Tomás Bobadilla y Briones (30 March 1785 – 21 December 1871) was a writer, intellectual, and politician from the Dominican Republic. As the first president of the Dominican Republic, he was key in the Dominican independence movement.
Bobadilla led a prolonged and intese public life, serving in the most diverse scenarios: Under España Boba since 1810; in the "State" created by José Núñez de Cáceres in 1821; during the Haitian occupation almost until 1844; then with the Trinitarios, even drafting the "Manifesto of January 16" which served as the manifesto of independence in 1844. Later, he occupied all the existing Ministries and Portfolios of the nascent republic, of which one of the measures included the abolition of slavery. While he supported annexation to Spain in 1861 ("without enthusiasm" according to historian Roberto Cassá) and eventually again as a nationalist until his death, on December 21, 1871.
Early life Birth and family origins Born in Neiba on 30 March 1785, son of Vicente Bobadilla Amaral, and Gregoria Justina Briones Pérez. He was born at a time when the colony of Santo Domingo was in relative prosperity. But this phase ended with the border wars of the last decade of the 18th century and the annexation of the territory to France in 1795. Many inhabitants of the border areas moved to Azua, Baní or other places less exposed to incursions from the neighboring region. His parents emigrated to Puerto Rico, like many other refugees, when it became clear that the Haitian revolutionaries were on the verge of defeating the French. The hardships of emigration probably marked him for the rest of his life, since his parents surely went through difficult times. This theort is supported by the fact that the parents returned in 1810, that is, as soon as the Spanish sovereignty was reestablished. It could be asserted that the tenacious decision not to abandon Dominican soil that he showed for the rest of his life, a key explanatory of his political behavior, was due to this unfortunate experience of youth.
Despite the probable difficulty in which his parents survived while they lived abroad, Bobadilla probably received administrative training that put him in a position to hold a position in the colonial government. (When he reached the age of majority in force at that time, 25 years of age, Bobadilla obtained his certification of Blood Purity, as all of both his paternal grandparents and maternal great-grandparents had been born in Europe, this certificate allowed him access to high public offices of the colonial administration, reserved to white Dominicans and Peninsulars). Historian Ramón Lugo Lovatón says that while in exile in Mayagüez, Bobadilla managed to get a job in a public notary's office, an occupation that provided him with the first rudiments of practicing law. But he did not receive a university education, not even after he returned to Santo Domingo. Hence, his intellectual and legal training was the product of self-taught activity.
Despite his experiences and ability, Bobadilla took pride in feeling like a man of the people he led a simple life, delighting in the typical Dominican pleasures, such as cockfights, horseback riding or dancing in the endless fandangos. He was noted as an unrepentant womanizer, despite his stern character. His personal economic support was the result of the combination of administrative positions and mahogany cutting, an activity that connected him with the rural environment. In his correspondence he states, until shortly before his death, he frequently traveled to the rugged locations of his mahogany cuts, north of Baní, to complete logging expeditions.
Marriage, and early political career
His domestic life was not initially impacted by his government service, since he lived with his common-law wife for over decade prior to getting married. María Virginia Desmier D'Olbreuse, was the daughter of French emigrants who also was a widow in two occasions. Their children were born out of wedlock, but he legally recognized them. In May 1832 the couple legally formalized their marital situation, both civilly and ecclesiastically. His nickname for María Virgina was "La Madama", which alluded to her French origin. The relationship, however, was stormy, and his wife ended up separating from him when she found out about one of his affairs; The marriage produced six children, the first five born out of wedlock: María del Carmen Leonor (b. 1823), María Vicenta (b. 1824), Gerardo (b. 1827), Carlos Tomás (b. 1830), José María (b. 1830); they had a daughter after their wedding: Clemencia Antonia (who was the mother of archbishop and interim president Adolfo Alejandro Nouel).
His quick into the Spanish government apparatus could have been due to the orientation of favoring those recently returned from emigration, as a way of rewarding loyalty to the king, compensating them for the hardships suffered and encouraging others to follow their example. Back in his native country, Bobadilla alternated the practice of law with holding positions in government. Thanks to the experience gained in Puerto Rico, in 1811 he held the position of public notary, which he held until 1822. Shortly after, he was appointed chief notary of the Archbishopric of the Diocese of Santo Domingo, a role expanded not long after with the position of secretary.
