page_title: Pedro Santana
section_title: Military and political role
hierarchical_section_title: Pedro Santana / Military and political role
caption_attribution_description: English: Pedro Santana, President of the Dominican Republic. Illus. in: Gleason's Pictorial, 1854, v. 7, p. 149.
context_page_description: Pedro Santana y Familias, 1st Marquis of Las Carreras, better known as Pedro Santana, was a Dominican military commander and royalist politician who served as the president of the junta that had established the First Dominican Republic, a precursor to the position of the President of the Dominican Republic, and as the first President of the republic in the modern line of succession. A traditional royalist who was fond of the Monarchy of Spain and the Spanish Empire, he ruled as a governor-general, but effectively as an authoritarian dictator.
  Born into a noble and affluent Spanish cattle ranching family in Hincha, Santana was a lifelong supporter of the Dominican revolt against the Haitian hegemony and a noted general during the Dominican War of Independence. Unlike many of his political opponents who wanted to ultimately establish an independent Dominican state, Santana sought to reintegrate Hispanola into the Spanish Empire. He oversaw the reestablishment of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo as well as exile and imprisonment of a number of noted separatist and nationalist dissidents who had previously been his comrades during the war of independence.
context_section_description: Santana was the Dominican Republic's president (although he ruled as a dictator) during the years 1844–48, 1853–56, and 1858–61 (when Spain annexed the Dominican Republic as Santana wished). Thereafter, Santana became governor, with the rank of Captain General of the territory. He held those titles until 1862.
  Santana had great talent as a military leader, but was unable to leave his dictatorial personality on the battlefield.  Though many historians criticise his rule as an economic disaster, Santana was meticulous in conducting public affairs, and obviously a great soldier.
  Santana also fought with distinction in the Revolution of July 7, 1857, when Cibao placed their revolutionary army under his command. The Congress of the Dominican Republic awarded Santana the title of “Liberator of the Nation” on July 18, 1849 for his victory in the Battle of Las Carreras.
caption: Portrait of Santana in 1854.
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