Juan Pablo Duarte was one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic. He was a visionary and liberal thinker, who along with Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Matías Ramón Mella, is widely considered to be the architect of the Dominican Republic and its independence from Haitian rule in 1844. He would help create the political organization La Trinitaria to fight against the Haitian occupation, achieve independence, and create a self-suffic
Background
One of six children, Juan Pablo Duarte Diez was born in Santo Domingo on January 26,1813, to Manuela Diez y Jiménez and Spanish businessman Juan José Duarte Rodriguez. Duarte was eight years old when the armies of Jean-Pierre Boyer occupied the eastern Spanish-speaking part of Hispaniola and made it part of Haiti, imposing French as the country's official language. The two periods of Haitian domination in Santo Domingo created an enduring animosity between the two neighboring peoples. Haitian rule in Santo Domingo was characterized by the degree to which it tried to eliminate Spanish culture: universities were closed and communication between the Roman Catholic Church and Europe was forbidden.13.
Education
Duarte completed his primary education in 1828 at age 16, and his parents decided to send him abroad to study given the political instability that reigned at home. This trip to Europe broadened his perspective and taught him a number of languages. He also gained an understanding of the underpinnings of American and European governments, and wanted the liberties that citizens of those countries enjoyed. He studied law in Barcelona, where he perfected his nationalistic political ideas.
Career
He returned home in 1833 focused on obtaining independence for Santo Domingo and began by establishing the secret society La Trinitaria. Initially, the membership for this organization was recruited from the urban middle class. He was an excellent political orator and organizer, and his secret organization attracted hundreds of members, including Ramón Malas Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, who with Duarte, are considered the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic. As Duarte's followers increased, so did the level of oppression coming from the Haitian government.
On August 2,1843, Duarte and a number of his followers learned that they were being persecuted by the Haitian government and fled to St. Thomas. Eventually, the members of La Trinitaria were successful in bringing down the Haitian rule. Although that did not immediately bring independence to Santo Domingo, pro-independence forces were able to consolidate their power and formed a provisional government on February 27, 1844, that served as the foundation for the creation of the Dominican Republic.
Duarte's comrades encouraged him to go to South American countries to gain support for the struggle. He was successful in this charge but became ill and was never able to return to the Dominican Republic. He died in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 15, 1876.
Politics
After obtaining their independence, the leadership called for Duarte's return from exile in St. Thomas. He returned to a rousing welcome and was appointed general of the army. This period of victory ended in 1861, and once again Duarte went into exile when government leader Pedro Santana returned the Dominican Republic to its former colonial rulers. In 1864 Duarte returned to fight against the pro-colonial annexationists.