In 1813 Bobadilla was appointed secretary of the Provincial Council, which served for less than two years, while the Constitution of 1812 remained in force. In 1817 he acquired a notary office, which allowed him to consolidate himself in the legal profession. Finally, he obtained the positions of city councilor and trustee of Santo Domingo in 1820. During that time he considered himself a Spanish citizen, but such identity did not prevent him from accepting the appointment of first officer of the State Treasury granted to him by José Núñez de Cáceres, president of the ad-hoc Independent State of Spanish Haiti, a product of the overthrow of Spanish domination. Although he was 35 years old, he was not yet a figure of the first order, despite enjoying the confidence of successive Spanish governors as well as Núñez de Cáceres.
During the Haitian regime
In accordance with the situation created by the invasion of the Haitian president Jean-Pierre Boyer at the beginning of 1822, and determined not to abandon the country, Bobadilla decided to adopt the republican principles that in theory governed Haiti. He was among the few Dominicans who held positions continuously in the Haitian administration and showed effectiveness in collaborating in the name of freedom and equality. In particular he gained the esteem of President Boyer himself, as well as the governor of the Department of Santo Domingo, Jérôme-Maximilien Borgella.
At the beginning of his services to the new rulers, a month after Boyer returned to Port-au-Prince in 1822, Bobadilla was named to a education commission. Months later he was appointed prosecutor of El Seibo. In 1830, he was confirmed as a lawyer, then called public defender, and the following year he again received the appointment of notary public of Santo Domingo. His prestige in Haitian ruling circles increased with Spain's claim to sovereignty over Santo Domingo in 1830, through the mission of Felipe Dávila Fernández de Castro. Bobadilla wrote a panphlet titled, Observations on the official notes of the plenipotentiary of the King of Spain and those of the Republic of Haiti on the claim and possession of the Eastern part. In this text, it is based on the assumption that Spanish domination was characterized by the exercise of cruelties that led to the extinction of the only people vested with the right of possession, the indigenous people. In accordance with liberal principles, for him the political order should originate in the will of the community, which is why he considered that the Dominican people had expressed their will to join Haiti. He went so far as to declare Boyer an "angel of peace" for having instituted a just regime that ended slavery and oppression.
In the same way, Bobadilla tried to do everything possible to represent the interests of his social environment. While remaining faithful to the rulers, he gained prestige among the population as a competent and experienced lawyer, who managed to mitigate the rigors of foreign overlords. In 1840, on the occasion of the announcement of the implementation of the abolition of the common land system, Bobadilla, together with José Joaquín del Monte, moved to the Haitian capital in order to advocate for the repeal of the provision. At the beginning of the occupation, in July 1824, the Haitian Government had in fact ignored the legality of the system of common titles, the most widespread form of land ownership, by ordering that these extensions, in which multiple co-owners coexisted, be subdivided and individual titles were awarded to the co-owners. Boyer immediately renounced applying this provision because it could generate disturbances among the owners of herds and other portions of the population who, in one way or another, achieved their livelihood protected by that system. But, urged by the fiscal deficit, in 1840 Boyer ordered the payment of a tax of 25 pesos for every thousand feet of mahogany cut, a way of ignoring the validity of the property titles, which generated heated protests. Bobadilla and Delmonte managed to have the measure annulled, which increased their prestige, mainly among individuals of a certain social level, mostly linked to the lumber business.
Independence of Dominican Republic Alliance with the Trinitarios
At the beginning of 1843, a rebellion broke out in the south of Haiti that led to the overthrow of Boyer and opened a situation of instability taken advantage of by the conspirators of the secret society La Trinitaria, led by Juan Pablo Duarte. At that time, under the La Reforma regime, Bobadilla fell into disgrace for the first time as a result of being accused of being a collaborator of the deposed President Boyer. It cannot, however, be considered that he leaned towards Dominican independence out of resentment. In fact, knowing the environment of the time like no one else, he sensed that independence was going to occur and announced to his intimates that he had decided to accompany "the boys." The greatest effect of his separation from public positions must have been to facilitate his participation in conspiratorial activities. Until then, Bobadilla appeared as a collaborator of the Haitian regime, although it can be assumed that this position was the product of the conviction that there was no other alternative.
In subsequent years he issued virulent judgments about Haitian rule, which possibly reflected his true consideration and, therefore, led him to call for a breakup as soon as he saw it feasible. Its retrospective rejection was justified by cultural considerations that asserted a questionable substance of the Haitian people:
With his commitment, Bobadilla gave considerable impetus to the cause of the creation of the Dominican State in 1844, because many considered him as the prototype of the politician who was never wrong and reasoned that if he had oriented himself in that direction the event would end being produced.