Dominican Republic History

Caribbean Dominican Republic

Brief History
In the 16th century, Spanish settlers joined the native people on the island of Hispaniola. The entire island was subject to the Spanish crown until 1697, when the western half was ceded to France. France took control of the whole island briefly in 1804 but was soon driven to the eastern part of the island and finally expelled in 1809. In 1821, Haiti overthrew the Spanish government and took control of the eastern half of Hispaniola until 1844, when inhabitants of the eastern part rebelled and declared the Dominican Republic an independent state and began a revolution.

In 1858, the country was finally unified, but in 1861 government control was returned to Spain. Other inhabitants rebelled, and independence was won in 1865. Internal strife and civil unrest lasted until the late 1970's, when a semblance of freedom was established. The country has remained in this state until the present time.

Online History

 * English wiki article on history of Dominican Republic
 * Spanish wiki article on history of Dominican Republic
 * History of the Dominican Republic
 * "La República Dominciana en la Exposición Internacional de Bruselas," a Google eBook, published in 1897