Jose Gabriel García

José Gabriel García

José Gabriel García (January 13, 1834 - January 19, 1910) was a Dominican military, historian, politician, journalist and publisher. He is regarded as the "Father of Dominican History"[1] and a cultural pioneer. He is the author of "Compendium of History of Santo Domingo" written in four volumes in 1867, 1887, 1900 and 1906 respectively.

Biography

José Gabriel García was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on January 13, 1834 to priest Gabriel Rudesindo Costa[2][3] (March 1, 1798 – 1841) and Ines García García (1795-1865). His biological father, born to Italian Bartolome Costa (b. Verona, Veneto) and Vicenta del Toso Carvajal of Genoese descent,[4] was a clery involved in politics who represented Santo Domingo from 1827 to 1832 in the legislative Assembly of Haiti as a diputy.[5]

Many prominent military and politicians were born into the García family. His maternal grandfather, Jose Anselmo García, was a sergeant of the Spanish Army who opposed to the ruling of the Lic. Jose Nunez de Caceres in Fort San Jose on the night of November 30, 1821.[6] His uncle, José del Carmen García, was one of the signatories of the Manifesto of January 16, 1844 and then served as lieutenant of artillery in the battle of 19 March 1844, in Azua. Jose Gabriel García was also cousin of Pedro Alejandrino Pina Garcia, co-founder of La Trinitaria along with Juan Pablo Duarte.[7]

Military and Political Career

In 1848, at only 14 yrs old, José Gabriel García joined the army and was assigned artillery brigade of the Plaza of Santo Domingo, commanded by Colonel Angel Perdomo. As a military, he came to perform various administrative functions and reached the rank of Second Lieutenant (1853).[8] Accused of conspiracy and pursued by the enemies of the cause of independence, he had to leave the country (1855), settling in Venezuela for five years.

Upon his return from exile, he held public office during the second half of the nineteenth century. Among other functions, he served as:

Writing

Newspaper El Oasis

In 1854, Jose Gabriel García founded the Amantes de las Letras Society along with poet Manuel Rodriguez Objio and Manuel de Jesús Galván which was the first cultural society in Dominican Republic and created with the purpose of advancing the intellectual progress of the country by providing access to books, newspapers and magazines.[9] It published the newspaper El Oasis in 1854, which was the first cultural newspaper in the country along with the newspaper El Progreso, covering topics such as literature, religion, customs and culture.[10] In 1859 the society published the first Dominican magazine:La Revista Quincenal Dominicana, which had a political-literary character.[11]

In 1860, Los Amantes de las Letras published the newspaper Flores del Ozama.[12] During that same year, they also established a theatre located in the former home of the Jesuits and presented the works of the most notable Spanish and French authors, as well as of national authors.[13][14]

Jose Gabriel Garcia was a member of the Junta Nacional Colombina (1893); corresponding member of the Academia Nacional de la Historia de Venezuela and honorary member of the Academia Nacional de la Historia de la República de Colombia[15]

His writings have been published in newspapers and magazines in Venezuela, Curaçao, Cuba, Spain, the United States and the Dominican Republic.

José Gabriel García had the opportunity to witness and be a protagonist of some of the events in his works.

Printing Company García Hermanos

Codigo Penal y Procedimiento Militar de La Republica Dominicana (1884), Imprenta de Garcia Hermanos Publisher

In 1862, Jose Gabriel García and his twin brother, Manuel de Jesus García, founded García Hermanos, which included a library, a book store and a publishing and printing company. According to historian Frank Moya Pons, García Hermanos was the first printing and publishing company in the Dominican Republic properly established and it was the leading publishing and editorial company of the XIX and early XX century in the Dominican Republic.[16] Their book store sold the books of their own catalogue and also imported books. The local also became a hub for the intellectuals of the time.[17]

