Dominican War of Independence
Encyclopedia
The Dominican Independence War gave the Dominican Republic
independence from Haiti
in 1844. Before the war, the whole island of Hispaniola
had been under Haitian rule for 22 years when Haiti occupied
the newly independent state of Haití Español in 1822.
Juan Pablo Duarte
was young, educated, a genuine nationalist
, and the man that helped lead and inspire the Dominican War of Independence of 1844. Duarte, along with Matías Ramón Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez
, founded a resistance movement
in 1838 called La Trinitaria
("The Trinity"). It 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 (literally "The Philanthropic", in Spanish
), and continued agitating against the Haitians.
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 Riviere-Hérard
. Rivière-Hérard imprisoned some Trinitarios and forced Duarte to leave the island. While gone, Duarte searched for support in Colombia
and Venezuela
, but was unsuccessful. 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), the rebels decided to take action anyway with the leadership of Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, Ramón Matías Mella, and by Pedro Santana
, a wealthy cattle-rancher from El Seibo who commanded a private army of peons who worked on his estates.
On February 27, 1844, thereafter celebrated as Dominican Independence Day, the rebels seized the Ozama Fortress in the capital. The Haitian garrison, taken by surprise and apparently betrayed by at least one of its sentries, retired in disarray. Within two days, all Haitian officials had left Santo Domingo. Mella headed the provisional governing junta of the new Dominican Republic. On March 14, Duarte finally returned after recovering from his illness and was greeted in celebration.
For years, Santana's military forces continued to defend the Republic against all the Haitian attacks, defeating them in the battles of March 19
, March 30
, El Memiso
, and at Puerto Tortuguero
. 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, 1844, and they declared Santana ruler of the Dominican Republic. Santana then put Mella, Duarte, and Sánchez in jail.
On November 6, 1844 a constituent assembly
drafted a constitution
, based on the Haitian and United States models, which established separation of powers and legislative checks on the executive. However, Santana included in it Article 210, which granted him unlimited power during the current war against Haiti. The war continued throughout September and November 1845 being the Haitians defeated at Estrelleta
and Beler
. Santana remained as President until 1848, when he lost the election, only to seize power by a coup d'état
the year after, when the Haitian President Faustin Soulouque attacked and was defeated at El Número
and at Las Carreras
.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
independence from Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
in 1844. Before the war, the whole island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
had been under Haitian rule for 22 years when Haiti occupied
Haitian occupation of Santo Domingo
The Haitian occupation of Santo Domingo was Haiti's military invasion and ensuing 22-year occupation of the newly independent Republic of Spanish Haiti, formerly the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, what is present-day Dominican Republic, from February 9, 1822 until February 27, 1844.The...
the newly independent state of Haití Español in 1822.
Juan Pablo Duarte
Juan Pablo Duarte
Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez is one of the Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic. He was a visionary and liberal thinker who along with Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Matías Ramón Mella is widely considered the architect of the Dominican Republic and its independence from Haitian rule in 1844...
was young, educated, a genuine nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, and the man that helped lead and inspire the Dominican War of Independence of 1844. Duarte, along with Matías Ramón Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez
Francisco del Rosario Sánchez
Francisco Del Rosario Sánchez was a politician and founding father of the Dominican Republic. He is considered by Dominicans as the second leader of the 1844 Dominican War of Independence, after Juan Pablo Duarte and before Ramón Matías Mella. The Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella is...
, founded a resistance movement
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
in 1838 called La Trinitaria
La Trinitaria
La Trinitaria is a town and one of the 119 Municipalities of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 59,686. It covers an area of 1840.7 km²....
("The Trinity"). It 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 (literally "The Philanthropic", in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
), and continued agitating against the Haitians.
In 1843 the revolution made a breakthrough: they worked with a liberal Haitian party that overthrew President Jean Pierre Boyer
Jean Pierre Boyer
Jean-Pierre Boyer , a native of Saint-Domingue, was a soldier, one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution, and President of Haiti from 1818 to 1843. He reunited the north and south of Haiti in 1820 and also invaded and took control of Santo Domingo, which brought all of Hispaniola under one...
. However, the Trinitarios
Charles Riviere-Hérard
Charles Rivière-Hérard also known as Charles Hérard Aîné was an officer in the Haitian Army under Andre Petion during his struggles against Henri Christophe. He was declared President of Haiti on 4 April 1843. He was forced from office by revolutionaries on 3 May 1844.Charles Hérard Aîné was born...
. Rivière-Hérard imprisoned some Trinitarios and forced Duarte to leave the island. While gone, Duarte searched for support in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, but was unsuccessful. 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), the rebels decided to take action anyway with the leadership of Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, Ramón Matías Mella, and by Pedro Santana
Pedro Santana
Pedro Santana y Familias was a wealthy cattle rancher, soldier, politician and dictator of the Dominican Republic. He was born in the community of Hinche, which was part of the Colony of Santo Domingo. Currently, Hinche is a border town part of Haiti...
, a wealthy cattle-rancher from El Seibo who commanded a private army of peons who worked on his estates.
