Haiti and the Dominican Republic

8/7/2019 Haiti and the Dominican Republic

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Haiti and the DominicanHaiti and the Dominican

RepublicRepublic

One island, two nationsOne island, two nations


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HispaniolaHispaniola

Discovered by Christopher Columbus

in 1492, the island of Hayti was quickly

renamed La Espanola (Little Spain) The Spaniards established themselves

on the island by building the city of

Santo Domingo from where they

controlled their numerous colonies in

the New World.


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Decline ofHispaniolaDecline ofHispaniola

By 1548, the Indians were near extinct toonly 600 remaining

The reserves of gold were declining.

Other cities in the Americas werediscovered and had a seemingly endlessamount of gold and silver (e.g. the legend

of El Dorado). The Spaniards lost interest in Santo

Domingo.


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France MovesinFrance Movesin

French buccaneersestablished themselves on theisland of Tortuga and started atrade with Spaniards in SantoDomingo.

Since they no longer had aparticular interest in the island,

in 1605, the Spanish Governorof Hispaniola encouraged theSpaniards to move to theeastern side of the island inorder to end the trade.

The French buccaneers create

Saint Domingue and begin afight for more land with theSpaniards.


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BirthofSaint DomingueBirthofSaint Domingue

By 1664, the French West Indian company isBy 1664, the French West Indian company is

created, and warns the Spaniards of theircreated, and warns the Spaniards of their

intention of permanently colonizing theintention of permanently colonizing the

western regionwestern region

The Spaniards, already suffering from manyThe Spaniards, already suffering from many

attacks from the English and Dutch, decide itattacks from the English and Dutch, decide it

best to just let this one go and in 1697, by thebest to just let this one go and in 1697, by the

treaty of Ryswick the Western side of Santotreaty of Ryswick the Western side of Santo

Domingo becomes Saint DomingueDomingo becomes Saint Domingue


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The island (shortly) becomes one again and Haiti

gains its independence

Spain cedes the eastern

portion of the island in

1795 thus making the

entire island inpossession of France.

After gaining its

independence in 1804,

the Republic of Haiti,

makes it a goal to expelthe French out of Santo

Domingo


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Santo Domingo returns to Spanish rule

The criollos (colonists born on the

plantation of pure Spanish ancestry), with

the help of Great Britain overthrow theFrench

Santo Domingo is again Spanish territory


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Spanish Haiti

Santo Domingo goes into economic decline and

soon after revolts against Spain.

On November 30, 1821, the Spanish Haiti is

born and seeks admission in the State of Gran

Columbia (founded by Simon Bolivar) as a Latin

American State.

Before any decision could be made, the troopsof Haiti, under the president Jean-Pierre Boyer,

invade the nation and unify the island.


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Underthe HaitianruleUnderthe HaitianruleJean Pierre Boyer, now president of the entire island, set

out to make it uniform, seeing it as the best way to make

the island strong.Pros

He abolished slavery

Gave land to the newly freed

slaves Nationalized all public property

Broke down land previouslyowned by the Spanish crownand gave it to lower classes

Cons

He destroyed the Spanishculture

Closed the university Ended all contact between the

Dominican church and theCatholic hierarchy in Europe

Tried (unsuccessfully) to makethe whole blend together by

encouraging freemen from theU.S to move there

These actions increased an antiThese actions increased an anti--Haitian sentimentHaitian sentiment

amongst Dominicans and encouraged a futureamongst Dominicans and encouraged a future

revolutionrevolution


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The Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic

In 1844, the Dominicans took advantage of the fall ofIn 1844, the Dominicans took advantage of the fall of

PresidentB

oyer, and regained their independence.PresidentB

oyer, and regained their independence. After many years of battle, in 1936, a definitiveAfter many years of battle, in 1936, a definitive

border was established between the two nations.border was established between the two nations.

