Concepción Bona
Concepción Bona Hernández, Mother Founder (6 December 1824 - 2 July 1901) was a nursery school teacher and a campaigner for the independence of the Dominican Republic. Together with María Trinidad Sánchez, Isabel Sosa and María de Jesús Pina, she took part in designing the Dominican flag.[1][2][3][4]
Concepción Bona | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | María de la Concepción Bona y Hernández December 6, 1824 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Died | July 2, 1901 (aged 76) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Occupation | Professor |
| Spouse | Marcos Gómez Carvajal |
| Children | Eloísa, Marcos Antonio, José María, Manuel and Rafael María |
| Parent(s) | Ignacio Bona Pérez and Juana de Dios Hernández |
Biography
Concepción Bona was born in Santo Domingo on 6 December 1824. She was a daughter of Ignacio Bona Pérez, one of the signatories of the Manifesto of January 16, 1844, and Juana de Dios Hernández, who was the eldest daughter of Josefa Brea Hernández, wife of the patrician Matías Ramón Mella. She was also niece of a famous citizen Juan Pina, the father of Pedro Alejandro Pina, who was prominent in the national independence movement and co-founder of the La Trinitaria secret society. The Haitian occupation of Santo Domingo began two years before her birth, and she grew up under Haitian rule.
When Jean-Pierre Boyer took possession of the Dominican territory in 1822, the result was a political and cultural clash between the two countries, since the cultural base of the Haitians was Franco-African, while that of the Dominican people was Hispanic. For this reason the country was placed under military repression under Gerónimo de Borgellá, who set about recruiting youths for the military service of the Dominican Republic.
Bona grew up in a family fully committed to the patriotic cause that followed the ideas of Juan Pablo Duarte. Young and brave, with her family she unconditionally adopted the Trinitarian ideas. Thus it was that together with her cousin, María de Jesús Pina, Isabel Sosa and María Trinidad Sánchez,[3][4] using fine fabrics she made the tricolor flag that was hoisted by the independence supporters in Puerta del Conde on February 27, 1844.[2] This marked the birth of the independent Dominican Republic. According to Dominican historians, it was Bona herself who brought the flag to General Matías Ramón Mella, founder of the country and the husband of her cousin Josefa Brea Hernández. Concepción Bona was aged 19 at the time and her cousin was 16.
Bona married Marcos Gómez y Carvajal, who was from Baní, on June 2, 1851. The couple had six children: Marcos Antonio, Manuel de Jesús, Eloísa, Rafael María, José María, and another José María.[2] Concepción Bona died on July 2, 1901, in Santo Domingo. Her remains are preserved in the National Pantheon.[2]
A metro station in Santo Domingo is named after her.
See also
References
- "Concepción Bona". educando.edu.do. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- Ángela Peña. "Concepción Bona". hoy.com.do. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- "Origen y evolución de la bandera dominicana" [Origin and development of the Dominican flag]. Periódico Digital Dominicano. 26 February 2015. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- "Bandera Nacional" [Dominican Flag]. Presidency of the Dominican Republic. Retrieved 26 July 2016.