Tribute to African-Americans in Samana

[Ken]

Dolores, it appears you didn't read all the articles and "Samana Notes" in the Santo Domingo News in the late 80s and early 90s. (-;

To practice Spanish is those days, I went almost daily to Barrio Willmore to the home of Luís Simón Lake, the husband of one of the Willmore descendents, for Spanish conversation. Among the many subjects we talked about were the Americans coming to Samaná and they shared with me documents they had. Those documents indicated that Boyer, the ruling figure in Haiti at that time, was interested in populating relatively unpopulated areas with black people who had a farming background. To attract the blacks from the US, he offered land for them to live and grow crops on.

There were groups that went to other parts of the island, but the Samana group was the most successful. Many of those who went to other parts of the island got sick and died while others soon became disenchanted with the "heathen" customs of the Haitians and returned to the US.

One reason the Samana colony prospered was because the settlers did not mix with the Haitians. They stayed together, had their own protestant church, own school with classes taught in English, they married wiithin their group, and the kept English as their language. In fact, it wasn't until Trujillo's days, when they were forced to use Spanish, that many of them did. But even then they continued to talk among themselves in English. Even today their are barrios outside the city of Samana where "English" is the primary language. Lacking opportunities to read and converse widely in Englis, the language they speak isn't much different than what was spoken by the freed slaves who settled their in the 1800s.

To this day, many of the people in Samana consider themselves Americans because they descended from this group of slaves. And there are others, like Luis Simon Lake who consider themselves English because they descendend from one of the black families that migrated to Samana from the British islands of the Caribbean.

In recent years, the young people wanted to fit into the larger community and were ashamed of their parents speaking English. Of course, many of them are now kicking themselves today because they know they could have better jobs if they had learned English as a child. And today's descendents are marrying outside the group, so the identity of the group is being lost. But it certainly is an interesting history and it is a pleasure to talk with those people about their past.

[Dolores]

Would be worthy of compiling those notes to put together the story. Do you have them?

Between what John Collins is coming up with, what Hillbilly may have from his own research, and what you have, there should be enough to put together a small online book on this chapter of Dominican history.

Do you have the dates of those Samana Notes?

[Ken]

Originally Posted by Dolores

Would be worthy of compiling those notes to put together the story. Do you have them?

Between what John Collins is coming up with, what Hillbilly may have from his own research, and what you have, there should be enough to put together a small online book on this chapter of Dominican history.

Do you have the dates of those Samana Notes?

Dolores, I saved copies of everything I wrote thinking I might do something with it some day and feel sure that even after moving off the boat and into our condo that it is somewhere in the apartment. I'm not quite as sure that I saved the resource material on Samana, but hope I can find it, too.

Regarding dates, unless I find the copies I saved I won't be able to give you dates.

[Ken]

I found my copy of the document "Historical Outline of the Landing of Afro-Americans Immigrants on the Island of Santo Domingo" written by Rev. Nehemiah Willmore. Here is a brief quote that relates to what what was being discussed earlier in this thread:

"The historical outlines of the landing of the Afro-American emigrants on the island of Santo Domingo is as follows: In the year 1822, President Peter Boyer, who ruled both countries, withich is Haiti and Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo being situated in the extreme eastern part of the country, and Haiti in the extreme northeastern piart of the country.

President Boyer's desire was to bring thousands of these colored people, as themselves, to this country to cultivate the land and plant crops of various kinds, principally cotton, sugar cane, tobacco and vegetables. These people were found at the time principally in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Jersey City and Maryland, etc. (We also want our readers to know that at this time the slave trade was not yet broken up as yet; but those who managed to make their escape from down south were well protected in these cities.

In the year 1822, President Boyer sent J. Granville to the U.S.A., who contacted on the 25th of May a colored emigration organization from Philadelphia and offered them the privilege of enjoying civil and political rights. And in the month of November, on the 29th of said month of the same year, six thousand colored emigrants parted on said date and another group on the 4th of December, and were sheltered in an old Convent, called "Las Mercedes", which they finally used as a Methodist Church; being the first group of Protestants to bring Protestantism to this country.

They were very unfortunate, because shortly after they arrived, they were hit with typhoid, which greatly diminished their number. Many of those who survived the fever became disgusted with the customs of the Haitians, which they considered to be a continual threat to their familes, and decided to return to America.

Those that remained, greatly distinguished themselves by their well organized families and society, as well as by thier good neighborly customs and treatment. They were given land to carryon their agricultural pursuits. Many of those who remained atSanto Domingo afterwards decided to come over to join their brethren at Samana, which finally proved to be the most progressive group and the only ones who had kept together and retained their original customs and language through intermarriages.

The land here at the time was very fertile, and yielded abundantlyi. And as the years went by, and they used to reap their big rice and corn fields, they got into the custom of making united gatherings to plant and reap these fields, and then to husk the corn and thresh the rice; and in all these gatherings they used to sing the old anthems that they brought with them from the United States, and this they kept up until abut 30-409 years ago when they finally dropped them; and that is because their work in all departments is greatly mixed with Spanish-speaking people with whom lots of them are also marrying."

Talking about the way English is spoken by many, he says, "The improper way in which most of our unlearned people in the U.S. spoke in former years can be detected in the most of them until now: just like the ones over there (such as: am guine, set down for sit; in place of for me to be able to do this, that, or the other they will say: for me te cin, my mame, my papey, her a said, we want to, and the light).

