Buenaventura Báez's first term establishes the personal rivalry with Pedro will Santana that dominate Dominican politics until the latter's death in 1864.

President Báez purges Santana's followers (santanistas) from the government and installs his own followers (baecistas) in their place, pardons a number of Santana's political opponents, reorganizes the military in an effort to dilute Santana's power base, and apparently conceives a plan to create a militia that will serve as a counterforce to the army.

Rebellious Dominicans set up a provisional government in Santiago, headed by General Jose Antonio Salcedo, on September 14, 1863.

Their proclamation of an Act of Independence launches what is known as the War of Restoration.

For their part, the Spanish once again turn to Santana, who receives command of a force made up largely of mercenaries.

However, by this time, his popularity has all but disappeared.

Indeed, the provisional government has denounced Santana and condemned him to death for his actions against his countrymen.

On June 14, 1864, a broken and despondent Santana will save the rebels the trouble of carrying out their sentence by dying (or, unproven speculation asserts, by committing suicide).

Resentment and rebellion continue, fed by racial tension, excessive taxation, the failure to stabilize the currency, the uncompensated requisition of supplies by the Spanish army, heavy-handed reform of local religious customs by an inflexible Spanish archbishop, and the restriction of trade to the benefit of the Spanish metropolis.

The Spaniards quell more uprisings in 1863, but guerrilla actions continue.

In response to the continuing unrest, a state of siege is declared in February 1863.

Support for annexation does not run as deep as Santana has represented to the Spanish, however.

The first rebellion against Spanish rule breaks out in May 1861, but is quashed in short order. 

A better organized revolt, under the leadership of baecista General Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, springs up only a month later.

Santana, now bearing the title of captain general of the Province of Santo Domingo, is forced to take to the field against his own countrymen as the representative of a foreign power.

The wily Santana lures Sanchez into an ambush, where he is captured and executed.

Despite this service, Santana finds his personal power and his ability to dole out patronage to his followers greatly restricted under Spanish rule.

As a result, he resignesthe captaincy general in January 1862.

Santana announces the annexation of the Dominican Republic by Spain on March 18, 1861.

A number of conditions have combined to bring about this reversion to colonialism.

The Civil War in the United States has lessened the Spanish fear of retaliation from the north.

In Spain itself, the ruling Liberal Union of General Leopoldo O'Donnell has been advocating renewed imperial expansion.

And in the Dominican Republic, both the ruler and a portion of the ruled are sufficiently concerned about the possibility of a renewed attack from Haiti or domestic economic collapse to find the prospect of annexation attractive.

Santana, pardoned by a provisional government established at Santiago, returns in August 1857 to join the revolution.

He raises his own personal army and soon dominates the movement.

A year of bloody conflict between the governments of Santiago and Santo Domingo takes a heavy toll in lives and money.

Under the terms of a June 1857 armistice, Baez once again flees to Curaçao with all the government funds he can carry.

Santana proceeds to betray the aspirations of some of his liberal revolutionary followers by restoring the dictatorial constitution of 1854.

Santanismo again replaced baecismo; only a small group of loyalists realize any benefit from the exchange, however.

Politically, the country continues to walk a treadmill.

Economically, conditions ha e become almost unbearable for many Dominicans.

The general climate of despair sets the stage for the success of Santana's renewed efforts to obtain a protector for his country.

Báez has little time in which to savor his triumph over his rival, however.

Reverting to the policies of Baez's first term, the government floods the country with what rapidly becomes all but worthless paper money

Tobacco farmers in the Cibao, who object strongly to the purchase of their crops with this devalued currency, rise against Báez in what will comes to be known as the Revolution of 1857.

Their standard-bearer, not surprisingly, is Santana.

Regla Mota's rule in the Dominican Republic lasts almost five months.

An empty treasury forces the new president to discharge most of the army.

Thus deprived of the Dominican rulers' traditional source of power, his government all but invites the return of Buenaventura Báez.

With the support of the Spanish, Báez is named vice president by Regla Mota, who now resigns in Báez's favor.

Not a forgiving man by nature, Baez loses little time in denouncing ex-president Santana and expelling him from the country.

Once again, Baez purges santanistas from the government and replaces them with his own men.

The final crisis of Santana's second term also originates in the foreign policy sphere.

Shortly after the Haitian campaign, the Dominican and United States governments sign a commercial treaty that provides for the lease of a small tract in Samana for use as a coaling station.

Although Santana delays implementation of the lease, its negotiation provides his opponents—including baecistas and the government of Spain—the opportunity to decry Yankee imperialism and demand the president's ouster.

Pressure builds to such an extent that Santana feels compelled to resign on May 26, 1856, in favor of his vice president, Manuel de la Regla Mota.

Renewed annexation talks between the Dominican and United States governments arouses the concern of Haitian emperor Soulouque.

Motivated at least in part by a desire to prevent the acquisition of any portion of Hispaniola by the slaveholding United States, Soulouque launches a new invasion in November 1855.

However, Dominican forces decisively defeat the Haitians in a number of engagements and force them back across the border by January 1856.