Dominican Republic Carnival History

It is believed that this celebration was brought by Christopher Columbus when he came to America. The Christians would let their slaves have some diversion so that they got the "wild" out of their system, but also the slaveowners would enjoy this festivities. Since Christians considered this a "pagan" celebration they added their own inflections because they wanted to enjoy it.
Carnival has been celebrated in the Dominican Republic since the mid 1500's. Evidence of this has been found in the ruins of La Vega Vieja (near the present day La Vega) showing that celebrations were held here before they were celebrated in Santo Domingo. The celebration consisted that the resident dressed themselves as Moors and Christians.
It is thought that the colony of Santo Domingo was the first place in the Americas to show a pre-Lenten costume. The celebration became a way to escape from the rigid religious traditions. By the late 1700s the carnival became a major celebration in the colony. Then in February 27, 1844 when the Dominican Republic won its independence from Spain the celebration gained a bigger splendor, because the Dominicans were celebrating their independence. Making February a very festive month in the Dominican Republic. ,,,