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Dominican Republic Culture and History
 The Taino Indians were the first settlers and still have a presence here. The country has been under the domination of many external powers, from Spain to France and the United States. Columbus discovered the Caribbean Island of the Dominican Republic on his first voyage to the New World in 1492. He called it La Española or Hispaniola. The capital city of Santo Domingo was founded in 1496 and is by far the oldest European settlement in not only the Caribbean, but in all of the Western Hemisphere. It is credited with having the first Catholic Church, the first hospital and the first university in the New World. It was ceded to France in 1795, by Spain and conquered by the Haitian blacks in 1801. In 1808, the populace revolted and recaptured Santo Domingo within the year, creating the first republic on the island. Spain regained title in 1814, but Spanish rule was overthrown in 1821. In 1822, The Haitians conquered it again. In 1844, the Dominican Republic was established, led by Juan Pablo Duarte. The Caribbean Island was a province of Spain from 1861 to 1865.
In 1962, Juan Bosch became the first democratically elected president in forty years. In 1963, there was a military coup ousting Bosch and creating a civilian government. Leftists soon rebelled and the U.S. sent in troops to curb the unrest. The troops withdrew in 1966, after right-wing Joaquin Balaguer won free elections against Bosch. In 1996, Leonel Fernández secured a majority of the votes and became president.
 The charm of this Caribbean Island is in its music, food and various national pastimes. It is well known for its winter baseball and handcrafted cigars, as well as its annual music festivals. The culture of the Dominican Republic is a very colorful expression of national life. Museums and archeological sites bring the history of the Dominican Republic alive for visitors, with their antique treasures and dazzling jewels. |
