ABSTRACT
What largely characterized eighteenth-century Hispaniola was a noteworthy demographic expansion as well as an intensive campaign to colonize the interior regions of the island. This accelerated effort to establish settlements deep inside Hispaniola’s heartland subsequently began to weaken considerably the dominant role of the island’s capital city. This Ciudad Primicia (City of First Fruits) had long been regarded as the undisputed hub and focal point of all manner of activity in the colony. In the eighteenth century, numerous smaller settlements, later evolving into sizable towns, were founded in areas that had previously been abandoned, mainly in the westernmost zones. Two primary factors accounted for this shift in population settlements: These were the precise areas affected by the dislocation/depopulation policies of an earlier period known as Las Devastaciones of 1605–1606, and which were in real danger of being absorbed by the rapidly encroaching French. Also, these were the areas of growing importance for cattle raising, upon which a border commerce was based. Once there were established communities in these frontier zones, these new populations could readily take advantage of the lucrative commerce.
