Many Dominicans don’t think 1821 was a REAL independence because it wasn’t much of a fight (b/c of the Espa~a boba period). It was led by one man, Nu~ez de Caceres, who sort-of “filed” for independence rather than “fight” for it. Also, many of those living in the island, given the French colonization, felt very attached to Spain.
By the 1844 independence, the eastern part of the island had woken up a separate identity from Haiti. It qualifies as an Independence because of there was a fight for it. But it wasn’t led by all sectors of society… only a small elite. The main army itself was composed of Santana’s buddies.
The 1865 independence, however, is in my opinion the REAL one. This war united the whole country which by this point had gained a strong sense of identity, separate from both Haiti AND Spain. The fight required the recruitment of the campesino masses, unheard of before in the DR. I’ve always thought that Gregorio Luperon should be elevated to a founding father level.
Then again, it’s really a matter of opinion…
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