<Li> Fuente del Rodeo </Li> <Li> Cabeza de Las Marías </Li> <P> The Dominican Independence War gave the Dominican Republic autonomy from Haiti on February 27, 1844 . Before the war, the island of Hispaniola had been united under the Haitian government for a period of 22 years when the newly independent nation, then known as the Republic of Spanish Haiti, was invaded by Haiti in 1822 . Previously known as the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, the criollo class within the country overthrew the Spanish crown in 1821 before unifying with Haiti a year later . </P> <P> At the time Haiti had been more economically and militarily powerful and had a population 8 to 10 times larger than the former Spanish colony, having been the richest colony in the western hemisphere before the Haitian Revolution . Dominican military officers agreed to merge the newly independent nation with Haiti, as they sought for political stability under the Haitian president Jean - Pierre Boyer, and were attracted to Haiti's perceived wealth and power at the time . However, due to the Haitian government's mismanagement, heavy military disputes, and an economic crisis the Haitian government became increasingly unpopular, thus the Dominican people decided to forcefully overthrow the Haitian government with no compromises . </P>

Who did the dominican republic gain independence from