Encyclopedia of African American History

Hispaniola  51

was able to proclaim its independence aft er Jean-Pierre

Boyer, the Haitian ruler who had occupied Santo Domingo

for the last 22 years, was overthrown. Juan Pablo Duarte,

the leader of la Trinitaria, a secret nationalist organiza-

tion, along with Ramón Mella and Francisco del Rosario

Sánchez, were responsible for overthrowing Boyer. It was

at this time they established a constitution and declared

themselves to be a new nation, the Dominican Republic.

Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of a long and

tumultuous relationship between Haiti and the Dominican

Republic, and a series of political struggles between the two

nations has ensued.

See also: Asiento; Boyer, Jean Pierre; de Las Casas, Barto-

lomé; Encomienda; Haitian Revolution; Las Siete Partidas;

Louverture, Toussaint

Julie M. Skogsbergh

all regardless of color. Late in 1800, Toussaint then marched
into Santo Domingo with his armies and overtook it. Soon
aft er entering, he announced the emancipation of all slaves
on the island and incorporated the former Spanish colony
into his own state, which was still a French colony. Tous-
saint continued to lead until 1802, but was tricked by the
French that same year and imprisoned. He died in 1803, the
same year that Jean-Jacques Dessalines, one of Toussaint’s
army commanders, was fi nally able to defeat the remain-
ing French insurgency. Dessalines became the fi rst presi-
dent of the republic of Haiti, declaring its independence on
January 1, 1804.
Political struggles over land in the colony of Santo
Domingo ensued over the next 44 years, with political rule
changing hands between the Spanish and the French at var-
ious times, with Haiti ruling the colony from 1822 to 1844.
Finally, on February 27, 1844, the colony of Santo Domingo

Engraving from 1671 of Santo Domingo on the island of Hispaniola. Christopher Columbus claimed the island for Spain in 1492 , but aft er
50 years of exploiting its resources and bringing disease to its inhabitants, Spain found Santo Domingo to be an unprofi table colony. Th e de-
struction of the native population of Hispaniola prompted Bartolomé de las Casas to suggest the use of enslaved Africans as a replacement
labor force in the Spanish Americas. (Library of Congress)