History of the Dominican Republic:
The indigenous people of the Dominican Republic were the Taino, an Arawak-speaking tribe who arrived on the island around 600 AD, displacing the previous inhabitants. The Taino lived under the rule of five tribal chiefs, with separate territories. They relied mainly on agriculture and fishing for their livelihood. The exact population of the Taino is difficult to determine.
On December 5, 1492, Christopher Columbus made his first voyage to the island and landed here. Nineteen days later, the Santa Maria ran aground, leading to the settlement of 39 people on the island and the establishment of the village of La Navidad.
Unfortunately, after the initial peaceful interactions, the Taino people began to resist, but they were not protected against European weapons and diseases, leading to their near extinction by modern times.
Due to the decrease in the population, King Charles allowed for settlement. This mainly involved the arrival of African slaves, resulting in the majority of the population becoming mestizos with a Spanish culture.
In 1496, Christopher Columbus's brother, Bartholomew, built the city of Nueva Isabela on the site of present-day Santo Domingo. It became the first permanent European settlement in the New World and played a significant role in the conquest of the Antilles. During this period, it served as the main headquarters of Spanish power. As its importance declined, French pirates settled in the western part of the island, and in 1697, Spain ceded a portion of the island to France. By the end of the 18th century, the population of the wealthy French colony was four times larger than that of the Spanish population.
In 1795, as a result of the French Revolutionary Wars, Spain handed over Santo Domingo to the French, but local slaves led by Toussaint Louverture rebelled and expanded their power over the entire island. (He was the first to abolish slavery on the island.)
In 1808, creoles living in Santo Domingo once again rose up against French rule and, with the support of Great Britain and Haiti, restored Spanish rule.
Transitional independence and Haitian rule occurred over the years, but ultimately, in 1838, Juan Pablo Duarte, Ramón Matias Mella, and Francesco del Rosario Sanchez founded a secret society to achieve independence without external assistance. Today, they are considered the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic.
On February 27, 1844, independence from Haiti was declared, and the first constitution was adopted on November 6, 1844.
A few years later, Santana entered into a new agreement with the Spanish crown, making the Dominican Republic a colony again. However, with the help of Haiti and the United States, they declared independence once again on August 16, 1863.