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| 3. Dominican Republic |
| 1808–21 |
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| A revolt in Santo Domingo, aided by British naval forces, established freedom from Haiti and France (1808–9). The Treaty of Paris reassigned Santo Domingo to Spain (1814). | 1 |
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| 1821, Dec. 1 |
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| SANTO DOMINGO PROCLAIMED INDEPENDENCE. | 2 |
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| 1822–44 |
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| Haitian president Jean Boyer occupied Santo Domingo (See 1844, Feb. 27). | 3 |
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| 1844, Feb. 27 |
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| Haiti's domination ended. Pedro Santana established Santo Domingo as an independent republic. His rival, Buenaventura Báez, promoted unrest. Tobacco and lumber were the main export products. In 1850 the population was 200,000. | 4 |
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| 1861, March 18 |
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| Santana, fearing another Haitian invasion and seeking to exclude liberals from government, declared Santo Domingo a province of Spain. | 5 |
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| 1863–65 |
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| Dominican liberals waged an independence war against Spain. | 6 |
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| 1865–82 |
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| Spain, confronting internal problems, withdrew from Santo Domingo. Báez took power and unsuccessfully sought annexation by the U.S. (1870–72). Continuous warfare occurred among local caudillos. In the mid-1870s commercial agriculture expanded. A process of land concentration occurred in sugar, coffee, and banana production. Wage labor and sharecropping predominated. | 7 |
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| 1882–99 |
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| Ulises Hereaux (1845–99) became dictator. He reformed the army and the bureaucracy, and encouraged export agriculture. U.S. investors formed the Improvement Company to refinance Dominican debts upon the guarantee of custom revenues. New loans overwhelmed the nation's financial resources. Population was 700,000 (1900). | 8 |
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| 1899–1916 |
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| Hereaux was assassinated, and a provisional government was installed. European bondholders pressed for the repayment of their loans. In 1907, by an agreement with the government, the U.S. took charge of customs houses to prevent European intervention. In 1916 the U.S. began an eight-year occupation. U.S. military rule encouraged the dislodging of small landowners and favored the interests of large corporations. (See The Dominican Republic) | 9 |
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