Last modified: 2006-03-18 by antonio martins
Keywords: dominican republic | haiti | cross: patty (white) | trinitarian movement | star: 6 points (white) | star: 5 points (white) | stars: 10 (white) | doubt |
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The flag of the Dominican Republic has its roots in
the Haitian Flag of the
early 19th century, a horizontal bicolor of blue over red.
The leader of the movement for independence from Haiti,
Juan Pablo Duarte, founded a secret society, the
Trinitarians, on 16 July 1838. This name referred to their
religion as well as to the organization of their society,
which limited association between members to cells of three
individuals.
Dave Martucci, 12 Oct 1999
On 16 July 1838 the Trinitaria movement was founded, adopted
the Haitian flag with a cross (the cross of
Konstantin the Great of Byzanz!). The flag
was hoisted on 27 Feb 1844 when independence was declared, because the
dominican part did not accept Haitian president Boyer.
The new design came in use on 6 Nov 1844.
Ralf Stelter, 21 Jan 2001
What does 10 stars represent?
Nozomi Kariyasu, 28 Jan 2001
According to Corre’s 2001
article [cor01a],
the members of the secret society Trinitaria allied to Haitian
liberals to form a common front against (Haitian) Boyer’s regime, thus
explaining the “Haitian” origin of the Trinitaria flag.
This Trinitaria flag thought to be the origin of the Dominican
flag is shown in one source (in [stb65],
plate 25, flag #871,
erroneously captioned «Dominica (English Western
Colonies)») as an horizontally divided blue-red flag with a white cross
in the center, four white stars placed vertically along the hoist, two
white stars placed above and below the cross, respectively, and four white
stars placed vertically along the hoist.
Ivan Sache, 30 Jun 2001
This flag is shown on both the 1862 Bromme flag atlas
[bmm62], and the 1864
Johnson flag chart [jow63];
Bromme showing is as "Republ. Dominca" and Jonhson (incorrectly)
as "Dominica".
Devereaux Cannon, 30 Jun 2001
I found another source showing this flag,
Flag chart named The Flags of All Nations
new edition [fan97].
Nozomi Kariyasu, 28 Jan 2001
This is from Johnson & Wards New Chart of
National Emblems [jow63] of the 19th
century where the flag is named "Dominica" and stands right next to
Haiti.
Ralf Stelter, 28 Jan 2001
I confirm that my image, made after the one published in
[cor01a], is indeed different from
Mark’s one, made from the primary source,
[stb65].
Ivan Sache, 01 Jul 2001
Steenbergen [stb65] shows the cross
not widening so much as in Ivan’s image, the
horizontal arms are a bit longer then the vertical arms, and the edges are
a bit rounded.
Mark Sensen, 30 Jun 2001
Article 194 of the Dominican Constitution from 6 November 1844 states, quoting from Paul Estrade’s article [esr91], as quoted in Olivier Corre’s article [cor01]:
El pabellon mercante nacional se compone de los colores azules y rosados, colocados en cuarteles esquinados; y divididos en el centro por una cruz blanca de la mitad del ancho de unoe de los otros colores que toque en los cuatro extremos.Ivan Sache, 30 Jun 2001
Acording to [smi75b] and
[smi80], the cross of the
Trinitaria flag was later extended to the edges,
and then the colours were reversed.
Ralf Stelter, 21 Jan 2001
After several unsuccessful attempts, independence was finally
achieved on 27 February 1844. By then the flag of the Trinitarians
was modified slightly by the reversal of the colors at the fly end of
the flag, making the flag as known today.
Dave Martucci, 12 Oct 1999
Is there any connection between the
historical
(and local) flag
of Lares (Puerto Rico) and the old national
flag (1844-1861) of the Dominican Republic?
They are identical, except for the star on
the upper hoist of the puerto-rican
flag—
António Martins, 27 Mar 2000
There is a connection between the Dominican and the
Lares flag. Some of the
leaders of the 1868 revolution were exiled in the
Dominican Republic and from there they came to Puerto
Rico. They had planned to bring arms and supplies from
the Dom. Rep. but the Spaniards were informed of their
plans, so they had to move ahead the date of the rising
in Lares hoping that they could hold long enough to
receive the arm supplies. This was not the case as the
revolutionary forces were crushed in three days.
Becasue of their connection with the Dom. Rep. it was
natural that the leaders would choose a flag similar to
that nation’s. The 1895 leaders did the same when
they chose a flag similar to the
Cuban one, since they were intimately connected with
the Cuban struggle.
Victor Quinones, 31 Mar 2000
On 18 march 1861 the dominican government puts itself under Spanish
rule again, president Pedro Santana becomes governor of the newly spanish
colony. Again independence declaration on 14 sep 1863, fight against
Spanish lasts two years.
Ralf Stelter, 21 Jan 2001
The Eastern part of Santo Domingo island asked to
be again a Spanish colony in 1861. I infer from this
that the former colonial
Spanish flag was
re-hoisted.
This second spanish rule in Santo Domingo was between
18-3-1861 and 11-7-1865.
Jaume Ollé, 02 Nov 1997
According to Corre’s 2001 article
[cor01a], this second Spanish rule
was established by the pro-Spanish party of the Caudillo Pedro
Santana. Expulsion of the Spaniards led to the independence of
Dominican Republic and partition of the island with Haiti.
Ivan Sache, 30 Jun 2001
See also: Santo Domingo Maritime Province 1863-1865 (Spain)
Red, white and yellow holizontal 3 stripes (1:1:1).
Proportion 2:3.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 21 Jan 2001
This flag is on the 1862 Bromme atlas
[bmm62],
it is shown as «Stadt St. Domingo».
Devereaux Cannon, 30 Jun 2001
This flag was already discussed on the list, it most probably intended
to represent a pre-1714 Spanish ensign and was thus a mistake in Norie and
Hobbs 1848 [noh48].
Santiago Dotor, 02 Jul 2001
According to Corre’s 2001 article
[cor01a], the flag
used during these years could have been an
horizontally divided
red-white-yellow flag. This flag is shown for Santo Domingo in Norie
and Hobbs’ chart [noh48] from
1848 (plate XXIV, #293), and might therefore have been used during
the first Spanish rule (1842-1848).
Ivan Sache, 30 Jun 2001
The flag red, white yellow surely is not the flag of Spanish colony because:
Origin may be Spanish naval flags of
American colonies. I have one source saying it was the flag of Santo
Domingo 1861 - 1863/65, but if, how is it possible that Norie-Hobbs
[noh48] show that flag in 1848?
Ralf Stelter, 21 Jan 2001