On February 27, 1844, thereafter celebrated as Dominican Independence Day, the rebels seized the Ozama Fortress in the capital. The Haitian garrison, taken by surprise and apparently betrayed by at least one of its sentries, retired in disarray. Within two days, all Haitian officials had left Santo Domingo. Mella headed the provisional governing junta of the new Dominican Republic. On March 14, Duarte finally returned after recovering from his illness and was greeted in celebration.
For years, Santana's military forces continued to defend the Republic against all the Haitian attacks, defeating them in the battles of March 19
Battle of March 19
The Battle of Azua , was the first major battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on March 19, 1844, at Azua de Compostela, Azua Province...
, March 30
Battle of March 30
The Battle of Santiago , was the second major battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on March 30, 1844, at Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago Province...
, El Memiso
Battle of El Memiso
The Battle of El Memiso, was the third major battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on April 13, 1844, at El Memiso, Azua Province. A force of Dominican troops, a portion of the Army of The South, led by General Antonio Duvergé, defeated an outnumbering force of the Haitian Army...
, and at Puerto Tortuguero
Battle of Puerto Tortuguero
The Battle of Tortuguero, was the first naval battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on April 15, 1844 at Tortuguero, Azua Province. A force of 3 Dominican schooners led by Commander Juan Bautista Cambiaso, defeated a force of 3 vessels of the Haitian Navy...
. 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, 1844, and they declared Santana ruler of the Dominican Republic. Santana then put Mella, Duarte, and Sánchez in jail.
On November 6, 1844 a constituent assembly
Constituent assembly
A constituent assembly is a body composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution...
drafted a constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, based on the Haitian and United States models, which established separation of powers and legislative checks on the executive. However, Santana included in it Article 210, which granted him unlimited power during the current war against Haiti. The war continued throughout September and November 1845 being the Haitians defeated at Estrelleta
Battle of Estrelleta
The Battle of Estrelleta, was a major battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on September 17, 1845 at the site of Estrelleta, near Las Matas de Farfán, San Juan Province...
and Beler
Battle of Beler
The Battle of Beler, was the last major battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on November 27, 1845 at the Beler savanna, Monte Cristi Province...
. Santana remained as President until 1848, when he lost the election, only to seize power by a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
the year after, when the Haitian President Faustin Soulouque attacked and was defeated at El Número
Battle of El Número
The Battle of El Número, was a major battle during the years after the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on April 19, 1849, nearby Azua de Compostela, Azua Province. A force of Dominican troops, a portion of the Army of The South, led by General Pedro Santana, encountered an outnumbering...
and at Las Carreras
Battle of Las Carreras
The Battle of Las Carreras, was a major battle during the years after the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on April 21, 1849, nearby Baní, Peravia Province. A force of Dominican troops, a portion of the Army of The South, led by General Pedro Santana, defeated an outnumbering force of...
.
Battles of the Dominican War of Independence
- Battle of Cabeza de Las MaríasBattle of Cabeza de Las MaríasThe Battle of Cabeza de Las Marías and Las Hicoteas, were the first military engagements of Dominican War of Independence and were fought between March 13 - March 18, 1844, at Cabeza de Las Marías, near Neyba, Baoruco Province and Las Hicoteas, near Azua de Compostela, Azua Province...
(March 13–18, 1844) - Battle of AzuaBattle of March 19The Battle of Azua , was the first major battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on March 19, 1844, at Azua de Compostela, Azua Province...
(March 19, 1844) - Battle of SantiagoBattle of March 30The Battle of Santiago , was the second major battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on March 30, 1844, at Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago Province...
(March 30, 1844) - Battle of El MemisoBattle of El MemisoThe Battle of El Memiso, was the third major battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on April 13, 1844, at El Memiso, Azua Province. A force of Dominican troops, a portion of the Army of The South, led by General Antonio Duvergé, defeated an outnumbering force of the Haitian Army...
(April 13, 1844) - Battle of Tortuguero (April 15, 1844)
- Battle of EstrelletaBattle of EstrelletaThe Battle of Estrelleta, was a major battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on September 17, 1845 at the site of Estrelleta, near Las Matas de Farfán, San Juan Province...
(September 17, 1845) - Battle of BelerBattle of BelerThe Battle of Beler, was the last major battle of the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on November 27, 1845 at the Beler savanna, Monte Cristi Province...
(November 27, 1845) - Battle of El NúmeroBattle of El NúmeroThe Battle of El Número, was a major battle during the years after the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on April 19, 1849, nearby Azua de Compostela, Azua Province. A force of Dominican troops, a portion of the Army of The South, led by General Pedro Santana, encountered an outnumbering...
(April 19, 1849) - Battle of Las CarrerasBattle of Las CarrerasThe Battle of Las Carreras, was a major battle during the years after the Dominican War of Independence and was fought on April 21, 1849, nearby Baní, Peravia Province. A force of Dominican troops, a portion of the Army of The South, led by General Pedro Santana, defeated an outnumbering force of...
(April 21, 1849)