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News > Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic Celebrates 177 Years of Independence

  • The birth of the Dominican Republic was proclaimed at dawn on Tuesday, February 27, 1844 at the door of El Conde in the city of Santo Domingo.

    The birth of the Dominican Republic was proclaimed at dawn on Tuesday, February 27, 1844 at the door of El Conde in the city of Santo Domingo. | Photo: Twitter/@cimsec_caribesa

Published 27 February 2021
Opinion

The Dominican Republic gained its independence in 1844 from the Empire of Haiti, which had held it under military occupation since 1822. 

On a day like today in 1844, Dominican patriots Ramón Matías Mella, Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, and others, led by Juan Pablo Duarte, proclaimed the separation from Haiti, which had ruled the island of Hispaniola since 1822.

In this regard, the Dominican Republic commemorates this Saturday, February 27, the 177th anniversary of the National Independence. 

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The independence of the Dominican Republic is the political process by which the eastern part of the Spanish Island, known as Spanish Santo Domingo, became independent in 1844 from the Empire of Haiti, which had kept it militarily occupied since 1822. 

In the early morning of February 27, 1844, at the Misericordia Gate, Mella's blunderbuss sounded, proclaiming the Dominican separation from Haiti.

That was the birth of the Dominican Republic proclaimed on the dawn of Tuesday, February 27, 1844 at the door of El Conde in the city of Santo Domingo.

On that occasion, Tomas Bobadilla, Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, Matias Ramon Mella, Manuel Jimenes, Vicente Celestino Duarte, Jose Joaquin Puello, Maria del Monte and other patriots participated. 

In El Seybo, on the same 27th at dawn, Pedro Santana, had already proclaimed the separation from Haiti, being acclaimed general of the Army.

The independence of the Dominican Republic is the political process by which the eastern part of the Spanish Island, known as Spanish Santo Domingo, became independent in 1844 from the Empire of Haiti, which had kept it militarily occupied since 1822. 

Later, in 1863, after 19 years of independence, the Dominican government itself requested annexation to Spain as another province, but this provoked the war of the Restoration that ended in a new independence, this time definitive, with respect to Spain.

In 1844, the independence movement began, advocated by Juan Pablo Duarte, a wealthy young man who had studied in Spain and had nationalist ideals, and led by Francisco del Rosario Sanchez and Matias Ramon Mella.

In 1844, Dominicans expelled the Haitians who occupied their country for 22 years after an amicable independence agreement was reached with the Spanish Crown in 1821.

In search of their own destiny and a better future, the Spanish colony in Santo Domingo separated from Spain in a non-warlike manner through peaceful transactions. 

"I had a telephone conversation with Dominican President Abinader. We ratified historical and strong ties of friendship between our countries and shared the will for bilateral cooperation in health, science and education."

However, the yearning for freedom and independence of the inhabitants of the Spanish part of the island of Santo Domingo was cut short with the unexpected invasion of our country by the army of the neighboring Haitian nation.

For 22 years the Haitians occupied Dominican territory and tried to eliminate the language and customs. 

They forced the publication of official documents in French and other measures that went against the very essence of the traditions and culture of what would later become the Dominican people.

Although Duarte was not around, the Trinitarians did not cease in their actions and in the cause of the country's freedom. 
Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, Matías Ramón Mella and Vicente Celestino Duarte led the Trinitarians, who, almost without resources, circulated their ideas in handwritten sheets, to organize themselves and add adherents to the separatist ideas.

On January 16, 1844, the Manifestation of the people of the eastern part of the island, formerly known as Hispaniola or Santo Domingo, was written by Don Tomás Bobadilla, in which the causes of their separation from the Republic of Haiti were enunciated. 

This Manifestation would be the law that would govern the proclaimed Republic until its Constitution was promulgated.

That night of February 27, 1844, small groups of patriots from different areas of the city gathered little by little.

The beginning of the separatist action was indicated by a blunderbuss fired by Mella at the Puerta de la Misericordia, which was heard by all the inhabitants of the city.

Subsequently, numerous battles took place in the face of Haitian attempts to retake power in Santo Domingo, but they were rejected and it was not until 1865 that the war of Restoration definitively consolidated the independence of the Dominican Republic.

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