Santo_Domingo_-_Parque_Independencia_0221

María Baltasara de los Reyes y Bustamante (January 6, 1798 – 1867) was a Dominican revolutionary who had an important role in the independence movement of the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

, She was the first woman to take up arms in the

Dominican War of Independence The Dominican War of Independence () was a war of independence that began when the Dominican Republic declared independence from the Republic of Haiti on February 27, 1844 and ended on January 24, 1856. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola ...

Life

María Baltasara de los Reyes y Bustamante, according to Dominican historians, was called María Baltasara because she was born on

Three Kings Day Epiphany ( ), also known as "Theophany" in Eastern Christian tradition, is a Christian feast day commemorating the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the wedding at Cana. In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally ...

, January 6, 1798; and they named her Baltasara after the African king

Balthazar Balthazar, Balthasar, Baltasar, or Baltazar may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Balthazar (novel), ''Balthazar'' (novel), by Lawrence Durrell, 1958 * ''Balthasar'', an 1889 book by Anatole France * ''Professor Balthazar'', a Croatian a ...

. Baltasara was the daughter of Micaela Bustamante, although some information about her birth is unknown. Baltasara de los Reyes married, on May 2, 1812, with Francisco Acosta, a skilled sailor of Portuguese origin, known as ''El Portugués''. The couple had two children: Juan Alejandro Acosta, a military man and marine general of the Dominican Republic who fought in the

, and Lucía Acosta. She was one of the two hundred patriots who were at the

Puerta del Conde La Puerta del Conde (The Count's Gate) was the main entrance to the fortified city of Santo Domingo (in present-day Dominican Republic), named to honor Governor Captain-General Bernardino de Meneses Bracamonte y Zapata, 1st Count of Peñalva, wh ...

when independence was proclaimed by the

Trinitarios The Trinitarios is a Dominican American criminal organization founded by Dominicans in New York City, New York in 1993. History The Trinitarios were established in 1993 on Rikers Island, the New York City jail,Luis Ferré-Sadurní & Barbara Mar ...

. She hid

Juan Pablo Duarte Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez (January 26, 1813 – July 15, 1876) was a Dominican military leader, writer, activist, and nationalist politician who was the foremost of the Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic and bears the title of Father ...

in her house while he was being pursued by the Haitian authorities. Her discretion was so great that not even Duarte's family knew where he was hidden. María Baltasara cunningly decided to hide him in her home because she lived right in front of the Duarte house, and no one would search so close to his house, from there he could see his family daily without them realizing it. The secret was not revealed until after Duarte left for the outside world. María Baltazara died in 1867 in

Higüey Higüey (), or in full Salvaleón de Higüey, is the capital city of the eastern La Altagracia Province, in the Dominican Republic, and has 415,084 inhabitants, according to the 2022 census. The Yuma River (Dominican Republic), Yuma River flows t ...

, Dominican Republic.

Historiagraphy

During the struggle for Dominican independence, Baltasara de los Reyes displayed great courage and resilience for the cause. Because of this, she became a symbol of revolution in the Dominican Republic. Some of her distinguished acts included: * She was the only woman who was present at the Angulo Fort on the night of independence. * She is considered the first sailor and soldier of the Dominican Republic. * She was always seen on the docks of Santo Domingo with a rifle at hand. * She was the one who idealized the marine front so that the invading Haitian army did not go beyond Azua and

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

and did not reach the coasts of the capital.

References

External links

La Historia con Ojos de Mujer
Escuela Nacional de la Judicatura {{DEFAULTSORT:Baltasara de los Reyes, María 1798 births 1867 deaths Dominican Republic revolutionaries Dominican Republic independence activists People of the Dominican War of Independence Women in the Dominican War of Independence Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent White Dominicans

Life

Historiagraphy

See also

References

External links