The Garcia brothers were the pioneers in the printing of school textbooks in the Dominican Republic, creating a big impact in the beginnings of the literacy of the country. Books published by them such as "Elementos de Geografia Fisica, Politica e Historica de la Republica Dominicana" by Fernando Arturo de Meriño and "Compendio de la Historia de Santo Domingo" by Jose Gabriel Garcia were edited and printed in 1866 for the use at Dominican schools. For decades, they were also the pusblishers of the Dominican government's Gaceta Oficial.[18]

Josefa Ines Garcia and Fernando Rodriguez Objio at J.R. Vda Garcia/Eastman Kodak

When Manuel de Jesus García passed away in 1908, his wife, Josefa Reina, took over the publishing company and it was renamed Imprenta J.R. Vda García, Sucesores. The youngest son of Manuel de Jesus and Josefa, Eduardo Garcia Reina, eventually took charge of the company.

In 1918, J.R. Vda Garcia became another pioneer this time in the photography industry in the Dominican Republic by being the first company to provide the photo equipments and services of the Eastman Kodak in the country.[19] Eduardo Garcia Reina, was also the pioneer of the gift shops in the Colonial City when he established the store Recuerdos Dominicanos in the Isabel la Catolica street around the same time along with the Kodak business.[20]

Death and Legacy

García died in the city of Santo Domingo on January 19, 1910. His burial tomb is located in the National Pantheon of the Dominican Republic. His cousin and founding member of La Trinitaria, Pedro Alejandrino Pina Garcia, is also buried there. The old street of "Del Faro" in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo was named Jose Gabriel Garcia in his honor.[21]

In Dominican Republic, the National Day of Literacy is commemorated on the January 13th, in honor of the Garcia brothers.[22]

Bibliography

Compendium of History of Santo Domingo, Vol I-IV by Jose Gabriel Garcia

References

  1. ↑ Tineo, Hector. "Nace José Gabriel García".
  2. ↑ Cassá Bernaldo de Quirós, Constancio. "Archivo General de la Nacion- El Dr. Alcides Garcia Lluberes" (PDF).
  3. ↑ Fausto, Rosario. "Unos padres de la patria distintos a Duarte, Mella y Sánchez".
  4. ↑ http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/bartolom%C3%A9-costa_166498668. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ Saez Ramo, Jose Luis. "Participación política directa del clero dominicano (siglos XIX y XX)" (PDF).
  6. ↑ Roca Friedheim, Frank Alejandro. "El legado de Jose Gabriel Garcia y el aporte historiografico de sus hijos" (PDF).
  7. ↑ "Archivo General de la Nacion- El Doctor Alcides Garcia Lluberes" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "José Gabriel García".
  9. ↑ Paulino Ramos, Alejandro. "Revistas Literarias en la Historia Dominicana".
  10. ↑ Gomez, Melvin. "Origenes del Periodismo Cultural Dominicano".
  11. ↑ Paulino, Alejandro. "Revistas Literarias en la Historia Dominicana".
  12. ↑ Paulino Ramos, Alejandro. "Revistas Literarias en La Historia Dominicana".
  13. ↑ Henriquez Urena, Pedro. "Ensayos".
  14. ↑ "Cultura Dominicana- Dramaturgia".
  15. ↑ Blanco Diaz, Andres. "Antologia- Jose Gabriel Garcia" (PDF).
  16. ↑ Pons, Frank Moya. "Historia de la Republica Dominicana".
  17. ↑ Moya Pons, Frank. "Historia de la Republica Dominicana, Vol 2".
  18. ↑ Roca Friedhiem, Frank Alejandro. "El legado de Jose Gabriel Garcia y el aporte histografico de sus hijos" (PDF).
  19. ↑ Villar Tiburcio, Scarlett. "Historia de la Fotografia en Rep Dom".
  20. ↑ Heredia de Guerrero, Carmen. "Personajes y calles de mi vieja ciudad".
  21. ↑ Lugo Lovaton, Ramon. "Jose Gabriel Garcia" (PDF).
  22. ↑ "República Dominicana: SEE conmemora Día de la Alfabetización". Secretaría de Estado de Educación. República Dominicana.
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