Dominican Republic Timeline

By hannahmartin00
  • 1492

    Christopher Columbus

    Christopher Columbus
    Christopher Columbus visits the island, which he names Hispaniola, or "Little Spain".
  • 1496

    First Colony

    First Colony
    Spaniards set up first Spanish colony in Western hemisphere at Santo Domingo, which subsequently serves as capital of all Spanish colonies in America.

  • Treaty of Ryswick

    Treaty of Ryswick
    Treaty of Ryswick gives western part of Hispaniola island (Haiti) to France and eastern part (Santo Domingo - the present Dominican Republic) to Spain.

  • Independence

    Independence
    The Dominican Republic is officially independent.

  • Taking Over the Republic's Customs

    Taking Over the Republic's Customs
    Dominican Republic and US sign 50-year treaty according to which the US takes over the republic's customs department in return for buying its debts.

  • The Parsley Massacre

    The Parsley Massacre
    Army massacres 19,000-20,000 Haitians living in areas of the Dominican Republic adjacent to Haiti.

  • Demolishing Hurricanes

    Demolishing Hurricanes
    Two hurricanes leave more than 200,0000 people homeless and cause damage worth 1 billion dollars as the economy continues to deteriorate due to high fuel prices and low sugar prices.

  • The Riots

    The Riots
    IMF-prescribed austerity measures, including price rises for basic foods and petrol, lead to widespread riots.

  • Police vs Protesters

    Police vs Protesters
    Deadly clashes between police and protesters during demonstrations against high prices, power cuts. Two months later, demonstrations about economic policies leave at least five dead.

  • Stopping the Spread of Cholera

    Stopping the Spread of Cholera
    Dominican Republic tightens border restrictions to prevent cholera spreading from Haiti.