Republic to cut the eastern region sugarcane. around San Pedro de Macorís and La Romana.

Residents of San Pedro de Macorís, 1940.

32 CARIBBEAN CONNECTIONS: THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 1960s

1930 1937 1952 1960 General Rafael Trujillo orchestrates mas- Agreements Three of the Mirabal 1961 Leónidas Trujillo sacre of approximately are formalized sisters, prominent Trujillo is Molina seizes power 15,000 Haitians in the between the Haitian opponents of the assassinated. in a rigged election. Dominican Republic. and Dominican Trujillo regime, He is a graduate of The slaughter eliminates governments to are murdered the National Guard, a Haitians from border bring Haitian cane by the dictator’s police force created areas and allows Trujillo cutters across the henchmen. Maria Teresa, Patria, and by the U.S. Marines to establish new frontier border for six- Minerva Mirabal. during the occupation. military zones. month periods. C O L L

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1930s 1960s Landless peasants start to move Massive exodus into Dominican cities. begins, as people move from rural areas to cities within the C O L L E C T Dominican Republic IO N

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PART I: GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, ECONOMY 33 A TIMELINE OF DOMINICAN HISTORY

PERIOD 1960s continued 1970s

POLITICAL 1963 1965 1966–78 1978 Liberal Juan Armed insurrection erupts Joaquín Antonio Guzmán Bosch is against the illegal regime, Balaguer, of the Dominican democratically as liberal wing of the Trujillo’s Revolutionary Party elected, armed forces demands right-hand (PRD) wins the governs for return to legality and man, becomes presidency in the fi rst seven months, the constitution. Civil president, democratic election then is war ensues between supported in modern Dominican overthrown by “constitutionalists” and by the U.S. history. The country conservatives conservatives. U.S. enjoys freedom of and goes into Marines invade Dominican speech and political exile. Republic in support of stability. conservatives and defeat the constitutionalists. INSTITUTE LIBRARY, CITY COLLEGE LIBRARY, CITY INSTITUTE I STUDIES CUNY–DOMINICAN THE OF COURTESY N S

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U.S. troops advance on a sniper in Santo Domingo in June, 1965. 1979 Two hurricanes leave more than 200,000 homeless and cause $1 billion of damage.

34 CARIBBEAN CONNECTIONS: THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 1980s 1990s

1980s 1986–96 1991 1994 Urban poor riot over Balaguer is president again. Guillermo Dominican constitution amended government-imposed price Linares to allow for dual citizenship. increases; industrial and elected as 1996 agricultural unions strike to fi rst Adriano Espaillat wins seat in protest deteriorating work Dominican New York State Assembly. conditions and inadequate representative pay. Most protests are to the New Leonel Fernández of the violently crushed by the York City Dominican Liberation Party government. Council. (PLD) elected president of the COU RTE SY O F Dominican Republic. Thousands R O G E R L O of Dominican citizens living in W

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D E M Y 1980s 1985 1989 Several industrial free trade Unemployment Almost six in zones are constructed, exceeds 30 ten Dominican where foreign companies percent. households employ local workers in live below the low-wage assembly jobs. poverty line. DEBORAH PACINI-HERNANDEZ DEBORAH Mid-1990s Economic boom, with average growth rates of approximately 6 percent per year. Growth is concentrated in the tourism, telecommunications, and assembly sectors. However, poverty and inequality remain high. F. L. VELAZQUEZ, PHOTOGRAPHER. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. OF LIBRARY PHOTOGRAPHER. F.VELAZQUEZ, L.

Shanties in Santa Domingo.

1985 800,000 Dominicans are estimated to have migrated to Columbus statue and cathedral, 1893. the United States and Puerto Rico. Remittances from overseas migrants increase purchasing power for families in the Dominican Republic.

PART I: GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, ECONOMY 35 A TIMELINE OF DOMINICAN HISTORY

PERIOD 1990s cont’d 2000s

POLITICAL 1997 2000 2004 New law gives Dominican Leonel Fernández defeats Dominican citizens— Revolutionary incumbent Hipólito Mejía even those who also Party returns to again win the presidency. JOCELYNSANTANA hold U.S. citizenship to power with Dominican residents of the —the right to Hipólito Mejía United States, Spain and vote in Dominican as president. several other countries are presidential elections for the fi rst time able to vote from polling places in a Dominican election abroad. (However, from polling places in their polling places in adopted countries. New York and other locations are not set up until 2004.)

SOCIAL/ECONOMIC 2002–03 2003

LINDA-ANNE REBHUN LINDA-ANNE U.S. recession The country’s second largest undercuts demand private bank, Baninter, for the Dominican collapses amid rumors of Republic’s key corruption and malfeasance. products. Together The resultant government with government bailout intensifi es the borrowing, this slows economic crisis and leads growth rates and to the scandal. J E N

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Young boys work as shoe shiners in the popular Santo Domingo shopping district, El Conde.

DEMOGRAPHIC 1998 2000 Hurricane U.S. census reports more than three-quarters of a million Georges causes Dominicans living in the United States and Puerto Rico; other widespread researchers estimate the true number at over 1 million. devastation. September 2001 BEAU M BEAU The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center result in deaths and C CUNE many job losses among Dominicans in New York City. Local Dominican organizations assist the victims. November 2001 American Airlines fl ight 587 bound for Santo Domingo crashes in Queens, NY, killing all 255 people on board. Three days of national mourning are declared in the Dominican Republic.

36 CARIBBEAN CONNECTIONS: THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC