Country history · North America

History of the Dominican Republic

14 recorded states lay in what is now the Dominican Republic, from Cacicazgo of Higüey (1200 CE) to the Dominican Republic. 1 of them has a full profile, and 4 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)3 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

13th century

  1. Cacicazgo of Higüey1200 CE – 1504 CE · chiefdom
  2. Cacicazgo of Maguá1200 CE – 1497 CE · chiefdom
  3. Cacicazgo of Maguana1200 CE – 1495 CE · chiefdom

15th century

  1. Captaincy General of Santo Domingo1493 CE – 1795 CE · colony

18th century

  1. French Santo Domingo1795 CE – 1809 CE · colony

19th century

  1. Republic of Haiti (1806-1849)1806 CE – 1849 CE · profile
  2. España Boba1809 CE – 1821 CE · colony
  3. Republic of Spanish Haiti1821 CE – 1822 CE · republic
  4. First Dominican Republic1844 CE – 1861 CE · republic
  5. Province of Santo Domingo (1861-1865)1861 CE – 1865 CE · colony
  6. Second Dominican Republic1865 CE – 1916 CE · republic

20th century

  1. Military Government of Santo Domingo1916 CE – 1924 CE · colony
  2. Third Dominican Republic1924 CE – 1965 CE · republic
  3. Dominican Republic1966 CE – present · republic

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of the Dominican Republic. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/dominican-republic
MLA
“History of the Dominican Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/dominican-republic. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of the Dominican Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/dominican-republic.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of the Dominican Republic’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/dominican-republic (Accessed: ).