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Caribbean National Histories: Dominican Republic

Dominican 1962 election
Figure 1.--The 1962 Dominican elections were hotly conmtested. The caption for this December 19, 1962 wire service photograph in Santo Domingo read, "Boy shot in left hand (note wound) 12/18 by one of 10 or 15 shots fired down the street during meetingh at headquarters of National Civic Union (UCN) is escorted to police car for first aid. UCN members, ending live campaigning for 12/20 election, blamed followers of Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) presidential candidate Juan Bosch for the shooting, but police could not identify the gumman." Bosch and the PRD won the election. The right-wing military subsequentkly ousted President Bosch and set up a civilian triumvirate. Leftists refused to accept the new government and the country descended into chaos.

Columbus found Hispaniola on his first voyage (1492). He name the island La Española. He apointed his son Diego its first viceroy. The Spanish founded Santo Domingo (1496). It is thus the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas. The history of Hispaniola only began to separate between what is now the Dominican Republic and Haiti in the colonial era (17th century). The western pat of the island or Haiti became dominated by France and proved to be a colony of enormous value because of the sugar plantations. At the onset of the French Revolution a slave rebellion broke out there and France found it incrasingly difficult to control Haiti. Spain ceded the eastern part of te island (the modern Dominican Republic) Revolutionary France (1795). Haitian blacks found an effective leader in Toussaint L'Ouverture who decisively defeated the French and seized the eastern part of the island as well (1801). The Spanish population in the east revolted (1808) and captured Santo Domingo (1809). They established the first Dominican republic. Spain after driving out Napoleon, regained title to the the Domnican Republic at the Congress of Vienna (1814). By this time, however, the Lain American wars of indepence were in full swing. The Doinicans ousted the royalists (1822). The Haitians invaded again (1822). The Dominicans outed the Haitains for a second time (1844). The Dominicans declared a second republic under Pedro Santana. Uprisings. Haitian attacks continued and Santana made the Dominican Republic a Spanish province to secure Spanish military aid (1861-65). President Buenaventura Báez found an economy devestated by war with the Haitians. He negotiated a treaty of annexation with the United States (1870). The U.S. Senate refused, however, to ratify the Treaty. A series of unstable governments followed until Ulíses Heureaux established a personal disctatorship. Further instability followed. President Wilson dispated marines to maintain order (1916). The Marines remain several years, finally dearting (1924). The Marines helped train a militry force to maintain order. Rafaél Leonides Trujillo Molina, a sergeant in the Dominican Army, overthrew President Horacio Vásquez (1930). He established another dictatorship that luled the Dominican Republic for more than 30 years. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Dominican Republic Republic entered World War II, declaring war on Japan and Germany (Decemember 1941). Trujillo was assasinated (1961). Elections followed. Juan Bosch of the left-wing Dominican Revolutionary Party won the elections (1962). The right-wing military ousted President Bosch and set up a civilian triumvirate. Leftists refused to accept the new government and the country descended into chaos. U.S. President Lyndon Johnson dispached Marines again (1965). The United States helped negotiate a ceasefire and the two sides accepted Hector Garcia-Godoy as a provisional president to oversee new elections. Joaquin Balaguer, the right-wing candidate, defeated Bosch in a free election (1966). The U.S. and other foreign troops withdrew subsequently withdrew. Balaguer ruled the Dominican Republic for over 10 years. After it became apparent that he had the election for his fourth term, he ordered the Army to stop the ballot count (1978). President Jimmy Carter convinced him to accept his electoral defeat. Antonio Guzmán of the Dominican Revolutionary Party was declared the victor. Salvador Jorge Blanco of the Dominican Revolutionary Party defeated both Balaguer and Bosch (1982). Balaguer won the presidency again (1986) and dominated the country for another 10 years.

Native Americans

The indigenous inhabitants of the island encountered by Columbus were the Tainos, related to the larger Arawak (Arauacos) cultural group. The Taínos were found throughout the northern Antilles (Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The Taínos were seafaring peoplke, using canoes. It was Tainos found in the Bahamas that led Columbus to Hispaniola. The Tainos were related to the Arawak people of South America. The Taíno language is related to the Arawakan language family which was spoken throughout northern South America and the Caribbean. The language survives with Native Amnericansin northeastern South America. The Tainos Columbus encountered on Hispaniola were divided into five chiefdoms, each ruled by a Cacique (chief). The Tainos resisted Spanish conquest and eventual enslavement. This proved impossible given the superior Spanish arms and the relatively small size of the islands. The conquest took place so quickly that the Taiunos had no gime to change life style and develop needed strategies to deal with the Spanish. The Spanish attempted to enslave the Native Americans, but this proved impossible. The Native Americans had no resistance to European diseases. Thus contact with the Europeans was apotentially deadly matter. Even the common cold (influenza) could lead to death. And there other more deadly diseases such as small pox. And the treatment of Native Americans by the Spanish meant that they were not as well fed abd hgealthy as before the arrival of the Europeans, futher exposing them to disease. As a result, the Native American was decimated only a few decades after the arrival of the Spanish. The Taino disappeared as a cultural group. There was some intermarriage between with the Europeans and to a lesser extent with the blacks imported as slaves from Africa. We do not know to what extent modern day Dominicans trace their ancestry to Native Americans. DNA studies would tell us this in detailm but we are not yet familar with any such studies.

