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History of Dominican Republic

An island country on the eastern part of Hispaniola, where the first permanent European settlement in the Americas began.. 3 eras, 1493 to today.

Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, 1493–1821 Draft, not yet reviewed

Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492 under the Spanish Crown and claimed the island for the Spanish Crown. Santo Domingo, settled from 1496, became the first European city in the Americas. An estimated 400,000 Tainos living on the island were soon enslaved to work in gold mines, and by 1508 their numbers had decreased to around 60,000 because of forced labor, hunger, disease, and mass killings. In the 1697 Peace of Ryswick, Spain ceded the western third of Hispaniola to France, establishing the basis for the future nations of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Seat of power: Santo Domingo

Haitian occupation of Santo Domingo, 1822–1844 Draft, not yet reviewed

In February 1822 Jean-Pierre Boyer, the president of Haiti, entered the city of Santo Domingo with around 10,000 soldiers, which led to the occupation. The occupation lasted twenty-two years, from February 9, 1822, to February 27, 1844. This period led to large-scale land expropriations and failed efforts to force production of export crops, restrict the use of the Spanish language and suppress traditional customs. On February 27, 1844, the Trinitarios declared independence from Haiti, which marked the beginning of the Dominican War of Independence.

Seat of power: Santo Domingo

Rulers

Dominican Republic, 1844 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

Independence came 22 years later in 1844, after victory in the Dominican War of Independence. The next 72 years saw several civil wars, corrupt dictatorships, failed invasions by Haiti, and a brief return to Spanish colonial status. The United States occupied the Dominican Republic from 1916 to 1924, followed by the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, ruling from 1930 until his assassination in 1961. Since 1996, the Dominican Republic has moved towards representative democracy.

Seat of power: Santo Domingo

Rulers

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.