The Dominican Republic and Haiti are two countries that share an island. The difficulties of two ethnic groups sharing an island give rise to conflicts originating from the colonial era. Race, economics, politics, and stigma all play a role in ethnic conflicts between these conquered cultures who have very different views of their roots. Prejudice, cultural identity issues, and resentment toward Haitians are the reason why Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo massacred thousands of unarmed Haitians. This is why the two cultures still clash today. The history of the colonization of the Americas is written in blood. Hispaniola is no exception and the conflict is still visible today. In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed west. In doing so, he discovered the American continents and with that, a whole new world. In December 1492, Columbus and his three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, landed on an island called Haiti/Quisqueya (the original Taino names for Hispaniola). This set off a chain of events that would ultimately change every aspect of the world as everyone knew it. The justification for Columbus's voyages was supposed to convert the savage peoples he encountered upon arriving on the island. His ultimate goal was to find gold and spices that he could claim for the Spanish crown, of which he had been promised 10%. December 12 marked the founding of a temporary settlement called La Concepcion in the northeastern part of the island. After exploring the island and meeting the Taino chiefs of Hispaniola, Columbus decided to return to Spain, bringing back samples illustrating life in the New World. In addition to items like tobacco, pineapples, hammocks and peppers, Columbus also took a group of Taino Indians and exhibited them... middle of paper ...... outbuildings were Francisco del Rosario Sanchez and Ramon Matias Mella. who, along with Duarte, are known as the ancestors of the Dominican Republic. La Trinitaria's manifesto in favor of independence was published on January 16, 1844, thus beginning the struggle for independence. Thanks to the work of La Trinitaria, many battles and much carnage, the Dominican Republic was born on February 27, 1844, claiming its independence from Haiti with a declaration at the Puerta del Conde. Small battles with the Haitian army continued across the island. As continuing evidence of the Dominicans' Hispanic ideology, Pedro Santana, first president of the Dominican Republic, pledged allegiance to the Spanish crown and, in 1861, annexed the Dominican Republic to Spain. This was the setting for mass cultural denial and animosity toward Haitians. encountered in the Dominican Republic to date.