Haitian Occupation of Santo Domingo

On February 9, 1822, Jean-Pierre Boyer led Haitian forces into Santo Domingo, unifying the entire island of Hispaniola under Haitian rule for twenty-two years. The occupation followed a brief declaration of independence by eastern Hispaniola from Spain and an invitation extended to Boyer by a faction of eastern leaders. Boyer abolished slavery in the East (which had been restored by Spain in 1809), distributed land to Black Haitian soldiers, imposed Haitian law including military conscription, and attempted to integrate the eastern population into the Haitian state. Spanish-speaking elites resented the cultural imposition; rural populations benefited from emancipation. The occupation ended with the Dominican Declaration of Independence on February 27, 1844.