Captaincy General of Santo Domingo
Spanish possession in the Caribbean (1493–1865) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Captaincy General of Santo Domingo (Spanish: Capitanía General de Santo Domingo pronounced [kapitaˈni.a xeneˈɾal de ˈsanto ðoˈmiŋɡo] ⓘ) was the first Capitancy in the New World, established by Spain in 1492 on the island of Hispaniola. The Capitancy, under the jurisdiction of the Real Audiencia of Santo Domingo, was granted administrative powers over the Spanish possessions in the Caribbean and most of its mainland coasts, making Santo Domingo the principal political entity of the early colonial period.[1]
Captaincy General of Santo Domingo (1521-1821) Province of Santo Domingo (1861-1865) | |||||||||||
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1521–1865 | |||||||||||
coat of arms of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo
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Motto: Plus Ultra "Further Beyond" | |||||||||||
Anthem: Marcha Real "Royal March" (1775–1821) | |||||||||||
Left: Flag of Spain (18): first national flag of Spain; Right: Flag of the Province of Santo Domingo) | |||||||||||
Status | Captaincy General of the Spanish Empire (1521-1821) Province of the Spanish Empire (1861-1865) | ||||||||||
Capital | Santo Domingo | ||||||||||
Official languages | Spanish | ||||||||||
Religion | Roman Catholicism (official) | ||||||||||
King | |||||||||||
• 1492-1504 | Isabella I of Castile (first) | ||||||||||
• 1861-1865 | Isabella II (last) | ||||||||||
Governor | |||||||||||
• 1492-1499 | Christopher Columbus (first) | ||||||||||
• 1864-1865 | José de la Gándara y Navarro (Last) | ||||||||||
Legislature | Council of the Indies Ministry of Overseas (Spain) | ||||||||||
Historical era | Colonial era | ||||||||||
1492 | |||||||||||
• Captaincy created | 13 August 1521 | ||||||||||
1795 | |||||||||||
1815 | |||||||||||
• Unrecognized independence | 1821 | ||||||||||
1861 | |||||||||||
• Disestablished | 1865 | ||||||||||
Currency | Spanish colonial real | ||||||||||
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Due to its strategic location, the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo served as headquarters for Spanish conquistadors on their way to the mainland and was important in the establishment of other European colonies in the Western Hemisphere. It is the site of the first European city in the Americas, Santo Domingo, and of the oldest castle, fortress, cathedral, and monastery in the region. The colony was a meeting point of European explorers, soldiers, and settlers who brought with them the culture, architecture, laws, and traditions of the Old World.
The colony remained a military stronghold of the Spanish Empire for over a century, successfully defending against British, Dutch, and French expeditions into the region until the early 17th century. After pirates working for the French colonial empire took over part of the west coast, French settlers arrived and decades of armed conflict ensued. Spain finally ceded the western third of Hispaniola to France in the 1697 Peace of Ryswick, thus establishing the basis for the future nations of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.