Dominican Restoration War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dominican Restoration War |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Depiction of the Siege of the San Luis Fortress by the Dominican rebels, artwork by Melanio Guzmán |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Dominican Republic |
 Kingdom of Spain |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 15,000–17,000 | 51,000 Spanish 12,000 Dominican auxiliaries |
||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 4,000 dead 38 artillery pieces captured |
10,888 killed or wounded in action 20,000–30,000 dead from disease 10,000 Dominican auxiliaries (battle casualties and disease deaths) |
||||||
The Dominican Restoration War was a fight between 1863 and 1865 in the Dominican Republic. It was a guerrilla war, meaning fighters used surprise attacks and small groups. Dominican nationalists fought against Spain, which had taken control of the country again. The Dominican Republic had been independent for only 17 years before Spain returned. This war led to the Dominican Republic becoming a free country once more. Spanish forces left, and a new republic was formed.
Contents
Why the War Started: Spain Returns
.jpg)
After gaining independence, the Dominican Republic faced many challenges. General Pedro Santana became president. The country was in an economic crisis. There was also a risk of attacks from Haiti. Because of these problems, Santana asked Spain to take control of the country again.
Spain was careful at first. But the United States was busy with its own Civil War. This meant the U.S. could not stop Spain from getting involved in Latin America. So, Spain saw a chance to regain power. On March 18, 1861, Spain announced it was taking over. Santana then became the Governor-General of this new Spanish province.
However, not everyone was happy about this. Some Dominicans rebelled. General José Contreras led a failed uprising. Francisco del Rosario Sánchez also led an attack from Haiti. But he was caught and executed. Even Santana found he had less power under Spanish rule. He resigned in January 1862.
Spanish Rule: Unpopular Decisions
Spanish officials soon made the local people unhappy. They started a rule called bagajes. This meant citizens had to give their work animals to the Spanish military. They often received no payment. This rule was very hard on farmers in the northern Cibao region. Their animals were essential for their work.
Another problem was cultural. The new archbishop from Spain was surprised that many Dominican couples were not married in the Catholic Church. This was due to few priests and poor transportation. The archbishop wanted to fix this quickly. But his demands only annoyed the people.
Economically, the new government also caused problems. They put higher taxes on goods and ships not from Spain. They also tried to control all tobacco sales. This upset merchants. By late 1862, Spanish officials worried about a rebellion in the Cibao region. People in the south were not as angry. Also, rumors spread that Spain would bring back slavery. People feared black Dominicans would be sent to Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Meanwhile, Spain wanted to regain lands that Haiti had taken in 1794. Spanish troops removed Haitians living near the border. Because of this, Haitian President Fabre Geffrard stopped being neutral. He began to help the Dominican rebels.
The War for Freedom
The war began on August 16, 1863. A group led by Santiago Rodríguez attacked Capotillo near Dajabón. They raised the new Dominican flag on Capotillo hill. This event is called El grito de Capotillo (The Cry of Capotillo).
Many towns in the Cibao region joined the rebellion. On September 3, about 6,000 Dominicans surrounded Fort San Luis in Santiago. The fort had 800 Spanish soldiers. The Spanish soldiers left the fort on September 13. The rebels then formed a new government. José Antonio Salcedo became president. They called Santana, who was leading Spanish forces, a traitor.
Spain found it hard to fight the rebels. During the war, Spain spent over 33 million pesos. They also lost over 10,000 soldiers. Many died from diseases like yellow fever.
After Santiago was destroyed, the Spanish marched towards Puerto Plata. Dominicans attacked them along the way. The Spanish lost 1,200 soldiers. When they reached Puerto Plata, they joined the fort's soldiers. This left the town open for rebels to take things.
Spanish soldiers in Puerto Plata and Samaná faced bad conditions. The rainy season brought widespread sickness. Dominicans also attacked Puerto Plata with cannons. On October 4, both sides took things from the town. A fight happened, and 600 Spanish soldiers drove the Dominicans out.
In December 1863, Spanish troops went west along the southern coast. They wanted to remove rebel groups. The Spanish pushed rebels out of towns like Baní and Azua. But taking Azua was very costly for Spain. It took two months of fighting and many lives. The defeated rebels were forced into Haiti.
On December 9, 1863, 1,200 Spanish soldiers tried to capture San Cristóbal. But Dominican guerrillas attacked them. The Spanish had to retreat after losing 200 soldiers.
Santana tried to enter Cibao but failed. Many of his troops got yellow fever and malaria. In March 1864, he did not follow orders to gather his forces near Santo Domingo. He was removed from his command by Governor-General José de la Gándara. Santana died suddenly before facing a military trial.
On March 27, 1864, Dominicans attacked the Spanish in Puerto Plata. They were pushed back, and 200 Dominicans died. The Spanish lost only 3 killed and 25 wounded.
Rumors said Spanish troops lacked tents. Diseases like dysentery and malaria affected many soldiers. Reports suggested up to 1,500 Spanish soldiers died each month from sickness.
In May 1864, the Spanish captured Monte Cristi on the northern coast. In October 1864, the New York Times reported that over 12,000 Spanish soldiers had died in the war.
On December 4, 1864, Dominican forces led by José María Cabral won a battle against the Spanish in Neiba. This was the first time Dominicans won a regular battle against Spain.
La Gándara tried to make peace with the rebels. He and Salcedo agreed to talk. But during these talks, Salcedo was removed from power and killed by other rebel leaders. Gaspar Polanco led this group. Polanco thought Salcedo was making bad decisions and planning to bring back a former president who supported Spain.
In Spain, the war was very unpopular. It led to the downfall of the Spanish Prime Minister in 1866. The Spanish government decided to stop military actions on the island.
Polanco's time as leader was short. After a failed attack and trying to control the tobacco trade, he was also removed from power. Pedro Antonio Pimentel became the new president in March 1865.
The American Civil War was ending, and the U.S. might get involved. Spain decided it did not want to pay for a war for a territory it did not really need. On March 3, 1865, Queen Isabella II signed the order to cancel the annexation. By July 15, all Spanish troops had left the island.
What Happened Next
Many Dominican cities were destroyed during the war. Farming also stopped in many places. But the War of Restoration brought a new sense of national pride to the Dominican Republic. The Dominican victory also showed people in Cuba and Puerto Rico that Spain could be defeated.
However, the war also led to a system where a few powerful local leaders, called caudillos, gained control. These strongmen were more interested in helping themselves and their followers than the whole country. This system of power lasted for many years.
Dominican politics remained unstable for a long time. Presidents changed often. Pedro Antonio Pimentel was president for only five months. Then José María Cabral took over. He was later removed by Buenaventura Báez. Cabral then became president again. His talks with the United States about selling land around Samaná Bay were very unpopular. This allowed Báez to become president again in 1868.
The war also changed how Haiti and the Dominican Republic worked together. Before, Haiti believed the island of Hispaniola should be one country. They had tried to conquer the eastern half many times. The war made Haiti realize this goal was not possible. After the war, the two countries focused on border disputes.
August 16 is now a national holiday in the Dominican Republic. It is also the day the Dominican president is sworn into office every four years.
See also
In Spanish: Guerra de la Restauración para niños
- Spanish reconquest of Santo Domingo
- Dominican War of Independence
- Six Years War
