Dominican Independence (1844)

On February 27, 1844, the Trinitaria independence movement led by Juan Pablo Duarte declared the independence of the Dominican Republic, ending twenty-two years of Haitian rule over the entire island of Hispaniola. The secession had deep implications for Haiti: it restored Haiti to its western third of the island, created a permanent border conflict and ethnic tension that would culminate in the 1937 Parsley Massacre under Trujillo, and marked the beginning of a period of chronic instability in which Haiti fought multiple border wars. Haitian political discourse interpreted Dominican independence through the lens of French and American diplomatic recognition — both powers had backed the separation — as another episode of external interference with Haitian sovereignty.