7FHMO

Charlotte, Madeline, Mallika, Harry

The Mirabel Sisters
 * Born in agricultural valley bearing tobacco, coffee and plantains
 * Prosperous family with agricultural land and a dry goods store
 * Very attractive young girls
 * Patria (oldest)
 * o Most religious of sisters
 * o Husband and son were imprisoned
 * o Is said to have made home-made bombs on kitchen table with son and husband with material from firecrackers
 * Belgica Adela (Dede)
 * Most politically uninvolved
 * Only survivor—left to raise nieces and nephews
 * Became surrogate mother to many nieces and nephews
 * Still lives in family home in Ojo de Agua (birthplace)
 * Maria Teresa
 * o Married an important leader in 14th June Movement
 * o Actively participated in underground movement
 * o Jailed 2 times with Minerva
 * o Diary gives insight to close relationship with Minerva
 * Minerva
 * o Caught Trujillo’s eye; rejected his sexual advances (slapped him)
 * § Key characteristic of Mirabal family
 * § Turning point
 * § Trujillo held grudge against her—financially ruined family
 * § Father was imprisoned—never regained physical and mental health
 * o “Considered the “true” revolutionary leadership behind 14th of June Movement”
 * o First of sisters to join movement
 * o Spoke out publicly against Trujillo
 * o Widely respected in Dominican Republic for bravery/courage
 * o Symbol of resistance
 * o Studied law
 * § Trujillo rejected her second enrollment into law school so as to humiliate her
 * § Granted access when she gave a “eulogizing speech for the dictator”
 * § Could not practice law because authorities would not grant her a license
 * Became known as “The Butterflies”
 * Lead “underground resistance movement” against Trujillo and his regime
 * 3 of 4 sisters assassinated by Trujillo
 * o November 25, 1960, Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa were visiting husbands in jail in Puerto Rico
 * o Car was ambushed by police
 * o Bodies were strangled and beat to death
 * o To hide what happened, police threw bodies over a cliff
 * At time, deaths were not greatly recognized—bigger events were taking place
 * Most Dominican towns today have historical commemorations to sisters

Sources used: [] []

Trujillo
 * 1891-1961
 * First employed as a guard at a sugar mill and worked here until American intervened in the Dominican Republic.
 * Trujillo was named the second lieutenant in the new National Guard established by the Americans.
 * Continued to rise in ranking and went from captain to major and eventually was in charge of the National Guard
 * Trujillo and his civilian army overthrew Vásquez in 1930
 * Frequently rigged and cheated in elections
 * Held power by intimidating and spying on the Dominican people
 * Hired many intellectuals to work for and with him in order to increase his creditability and add more meaning to his name, this worked
 * Personal life, married four times
 * Became extremely wealthy while in power
 * 70% of sugar industry
 * 50% of economy
 * Did not want an African influence in the Dominican Republic which resulted in encouraged white immigration and devalued the country’s relationship with Haiti
 * Throughout life valued medals and awards to the extent where he would give them to himself
 * Associated with the Catholic church and would use "offerings" to pay for his military affairs
 * Assassinated by his ex accomplices and people who he harmed under his dictatorship
 * May 30th, 1961

Dominican Republic prior to Trujillo’s rule
 * Political unrest had been prevalent in the Dominican Republic since the late nineteenth century.
 * The United States in 1905 began assisting with the many European debts she owed.
 * With another collapse in 1916, the U.S. assumed control of the government and instated thousands of Marines to administer the republic.
 * These soldiers built civil structures like schools and roads. With the election of a corrupt president in 1924, stability again declined until a revolution launched in 1930.
 * General Trujillo watched as the coup succeeded instead of assisting his leader, and he then seized power himself.

Dominican Republic under Trujillo
 * Pro-Trujillo propaganda was common during his regime. For example, churches required to post “Dios en el cielo, Trujillo en tierra” meaning “God rules in heaven, Trujillo rules on earth”
 * In 1937, he ordered the massacre of thousands of Haitian migrants. This was later referred to as the Parsely Massacre for an estimated 20,000-30,000 died.
 * In 1930, Trujillo received 95% of the vote and it later surfaced that he received more votes than people in the Dominican Republic
 * Killed in 1960 by Gen Imbert
 * "Sure," he replies. "Nobody told me to go and kill Trujillo. The only way to get rid of him was to kill him." – Gen Imbert
 * Exercised absolute power in Dominican Republic even though he was only “president”
 * Established a secret police that monitored and assassinated opponents all over the world (KGB style)
 * Focused on strengthening the military over to maintain his power. His armed guards were paid generously.
 * The establishment of state monopolies over all major enterprises in the country brought riches to the Trujillos and their cronies through the manipulation of prices and inventories as well as the outright embezzlement of funds.
 * Renamed the capital after himself.

Domincan Republic after Trujillo

Relationship between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, U.S. occupations of the Domican Republic
 * U.S. mainly set up the National Guard and choose Trujillo as a second lieutenant
 * U.S. officials in Santo Dimingo

Works Cited: [] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13560512 http://countrystudies.us/dominican-republic/11.htm []


 * DAY 2**

Maria Teresa
 * starts out hating men; switches off (changes opinion)
 * affected by father's cheating and death (more than others--reason for Minerva giving her Little Book), baby of family, stripped of role as baby of family
 * other 'sisters' at funeral = 'slap in the face'
 * didn't even know what revolution was yet already wanted to join; jumps on opportunity to be a part of something

Minerva Dede
 * felt betrayed by father's cheating; moment of weakness when she runs her car into Papa's; cries
 * 89- sees herself as stronger; put father on pedestal, yet image of him crumbles; parallel to Trujillo?
 * flaws exaggerated when truth is revealed (Papa, Trujillo, heroes in general)
 * more accepting of father's other kids
 * first one to find them, treats kids well (education)
 * never lost focus of rebellion (Patria-baby, Maria Teresa-husband, Dede-overall separated)
 * very into rebellion; defined by this; don't really see her as a person/flaws
 * p. 70- sits back and watches, removed, just as with rebellion involvement

Patria Trujillo
 * on church retreat--realizes her responsibility in movement; theme of epiphanies in religious settings
 * death of boy empowers her to join movement
 * "coming down mountain...changed woman" (162-163)
 * at beginning, struggle between religion and life; in part 2, realizes balance between having family and religion and fighting
 * 163- focuses on what's alive, no longer on miscarriage or other boy who got shot
 * religion is strongest in moment of death of a rebel, not looking at picture of Trujillo next to Jesus
 * aware of his power over people--can take what he wants, 96- senator's wife, doesn't actually love women but loves the pride in conquest
 * slap from Minerva = exciting, knows he can crush her in the end
 * Minerva is so interesting to him, puts up a fight, goes against what other women consented to with him