The Spanish-speaking Santo Domingans reestablish their republic…

The Spanish-speaking Santo Domingans reestablish their republic in the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola upon their expulsion of the French Creole-speaking Haitians, calling it the Dominican Republic, on February 27, 1844.

In 1838 Juan Pablo Duarte had founded a secret society called La Trinitaria, which seeks the complete independence of Santo Domingo without any foreign intervention.

Duarte, with Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Ramon Matias Mella, despite not being among the founding members of La Trinitaria, will come to be considered the three Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic.

The Trinitarios, taking advantage of a Haitian rebellion against the dictator Jean-Pierre Boyer, had risen up on January 27, 1843, ostensibly in support of the Haitian Charles Hérard who was challenging Boyer for the control of Haiti.

However, the movement had soon discarded its pretext of support for Hérard and now championed Dominican independence.

After overthrowing Boyer, Hérard had executed some Dominicans, and thrown many others into prison; Duarte escaped.

After subduing the Dominicans, Hérard, a mulatto, faced a rebellion by blacks in Port-au-Prince.

Haiti had formed two regiments composed of Dominicans from the city of Santo Domingo; these were used by Hérard to suppress the uprising.

On February 27, 1844, the surviving members of La Trinitaria declare the independence from Haiti.

They are backed by Pedro Santana, a wealthy cattle rancher from El Seibo, who becomes general of the army of the nascent republic.