Dominican War of Independence

Dominican War of Independence
Schooner "Separación Dominicana" during the Battle of Tortuguero, by Adolfo García Obregón.
Date 1844–1856 Location Dominican Republic Result Dominican victory Expulsion of Haitian government Dominican Independence
Belligerents
Dominican Republic	Haiti
Commanders and leaders
Pedro Santana Antonio Duvergé Felipe Alfau Juan B. Cambiaso † Juan B. Maggiolo Juan Acosta Manuel Mota José Mª. Cabral José Mª. Imbert J. J. Puello Pedro E. Pelletier	Charles Hérard Jean-Louis Pierrot Faustin Soulouque Pierre Paul Auguste Brouard Gen. Souffrand Gen. St.-Louis Jean Francois

Dominican victory

The Dominican Independence War gave the Dominican Republic autonomy from Haiti on February 27, 1844. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola had been united under the Haitian government for a period of 22 years when the newly independent nation, then known as the Republic of Spanish Haiti, was invaded by Haiti in 1822. Previously known as the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, the criollo class within the country overthrew the Spanish crown in 1821 before unifying with Haiti a year later.

At the time Haiti had been more economically and militarily powerful and had a population 8 to 10 times larger than the former Spanish colony, having been the richest colony in the western hemisphere before the Haitian Revolution. Dominican military officers agreed to merge the newly independent nation with Haiti, as they sought for political stability under the Haitian president Jean-Pierre Boyer, and were attracted to Haiti's perceived wealth and power at the time. However, due to the Haitian government's mismanagement, heavy military disputes, and an economic crisis the Haitian government became increasingly unpopular, thus the Dominican people decided to forcefully overthrow the Haitian government with no compromises.

After winning the war and ousting the Haitian occupying force from the country, Dominican nationalists fought against a series of attempted Haitian invasions that served to consolidate their independence from 1844 to 1856. Under the command of the "emperor" Faustin Soulouque Haitian soldiers would make incessant attacks to try to gain back control of the territory, but these efforts were to no avail as the Dominicans would go on to decisively win every battle henceforth. Since then, Dominican-Haitian relations have been unstable.

At the beginning of the 1800s, the colony of Santo Domingo, which had once been the headquarters of Spanish power in the New World was in its worst decline. Spain during this time was embroiled in the Peninsular War in Europe, and other various wars to maintain control of the Americas. With Spain's resources spread among its global interest, Santo Domingo became neglected. This period is referred to as the España Boba era.

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