Sancochjoe,
Your post sounds very convincing and logical but that isn't the reason for the celebration.
DR celebrates 1844 as their independence from Haiti and 1865 restoring the independence from Spain. Thus, the only country in Latin America to have 2 separate independence. DR is the only country in latin america that voluntarily returned to the Spanish colonisers giving all their rights in 1861.
BTW, 1822 Caceres gave Boyer(haitian president) the keys to the city of Santo Domingo(mutual agreement). Boyer achieved ultimate unity bringing the french haitians and spanish haitians (what we know today as dominicans)as one entity. Unfortunately Boyer took the property of the rich criollos and divided among the poor criollos which pissed off many well off criollos and out of them merged J.P.Duarte the rest is his-story.
Also it was during the haitian occupation that Boyer allowed african american to settle in Samana dominican gov't had nothing to do with this...He wanted every slave in the north and south america to be free. Do you see the threat and the arrogance of the haitian gov't during those time? Do you think the USA and the other super powers wanted their slaves to hear about free negros and many were more educated and civilised than they were, demanding African descendants asylum....The promise land was Ayiti...imgane if telecommunication was around during those times.
Important Dates
6 Dec 1492 Spanish colony (Hispa?iola).
1500 Crown colony
1511 - 1517 Audiencia of Santo Domingo
1520 Audiencia of Santo Domingo (restored).
20 Sep 1697 Partition of Hispa?iola; eastern part: Saint-Domingue
to France; western part: Santo Domingo remains Spanish.
22 Jul 1795 Spain cedes Santo Domingo to France
(Spanish administration continues until 1801).
13 Dec 1808 Santo Domingo reverts to Spain.
30 Nov 1821 Independence (Independent State of the Spanish
Part of Haiti in Colombia).
Dec 1821 - 9 Feb 1822 Part of Gran Colombia.
9 Feb 1822 Incorporated into Haiti.
27 Feb 1844 Independence (becomes the Dominican Republic)
18 Mar 1861 Reincorporated into Spain (Foolish Spain)
14 Sep 1863 Independence (Dominican Republic)(recognized 1865).
1869 - 1870 Failed government bid for annexation to the U.S.
30 Mar 1903 - 28 Mar 1905 U.S. occupation.
28 Mar 1905 - 1941 U.S. protectorate
29 Nov 1916 - 12 Jul 1924 U.S. occupation.
28 Apr 1965 - 21 Sep 1966 U.S. occupation.
sancochojoe said:
Maybe if Haiti was a superpower, the celeberation would have more meaning, but giving the status of Haiti, such a celebration would look kind of silly.
Without sounding disrespectful for my brothers in Haiti, the idea that DR won their independence from the poorest country in the western hemisphere and possibly the world is not a badge of honor or a symbol of pride.
DR understands what Haiti once was, but the rest of the world has no idea, they just see a country that never had anything, so, like I said, it would look silly.
Usually a country seem to be prouder when they won their independence from a bigger and badder nation.