Despite residents’ concerns that authorities have been consciously attempting to overshadow these influences, historical relics in the Dominican Republic’s colonial city of Santo Domingo reveal the contributions of enslaved Africans to the improvement of life in the region.
One of these initiatives is Hospital de San Nicolas de Bari, which was built to allow a nameless enslaved woman to care for the hundreds of sick people in Santo Domingo.
According to the BBC, historical manuscripts from the Archbishop of Santo Domingo to the Spanish Crown praised the enslaved woman, whom he described as pious and who was providing free healthcare to many poor people.
The works of the faceless black heroine, which had been buried by colonial authority for many decades, were captured in documents dated the 16th century recovered by researchers at the City University of New York’s Dominican Studies Institute.
According to the BBC, historical manuscripts from the Archbishop of Santo Domingo to the Spanish Crown praised the enslaved woman, whom he described as pious and who was providing healthcare to many poor people at no cost to them.
The works of the faceless black heroine, which had been buried by colonial authority for decades, were captured in documents dated the 16th century recovered by researchers at the City University of New York’s Dominican Studies Institute.
The Dominican Republic is known as the region in the Caribbean where enslaved Africans were first transported by Christopher Columbus when he sailed to Senegal and The Gambia in the 1490s.
Before the first slaves were sent to other US states, the first transatlantic slave trade began in 1503 with the Dominican Republic. It is also the second region in the world, after Haiti, to abolish slavery in 1801. When it comes to slavery, the Dominican Republic’s historical significance cannot be overstated.
Slavery would have occurred in the region earlier but for the difficulties encountered by Spanish sailors in settling in Santo Domingo after earlier failed attempts to acclimatize with the area. The Spanish Crown was only able to stamp its dominance in the region after Columbus’ intrusion in 1492. At least some 400,000 slaves are believed to have lost their lives or suffered harsh treatment following the Spanish Crown’s role in the slave trade.
In order to reap the full benefits of the sugar industry, the Spanish authorities transported more slaves into the region to work on the plantations. At least 28 African tribes’ descendants were brought to the region, as evidenced by the people’s culture and traditions.
Although Spanish culture predominates in the colonial city, the presence of enslaved Africans cannot be overlooked when discussing Santo Domingo’s rich heritage and history.
The culture is deeply rooted in the dance and singing of women in open spaces. The gestures made with the hands and wriggling of waist and hips by women ensemble groups are of African origin.
For many inhabitants, this is undeniable because the region is seen as one of the oldest colonial cities in the Caribbean.