Buenaventura Báez

Buenaventura Báez Méndez
3rd President of the Dominican Republic
In office May 29, 1849 – February 15, 1853
Preceded by	Manuel Jiménes
Succeeded by	Pedro Santana
6th President of the Dominican Republic
In office October 8, 1856 – June 13, 1858
Preceded by	Manuel de Regla Mota
Succeeded by	José Desiderio Valverde
10th President of the Dominican Republic
In office December 8, 1865 – May 29, 1866
Vice President	Francisco Antonio Gómez y Báez
Preceded by	Pedro Guillermo
Succeeded by	Triumvirate of 1866
13th President of the Dominican Republic
In office May 2, 1868 – January 2, 1874
Vice President	Manuel Altagracia Cáceres y Fernández (1868-1871) Juan Isidro Ortea y Kennedy (1871-1874)
Preceded by	Manuel Altagracia Cáceres
Succeeded by	Ignacio María González
16th President of the Dominican Republic
In office December 26, 1876 – March 2, 1878
Vice President	Juan Isidro Ortea y Kennedy
Preceded by	Marcos Antonio Cabral
Succeeded by	Ignacio María González
4th Vice President of the Dominican Republic
In office 1856–1857
Preceded by	Antonio Abad Alfau Bustamante
Succeeded by	Domingo Daniel Pichardo Pró
Personal details
Born	July 14, 1812 Cabral, Barahona, Captaincy General of Santo Domingo
Died	March 14, 1884 (aged 71) Hormigueros, Puerto Rico
Nationality	Dominican
Political party	Red Party
Religion	Catholic

Buenaventura Báez Méndez (July 14, 1812 – March 14, 1884) was the President of the Dominican Republic for five nonconsecutive terms. He is known for attempting to annex the Dominican Republic to other countries on multiple occasions. His son Ramón Báez was briefly president in 1914.

Early years

Báez was born in Cabral, Barahona, of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo. Báez's mother, Juana Méndez was formerly enslaved and his father, Pablo Báez, was a wealthy merchant from Azua. Báez inherited a fortune from his father and because of it was able to study in Europe. There, he learned various languages including English and French.

Political career

During the annexation by Haiti, Báez served as the legislator/congressman of Azua to the ruling Haitian government. This post was gained in part because of his role in the revolution that overthrew President Jean-Pierre Boyer from power.

Baez was completely and totally against the move to leave the union with Haiti. He opposed the Trinitarios and imprisoned some of them and did not allow the new flag to be raised in city plaza. He changed his mind once he saw the popular mood and decided that the time had come to part ways with Port-au-Prince. Baez was no fool and would always find a way to allow opportunity to shine upon him.

In 1844, Báez helped to lead a successful rebellion against Haiti, which established the independence of the Dominican Republic. He went to Europe in 1846 to convince France to establish a protectorate over the Dominican Republic, but the French refused. As president for the first time, from 1849 until 1853, he attempted to convince the United States to take over the country. He was President again from 1856 until 1857, when he was deposed in a coup.

Báez next supported the idea of having the Dominican Republic be taken over by Spain. He went into exile in Spain and led a luxurious life there. The Spanish agreed to occupy the Dominican Republic in 1861, but by 1865 they had abandoned it (see Dominican Restoration War). Báez then returned to the Dominican Republic and became President again until he was deposed in another coup in May 1866. He then served his longest term as President, from 1868 until 1874, during which time he again attempted to have the United States annex the Dominican Republic.^[1] This time he was almost successful, as he convinced American President Ulysses S. Grant to send warships to the Dominican Republic, and drew up an annexation treaty which reached the United States Senate floor.^[2] The treaty, however, was not ratified in the US Senate, and it became an embarrassment for Grant.^[3][4][5]

Exile and death

Báez became President again from 1876 until 1878, when he was deposed in a final coup and sent into exile to Puerto Rico, at the time a Spanish colony, where he lived his final days.

He is buried in the Catedral de Santa María la Menor.

References

1. "Dominican Annexation; The London Times on the Question--The Results Favorable to all Concerned.". The New York Times. December 1, 1869.
2. "Washington; Our Navy in Dominican Waters Dominican Annexation and Haytian Interference Completeness of the Administration's Response to Senate Resolution for Information. The Secretary of the Navy to Rear-Admiral Poor, at Key West.". The New York Times. February 13, 1871.
3. Hidalgo, Dennis (1997). "Charles Sumner and the Annexation of the Dominican Republic". Itinerario 21 (2): 51–66. doi:10.1017/S0165115312000034.
4. "San Domingo: Debate in the United States Senate on the resolutions of Hon. O. P. Morton, authorizing the appointment of a commission to examine into and report upon the condition of the island.". African American Perspectives, Pamphlets from the Daniel A.P. Murray Collection 1818 - 1907 (Library of Congress).
5. Edward P. Crapol (2000). "James G. Blaine". Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8420-2605-5.

External links

• Buenaventura Baez at Find-A-Grave