The islands of the Caribbean have had been part of the history of the New World since the time of their discovery by Columbus, though most Americans know little of that history. Haiti and the Dominican Republic emerged from what was the first New World colony settled by Spain, the island then known as Hispaniola. The island served as the central base for the exploration and conquest of much of the Western Hemisphere. The island was first sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1492, and it played a role in Spanish history for as long as Spain has had important political and commercial interests in this Hemisphere.
Haiti would become the dominant force by the nineteenth century, and the Dominican Republic would not emerge from under Haiti's shadow until 1844. The island continued to be vulnerable to foreign incursion and was occupied by the United States military from 1916 to 1924. More recently, the United States has had a hand in trying to institute democratic reforms in Haiti. The history of this region has been such that the development of democratic institutions has been difficult, and first Hispaniola and then Haiti and the Dominican Republic have been under the control for much of their history either of foreign governments or local despots.
La Isla Espa±ola, or Hispaniola, was found by Columbus when his fleet crossed the Windward Passage and arrived at night near the Haitian harbor what would become San Nicolas, named for the patron saint of children. The Indian guides assured Columbus that he would find gold on the great island, known to be the home of their ancestors. There was indeed gold on the island, and this saved Columbus's reputation because otherwise he would have had to return home without any evidence of the riches of the New World. When the fleet encountered such problems as coral reefs and other delays, Columbus decided that God was sending a message that he should start a colony at a certain locale wit...