[Ken]

We arrived in the morning of the 27th of November, 1824, and were received in this city of Santo Domingo with salvos of artilery shot from the fort, and high offcials of the government came on board and welcomed us and escorted us to land, and from there to the government house, and there they registered us as immigrants, and we were treated with much cordiality and love, more as brothers than as strangers. In fact, the reception that was given us was identical or superior to what was given General Lafayette when he visited the United States. We received personal salutes from each one of the solders of the fort and many citizens of the locality.

[Mirador]

Many years ago, I had a very close relationship with a woman from Samana. She was a judge then, and she told me that her family owned half of all the land in Las Terrenas. She was a beautiful black woman, and her last name was Vanderhorst. She told me that she new very little of her ancestors, except that they must have had some connection with the Netherlands. I read recently that Portugal has decided to give citizenship to all who can claim Portuguese descent up to the third generation wherever they were born. I wonder if Samana descendents from US slaves can claim US citizenship?

[Quisqueya]

Hmmm!!!!!

Many of those who survived the fever became disgusted with the customs of the Haitians, which they considered to be a continual threat to their familes, and decided to return to America.

I smell antihaitianismo brewing!!!!!!!!!!! Many people tend to forget that most of the haitians that went to Spanish Haiti (present day DR) were soldiers and not citizens of the Republic of Haiti.

Another fallacy is that Boyer was trying to darken the eastern side. For one Boyer was a mulatto who wanted the island to be a haven for all people & not necessarily black..His philosophy was that the island of Espaniola would be the mecca for people against oppression & colonialism..

His downfall was that he tried to turn the eastern side of the island into an agricultural based economy which plummeted the present day DR besides not pulling his soldiers from present day DR caused many frictions among the few elite that stayed. And J.P. Duarte an elite creole dissident and some elite haitians not satisfied with their share plotted to overthrow his (Boyer's) government..

Another note I don't african americans wanted to return back to USA at that present time..unless they preferred being hung on Oak trees. Although the people that settled Samana were not accustomed to the island they managed to build there own community.

[Quisqueya]

Originally Posted by Mirador

Many years ago, I had a very close relationship with a woman from Samana. She was a judge then, and she told me that her family owned half of all the land in Las Terrenas. She was a beautiful black woman, and her last name was Vanderhorst. She told me that she new very little of her ancestors, except that they must have had some connection with the Netherlands. I read recently that Portugal has decided to give citizenship to all who can claim Portuguese descent up to the third generation wherever they were born. I wonder if Samana descendents from US slaves can claim US citizenship?

That's a far far stretch Mirador and would never happen in a million years. Besides, USA is becoming anti-immigrant...Besides, they can't even take care of their own people in Nouvelle Orleans what makes you think they would do for blacks in Samana (who are indeed dominicans)that are actually african descendants and were not even americans yet.

Portugal only did that because their country is now poor and the people that migrated obtained wealth in their new land and wanted them to bring that resource back to Portugal..I am quite sure they were not giving native Angolans or native Brazilians portuguese citizenship...

[Ken]

Originally Posted by Mirador

Many years ago, I had a very close relationship with a woman from Samana. She was a judge then, and she told me that her family owned half of all the land in Las Terrenas. She was a beautiful black woman, and her last name was Vanderhorst. She told me that she new very little of her ancestors, except that they must have had some connection with the Netherlands. I read recently that Portugal has decided to give citizenship to all who can claim Portuguese descent up to the third generation wherever they were born. I wonder if Samana descendents from US slaves can claim US citizenship?

Mirador, the names of the black families that settled Samana mean nothing in terms of relationships because they took the names of the people who owned them in the US. Most of them, or their parents, were blacks living in Africa that were brought to the US in sailing ships as slaves. The owner of this woman's ancestors may well have been a Dutchman or a descendent from Dutch people, because Vanderhorst does sound like a Dutch name., But I can assure you that her ancestors when in Africa were not named Vanderhorst.

As far as these people claiming US citizenship, they lost their chance when the US Senate during the administration of President Grant voted against buying Samana so that the Bay of Samana could be used as a US Navy base.

[NALs]

Originally Posted by Ken

Mirador, the names of the black families that settled Samana mean nothing in terms of relationships because they took the names of the people who owned them in the US. Most of them, or their parents, were blacks living in Africa that were brought to the US in sailing ships as slaves. The owner of this woman's ancestors may well have been a Dutchman or a descendant from Dutch people, because Vanderhorst does sound like a Dutch name., But I can assure you that her ancestors when in Africa were not named Vanderhorst.

As far as these people claiming US citizenship, they lost their chance when the US Senate during the administration of President Grant voted against buying Samana so that the Bay of Samana could be used as a US Navy base.

Ken,

What you are saying appears to be on the mark and makes perfect sense.

However, slaves and free blacks and mulatto's in the United States counted as 1/3 (+ or -) citizen, compared to whites who were 100% citizens. This is interesting, because despite being slaves and despite the law recognizing each slaves 2/3 non-human practically, the law still recognized them as 1/3 American citizens. If this is correct, then descendants of former American slaves living in Samana could claim American citizenship, if and only if, the US pledges to recognize citizenship to descendants of former American citizens.

Whether descendants of former American citizens can claim US citizenship this boils down to legal technicalities, much how the designation of 1/3 citizenship to slaves and afro-Americans handicapped their ability to vote, since a person need full citizenship to do that and only white men had that privilege at that time.

This reminds me of a practice the colonizers used.The slaves captured and/or bought by the Europeans baptized each and every single African prior to being shipped across the Atlantic. During the baptism, those Africans would be given Christian or "European" names. I am not sure if the would be slaves were given European surnames prior to the journey, I will further look into this matter.

-NALs