La Trinitaria (Dominican Republic)
La Trinitaria (Spanish: [la tɾiniˈtaɾja], The Trinity) was a secret society founded in 1838 in what today is known as Arzobispo Nouel Street, across from the "Del Carmen's Church" in the then occupied Santo Domingo, the current capital of the Dominican Republic. The founder, Juan Pablo Duarte, and a group of like minded young people, led the struggle to establish the Dominican Republic as a free, sovereign, and independent nation in the 19th century. Their main goal was to protect their newly liberated country from all foreign invasion. They helped bring about the end of the Haitian occupation of Santo Domingo from 1822 to 1844.[1]
Named after
July 16, 1838; 185 years ago
Juan Pablo Duarte
Juan Isidro Pérez
Pedro Alejandro Pina
Jacinto de la Concha
Félix María Ruiz
José María Serra
Benito González
Felipe Alfau
Juan Nepomuceno Ravelo
August 22, 1844
La Dramatica
La Filantropica
Dissolved
Dominican independence
Dominican nationalism
Acting in three-person cells and communicating through a complex system of passwords and codes, La Trinitaria focused on a three-pronged message of democracy, representative government, and independence for the Dominican Republic. While they focused on radical ideals, they funneled those ideals through art – members of the group would create intricate theater acts that they would perform anywhere from people’s homes in front of a dozen onlookers to the stage of La Carcel Vieja – where hundreds would look on. The performances were created to build communities and establish unity among Dominicans. Woven within the plays would be revolutionary political messaging that would push the agendas of the Trinitarios. These works led to the exile of Duarte in 1843.
Other usage[edit]
Today, La Trinitaria may also refer to the three founding fathers of the Dominican Republic. The usage is a play on words whereby the concept of the Trinity is overlapped with the establishment of one nation by the three founding fathers: Duarte, Sánchez, and Mella.