European Discovery

Columbus on his first voyage somehow missed both North and South America. Instead he found islands, the Bahamas and Hispaniola (1492). He landed Hispaniola, naming it initially La Española. He appointed his son Diego its first viceroy. The Spanish founded Santo Domingo (1496). Santo Domingo thus became the first European colony in the America.

European Colonial Era

Santo Domingo is the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas. Spain initially controlled the entire island of Hispaniola, but France also became an important player on the island. Once the Spanish found that there was only limited quantities of gold on the island, the small European population began to develop the island's agricultural potential. The Spanish colonists did not found small farms as would be the case of many English colonies in North America. Instead they obtained larger tracts and tried to use the Native Americans as forced labor. It was on Hispaniola that the Encomenda system was first employed in the Americas. It would be central institution of the Spanish colonial empire in the Americas. This proved a failure, because the Native Americans died in huge numbers, primarily as a result of exposure to European diseases. As a result, captured Aftricans were imported as a slave work force. While the Atlantic slave trade began in Santo Domingo, Spanish settlers on the island did not import large numbers of slaves. Dominican slavery was thus relatively limited. The reason for this was that Spanish soon lost interest in the island. Spanish settlementmnt trailed off. The Spanish focus moved west and south to Mexico and Peru. Many of the Spairds on the island were the children of Spanish men and Taino women. Settlers tended livestock for sale to passing Spanish ships. This did not require a large slave work force. The principal export crop became tobbacco. The history of Hispaniola only began to separate between what is now the Dominican Republic and Haiti with the development of Saint Dominque (18th century). Despite the availability of suitable land. This was in sharp contrast to the sugar industry requiring large numbers of slave that developed in the French colony. This came to comprise the western third of the island--Saint Dominique. It proved to be a colony of enormous value because of the emensly profitable sugar plantations. Slavery by its very nature was brutal. But the brutality of the French planters was beyond belief even by 19th century standards. The result was a Haitian slave system that was akin to NAZI slave labor.

Independence Struggle (1789-1844)

The Dominican Republic's struggle for independence involved a struggle a against not only the Spanish, but also the French and more importantly the neighboring Haitains. At the onset of the French Revolution a slave rebellion broke out in Haiti which developed into a war for independence (1791-1804). France found it incrasingly difficult to control Haiti. Spain ceded the eastern part of the island (the modern Dominican Republic) Revolutionary France (1795). Haitian blacks found an effective leader in Toussaint L'Ouverture who decisively defeated the French and seized and afdded the eastern part of the island, completing control of Hipaniola (1801). The Spanish criollos in the east revolted against the small French force (1808) and captured Santo Domingo (1809). They established the first Dominican republic. Spain after driving out Napoleon, regained title to the the Domnican Republic at the Congress of Vienna (1814). By this time, however, the Latin American wars of indepence were in full swing. Spain had few resources to aid the royalist forces. And the British Royl Navy prevented Spanish efforts to rebuild their colonies. The Doinicans ousted the royalists (1822). The Haitians invaded again (1822). It is unclear why the Haitian were so ucessful mikitarily. We suspect that independer war with the French meant that the Haitians had developed a more experienced military force. The Dominicans outed the Haitains for a second time (1844).

Independence (1844- )

The Dominicans declared a second republic under Pedro Santana (1844). Uprisings. Haitian attacks continued and Santana made the Dominican Republic a Spanish province to secure Spanish military aid (1861-65). President Buenaventura Báez found an economy devestated by war with the Haitians. He negotiated a treaty of annexation with the United States (1870). The U.S. Senate refused, however, to ratify the Treaty. A series of unstable governments followed until Ulíses Heureaux established a personal disctatorship. Further instability followed. President Wilson dispated marines to maintain order (1916). The Marines remain several years, finally dearting (1924). The Marines helped train a militry force to maintain order. Rafaél Leonides Trujillo Molina, a sergeant in the Dominican Army, overthrew President Horacio Vásquez (1930). He established another dictatorship that luled the Dominican Republic for more than 30 years. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Dominican Republic Republic entered World War II, declaring war on Japan and Germany (Decemember 1941). Trujillo was assasinated (1961). Elections followed. Juan Bosch of the left-wing Dominican Revolutionary Party won the elections (1962). The right-wing military ousted President Bosch and set up a civilian triumvirate. Leftists refused to accept the new government and the country descended into chaos. U.S. President Lyndon Johnson dispached Marines again (1965). The United States helped negotiate a ceasefire and the two sides accepted Hector Garcia-Godoy as a provisional president to oversee new elections. Joaquin Balaguer, the right-wing candidate, defeated Bosch in a free election (1966). The U.S. and other foreign troops withdrew subsequently withdrew. Balaguer ruled the Dominican Republic for over 10 years. After it became apparent that he had the election for his fourth term, he ordered the Army to stop the ballot count (1978). President Jimmy Carter convinced him to accept his electoral defeat. Antonio Guzmán of the Dominican Revolutionary Party was declared the victor. Salvador Jorge Blanco of the Dominican Revolutionary Party defeated both Balaguer and Bosch (1982). Balaguer won the presidency again (1986) and dominated the country for another 10 years.






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Created: 9:40 AM 6/15/2011
Last updated: 12:53 AM 12/21/2015