Gregorio Luperón

Gregorio Luperón (September 8, 1839 – May 21, 1897) was a Dominican military general and statesman who was one of the leaders in the restoration of the Dominican Republic after the Spanish annexation in 1863.

Gregorio Luperón
20th President of the Dominican Republic
In office
6 December 1879  1 September 1880
Preceded byCesáreo Guillermo
Succeeded byFernando Arturo de Meriño
Vice President of the Dominican Republic[1]
In office
24 January 1865  24 March 1865
PresidentBenigno Filomeno de Rojas
Preceded byUlises Francisco Espaillat
Succeeded byBenigno Filomeno de Rojas
Personal details
BornSeptember 8, 1839
Port-de-Plate, Haiti
(now Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic)
DiedMay 21, 1897 (aged 57)
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Political partyBlue Party
ProfessionMilitary General

Early years

Gregorio Luperón was born 8 September 1839 in Puerto Plata (then officially called Port-de-Plate, in French) to Pedro Castellanos and Nicolasa Luperón. His parents owned a ventorrillo (rudimentary market stall) that sold homemade foodstuff such as piñonate, a local delicacy made of sweetened pine-nut kernels. Most of these were sold on the street by Gregorio and his siblings in order to help the family livelihood.

Around the age of 14, Gregorio began working for Pedro Eduardo Dubocq, a local timber businessman of French origin. While working there, he displayed a strong strength of character and a knack for getting any job assigned to him completed in the best possible fashion. Because of this, Mr. Dubocq promoted Gregorio to a management position. Mr. Dubocq also allowed Gregorio to spend time in his personal library because Gregorio wanted to enrich his intellect.

In 1861, the annexation of the Dominican Republic by Spain took place. Gregorio was only 22 years old at the time but a sense of nationalism began to swell within him. During one instance, Gregorio was arrested but managed to escape and flee to the United States for protection. Shortly thereafter, Gregorio managed to return to the Dominican Republic through the town of Monte Cristi in time to take part in the uprising of Sabaneta (1863). However, this uprising was short-lived due to the quick Spanish response.

After the failure at Sabaneta, Gregorio and his compatriots hid in the mountains of La Vega in order to prepare for a full-scale revolution against the Spanish forces.

Legacy

The Gregorio Luperón International Airport in Puerto Plata, a metro station in Santo Domingo, and the Gregorio Luperón High School for Math & Science in New York are named after him. The small city of Luperon, located 50 km west of Puerto Plata, is also named after him.

References

  1. Herrera, José Rafael Laine (25 October 2016). "Colosal guerra dominico-española 1863-65". Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial España. Retrieved 11 May 2018 via Google Books.
Political offices
Preceded by
Ulises Francisco Espaillat during Dominican Restoration War
Vice President of the Dominican Republic
1865
Succeeded by
Benigno Filomeno de Rojas
Preceded by
Cesáreo Guillermo
President of the Dominican Republic
1879-1880
Succeeded by
Fernando Arturo de Meriño
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