African Diaspora in The Dominican Republic
Slavery In Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is best known for its beautiful clean beaches, and Caribbean resorts. However, slavery has always been hidden beneath the surface. During history, the Dominican Republic was firstly named Hispaniola. It was discovered and later people were killed off because of the diseases that were brought in, and were later replaced with African American slaves. They were sold into slavery in DR and were forced to do work. "Needing labor to replace the rapidly declining Taino, the Spanish introduced African slaves to Hispaniola in 1502; by 1510, the trade was important to the Caribbean economy." (Strong) The slaves coming was just the beginning to more of them on their way. The slaves were forced to do the work to the replace the ones who couldn't, and to replace the ones who died due to disease. The Atlantic slave trade was the whole process of trading the slaves to the different countries. "During the beginning of the Atlantic slave trade, the first captive Africans were sold as slaves in Santo Domingo (1503) However, Santo Domingo did not develop as a major slave colony." (Schimmer) Throughout the years, Santo Domingo wasn't really the most major country with slaves, not the most talked about. However, it was part of the beginning of it all. The Africans went through the process then Hispaniola became just like every other country that contained slaves.
Resistance to Slavery
​
American slaves used several forms of resistance to fight their imprisonment, everything from work slowdowns and tool damage to full-fledged revolt and flight. People rebelled against the slavery and imprisonment with revolts and different stances."The rebels became reconciled to French rule following the abolition of slavery in the colony in 1793, although this alienated the island's dominant slave-holding class. France controlled the entirety of Hispaniola from 1795 to 1802, when a renewed rebellion began." (Anacker) The rebellion began for people to get their freedom back instead of being under a control. People used different things to fight back. Different ideas and different unique ways to get their freedom back. "Hispaniola, the island currently shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, was ... arson, and poison also provided slaves with ways to rebel against their superior."(Howard) Slaves in Hispaniola wanted a way out. They did everything they could to, no matter the cost of what it took or what they had to do.
​
African Diaspora culture in The Dominican Republic, past and present
​
The culture of the Dominican Republic is a diverse mixture of different influences from around the world. The Dominican people and their customs have origins consisting predominately in a European cultural basis, with both African and native TaÃno influences. "In rural areas, fiestas de palo are parties meant to celebrate the saints are another way our African roots manifest in everyday Dominican life—drumming, dancing, and song using traditional call-and-response are really a sight that should never be missed if you can catch it" (Kaiser) Things were taken from other cultures and used in DR. Dances, and songs were inspired by the different races and taken from the roots. Places in the Dominican republic that were used to hold, beat, or even transfer slaves were made in to different building and turned into sight seeings."The first documented African slaves began to arrive in the Dominican Republic in 1503 and were sent to work in the fields and houses on plantations and the construction of many of the buildings in Santo Domingo which are now considered UNESCO Heritage" Sites." (Mena) Places where the slaves were taken to, are always gonna be remembered, due to the change that they have made to their culture and its buildings.
​
​
​
​