The Dominican Republic's Restoration Day: Reclaiming Independence and Shaping National Identity

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What if your country had to fight for its independence not once, but twice? Join us as we unveil the incredible story of the Dominican Republic's Restoration Day, celebrated on August 16th. This episode of Strictly Facts explores the Dominican Restoration War from 1863 to 1865, during which the nation valiantly reclaimed its sovereignty from Spain. We'll highlight key figures like Santiago Rodriguez and Juan Pablo Duarte, who played essential roles in this epic struggle, and discuss how their leadership helped shape the country's national identity.

From the initial Cry of Capotillo to the final moments of victory, discover how the Dominican Republic's triumph inspired broader independence movements throughout the Caribbean, particularly in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Despite facing immense challenges, including attempts at annexation by multiple powers, the Dominican people’s resilience shone through. This episode is not just a recount of historical events but a tribute to the enduring spirit of a nation. Tune in to learn about the lasting impact of the Dominican Republic's Second Republic, and don't forget to follow us on social media to share your own reflections on Restoration Day and other significant milestones you’d like us to cover.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Strictly Facts, a guide to Caribbean
history and culture hosted by me, alexandria Miller.
Strictly Facts teaches thehistory, politics and activism
of the Caribbean and connectsthese themes to contemporary
music and popular culture.
Hello, hello, you are now tunedin to Strictly Facts a guide to

(00:23):
Caribbean history and culturewith me, your host, alexandria
Miller.
I want to say big ups to allour listeners.
Whether this is your firstepisode in our journey and love
of sharing Caribbean history, orif you are a returning resident
, do be sure to subscribe andkeep up with us on all our
social media handles.

(00:44):
For the latest with StrictlyFacts, we are a few days late,
but, as our Strictly Factsfamily knows very well, we are
no stranger to highlightingimportant days of remembrance in
the Caribbean and our diaspora.
On Friday, August 16th, theDominican Republic observed the
nation's public holiday,restoration Day, commemorating

(01:06):
the Dominican Restoration Warthat lasted almost two years,
from August 16th 1863 to July15th 1865.
As we've discussed in previousepisodes, the nation, like many
others, has had a tumultuoushistory of colonial conquest,
stemming primarily from theFrench and Spanish, as well as

(01:29):
from Haiti, in the aftermath ofthe Republic Decades.
Before the War of Restoration,there existed the First
Dominican Republic, or, in otherwords, the first time the
nation claimed its independencefrom Haiti, from February 27,
1844 to March 18, 1861.
These 17 years of the FirstRepublic, though, marking the

(01:53):
end of Haitian occupation andhelping to establish a prominent
nationalist culture andleadership, including by figures
like military leader andpolitician Juan Pablo Duarte,
were also turbulent in that thenew country not only had to
establish a stable politicalsystem, but that they constantly

(02:15):
faced several attacks andannexation attempts by the
affirmation powers, haiti,france, spain, as well as Great
Britain and the United States.
At the end of the FirstRepublic in 1861, santo Domingo
was reintegrated or annexed backto Spain, as proposed by the

(02:35):
Dominican general at the time,pedro Santos.
This decision by Santos dividedthe population, with a run group
of people, as you're probablyguessing, supporting Spanish
colonization and the other sect,the Restorers, as they became
known, wanting to remain arepublic, thus beginning the War
of Restoration in 1863.

(02:56):
The war officially began withEl Grito de Capotillo, or the
Cry of Capotillo, a raid led byDominican leader Santiago
Rodriguez, through which theRestorers triumphed in Capotillo
, garnered the support ofseveral others, as Dominican
troops continued to wage war anddefeat the Spanish through

(03:18):
several towns across the island,despite Spain sending for
support from nearby islands likeCuba and Puerto Rico, they were
no match for the Restorers'guerrilla tactics.
In addition to the heat andlocal diseases which the native
Spanish troops were ill-preparedfor, the Restorers had major

(03:40):
wins in Santiago, montecristiand Nieva over the next several
years.
The war restoration officiallycame to an end in 1865 after
almost 11,000 Spanish lives werelost in battle, compared to
roughly 4,000 lives on the sideof the Republic.
On one hand, the end of the warbrought continued political

(04:03):
instability as military leadersvied for political leadership.
However, spain's defeat in theWar of Restoration was a
tremendous triumph for bothDominican sovereignty as well as
for others in the SpanishCaribbean, helping to motivate
nationalist causes in the nearbyislands like, as I mentioned,
cuba and Puerto Rico.

(04:27):
In the nearby islands, like, asI mentioned, cuba and Puerto
Rico, restoration Day, with thisyear marking the 161st
anniversary, celebrates theestablishment of Dominican
Republic's Second Republic,making it one of the few
countries to fight and win itsindependence more than once.
Furthermore, august 16th issuch a special day to the nation
that it is also heralded as thepresidential inauguration day

(04:49):
in tribute to the restorers.
And so, with that, we wish theDominican Republic a happy
belated Restoration Day.
We hope you enjoyed thisbite-sized episode, especially
as summer winds down.
Be sure to send us a message atthe link in our show notes to
let us know how you celebratedRestoration Day or what other

(05:10):
public holidays and importantevents you'd like us to cover.
And, as always, we hope youenjoyed this episode Lickle more
.
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