It can now be seen through the obviousIt can now be seen through the obviousdeforestation of Haiti on the left sidedeforestation of Haiti on the left side


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Rafael TrujilloRafael Trujillo

Rafael Trujillo himselfRafael Trujillo himselfsaid that he fearedsaid that he fearedHaitian culture spreadingHaitian culture spreadinginto Dominican territoryinto Dominican territory

and didnt want Haitiansand didnt want Haitiansdarkening theirdarkening theirpopulation.population.

He proceeded toHe proceeded tomurdering 25,000murdering 25,000

Haitians on the HaitianHaitians on the Haitian--Dominican borderDominican borderthrough operation Perejil.through operation Perejil.


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Operation Perejil

Realizing that many Haitians lived on

the border, Trujillo set out to eliminate

them through the operation Perejil.

Anyone who couldnt pronounce this

word, as he believed was difficult for

Haitians (because of the rolling of the

r and the pronunciation of the j)were ultimately killed.


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Consequences of the treaty

-Racial Composition

Haiti

To keep Saint Domingues success

with sugar going, France imports a large number

of African slaves.

By 1790 the Black population surpassed the

whites and mulattos were created. With more than 500,000 slaves, and only

30,000 white and 27,000 freemen (both Blackand mulattoes), the Black

population increased very fast.

During the Haitian revolution, thousands of

whites fled to escape the wrath of the slaves and

the remaining ones were massacred by Jean

Jacques Dessalines in order to solidify theRevolution.

Consequently, Haiti became a nation with

a large Black population with very few mulattoes

Dominican Republic

The Spaniards are unable to produce sugar

because of the competition Saint Domingue

now presents and arent even nearly as

wealthy as the French.

Importing as many slaves wasnt inquestion. Thus, the labor force was only

used for subsistence agriculture and

occasionally sugar.

By the same year, 1790, Santo Domingos

population was of 125,000 whites, 60,000

slaves and 25,000 freemen.

Racial intermarriage, mainly in the 1800s was

common and shifts to population to mulattoesas a majority.

During the (short-lived) Haitian rule of theDominican

Republic, Boyer, tried to

influence this population by encouraging

Blacks from the U.S to settle there, but it was

unsuccessful as they ended up returningto America


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Consequences of the treaty

-IdentityTrujillo, during his reign in theDominican Republic, celebrated theconcept of la Hispanidad(Spanishness).

When a persons skin left no doubtas to theirBlack/Haitian heritage,a concept of "Indianness" wascreated to explain it, associating Taino traitand skin color to it

The (Taino) population is documented tohave been

extinct by the 17th century with less than 500remaining so any trait other thanmitochondrial DNA, (skin tone, facialfeatures) is nearly impossible to discern.

However, Taino culture is persistentlypresent in both Haitian and DominicanCulture. (food, language etc)

This tendency of many in the DominicanRepublic todefine themselves as somethingother Haitian or African, is rooted from theirrelationship with Haiti going back to thecolonial era


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Political Relationship

A popular idea is that Haiti is unfit for democraticgovernment; only strongmen can rule that country andany attempts at democracy will result in an instability inHaiti and a mass of thousands of refugees seeking in theDominican Republic.

In results, as authoritarian governments in Haiti haveproven to be beneficial to the Dominican Republic withthe traffic of easy Haitian workers for the Dominicansugar plantations and trade across the border, it isn't intheir advantage to help the Haitian people.

Scarred by the massacre of 1937 by Trujillo and theslave-like treatment of Haitians now working in theBateys, the Haitian government is just as unlikelydeclare a truce.


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ConclusionConclusion

Though, the cultural and ethnic barrierThough, the cultural and ethnic barrierbetween them is thin, the Dominican andbetween them is thin, the Dominican andHaitian peoples have been taught to seeHaitian peoples have been taught to see

each other as enemies, as strangers, whoeach other as enemies, as strangers, who

have nothing in common but the island theyhave nothing in common but the island they

share while leaders of other nations haveshare while leaders of other nations haveconstantly been profiting from this division.constantly been profiting from this division.

Haiti and the Dominican Republic

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