Background

In the previous decades, Santo Domingo had endured many changes in administrations. After being ceded to France through the Treaty of Basel, the capital was briefly controlled by Haitian forces in 1801, recaptured by France in 1802, and finally being reclaimed by Spain in 1809. It wasn't until 1821, when the colony finally declared its independence from Spain. The new nation was named The Republic of Spanish Haiti.

A year later, the governor of the new nation, José Núñez de Cáceres, having failed in his efforts to secure a deal with Gran Colombia, saw little other option than to cooperate with Jean-Pierre Boyer, who promised full support to the Dominican inhabitants in exchange for merging with Haiti. Upon Boyer's entrance to Dominican territory, he prolclaimed the abolition of slavery, and formally annexed the territory into the Republic of Haiti. This began the period of Haitian domination in Santo Domingo.

However, tensions arose within the eastern part of the island as the regime began implement forceful measures that deeply affected their interest; land expropriation were carried out, cultural practices and traditions (such as use of the Spanish language and the custom of cockfighting) had been prohibited, and heavy taxes were imposed. In addition, Boyer, unbeknownst to the Dominicans, agreed to accept an indemnity with France in exchange for the recognition of Haitian independence. In an effort to raise revenue to pay the debt, which amounted to 150 million francs (US$21 billion today), Boyer established the Code Rural, or forced labor, on the island. This fueled the perception of the Dominicans, who now viewed their Haitian overlords as "oppressors," unleashing strong resistance that accumulated into a series of attempts to liberate themselves from the regime.

The Alcarrizos Conspiracy of 1823

In the beginning years of the Haitian occupation, resistance to the regime began to take shape. In 1823, a group of conspirators, led by Baltazar de Moca, Antonio González, Juan Jiménez, and Pedro González, organized a movement to overthrow the government and rejoin Santo Domingo to Spain. Unfortunately, the plot was discovered by the governor, Jerome Maxinimian Borgella, who ruthlessly launched a military persecution against the rebels. Some were able to evade the authorities, while others, like Nova and Jiménez, were arrested and executed on Boyer's orders.

Boyer responded to the failed uprisings in a speech before the Haitian Congress, in which he noted:

"...the Republic continued to enjoy perfect tranquility, despite the fact that some fools, possessed by ambition and malevolence, had dared to manifest pernicious intentions in the East..."

La Trinitaria and Independence of 1844

After many years of foreign oppressions, the young revolutionary, Juan Pablo Duarte, sought to forge a movement to bring about Dominican Independence.

On July 16, 1838, a young man, Juan Pablo Duarte, who grew tired of imperialism and foreign power imposed on his people, decided to form a secret society with other educated men who shared his ideals. They founded the nationalistic group, La Trinitaria, in honor of the Holy Trinity.