Francisco del Rosario Sánchez
Encyclopedia
Francisco Del Rosario Sánchez (March 9, 1817 – July 4, 1861) 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 named in honor of these patriots. He was the son of Afro-Dominican parents, Narciso Sánchez and Olaya Del Rosario, who were not married at the time of his birth.
Sanchez traveled to the U.S.
and Europe
as a young man. His vision of the cause was the typical republican
goal of the Age of Enlightenment
. Duarte's exile took place at the last and most crucial stage of the struggle. It is when Duarte was exiled and in hiding in Venezuela
that Sánchez became the central presence in the Dominican revolt. This is why he is considered the "real" founding father of the Dominican Republic by many authors.
Sánchez took the lead as the prime mover of the independence movement, maintaining contact with Duarte through his relatives. While educated and having taught himself Latin and French later in life, he is mostly remembered as a man of action. In the proceedings that took place just before the proclamation of independence on February 27, 1844, Sánchez was elected by his peers in La Trinitaria
as Commander in Arms and Chief of the Government Junta in the nascent republic. This was quite a recognition and testament to his virtues.
After a brief period of turmoil and quick political succession, Pedro Santana
exiled the main architects of the Independence. Sánchez spent four years in exile and was eventually pardoned. He returned to the Dominican Republic
in time to see Santana invite Spain to re-occupy the country as colony
. Sánchez defied this betrayal of the republican cause. He was captured by Santana's forces and executed in 1861
He is entombed in a beautiful mausoleum, Altar de la Patria, at the Count's Gate (La Puerta del Conde) alongside Duarte
and Mella
, who at that spot fired the rifle shot that propelled them into legend.
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...
. He is considered by Dominicans as the second leader of the 1844 Dominican War of Independence
Dominican War of Independence
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....
, after 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...
and before Ramón Matías Mella
Ramón Matías Mella
Matías Ramón Mella, born 25 February 1816, is regarded as a national hero in the Dominican Republic. The Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella is partially named in his honor....
. The Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella
Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella
The Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella is the principal order of the Dominican Republic. It was established on 24 February 1931 as the Juan Pablo Duarte Order of Merit and renamed on 9 September 1954...
is named in honor of these patriots. He was the son of Afro-Dominican parents, Narciso Sánchez and Olaya Del Rosario, who were not married at the time of his birth.
Sanchez traveled to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as a young man. His vision of the cause was the typical republican
Republicanism
Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
goal of the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
. Duarte's exile took place at the last and most crucial stage of the struggle. It is when Duarte was exiled and in hiding in 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...
that Sánchez became the central presence in the Dominican revolt. This is why he is considered the "real" founding father of the Dominican Republic by many authors.
Sánchez took the lead as the prime mover of the independence movement, maintaining contact with Duarte through his relatives. While educated and having taught himself Latin and French later in life, he is mostly remembered as a man of action. In the proceedings that took place just before the proclamation of independence on February 27, 1844, Sánchez was elected by his peers in 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....
as Commander in Arms and Chief of the Government Junta in the nascent republic. This was quite a recognition and testament to his virtues.
After a brief period of turmoil and quick political succession, 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...
exiled the main architects of the Independence. Sánchez spent four years in exile and was eventually pardoned. He returned to the Dominican Republic
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...
in time to see Santana invite Spain to re-occupy the country as colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
. Sánchez defied this betrayal of the republican cause. He was captured by Santana's forces and executed in 1861
He is entombed in a beautiful mausoleum, Altar de la Patria, at the Count's Gate (La Puerta del Conde) alongside 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...
and Mella
Ramón Matías Mella
Matías Ramón Mella, born 25 February 1816, is regarded as a national hero in the Dominican Republic. The Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella is partially named in his honor....
, who at that spot fired the rifle shot that propelled them into legend.