Samana Bay Company of Santo Domingo

The Samana Bay Company of Santo Domingo was a company established in the mid-19th century with the aim of developing the Samaná Peninsula in the Dominican Republic.

Samana Bay Company of Santo Domingo Dominio de Samana
Territory of United States
1872–1874
Flag
Demonym	Samanenses
Government
• Type	Commanders
President
• 1869–1873	Ulysses S. Grant
Commander
• 1869–1870	William Leslie Cazneau
History
• Established	December 28, 1872 (1872-12-28) 1872
• Disestablished	1874
Today part of	Samana

History

Following the failed annexation of Santo Domingo by the United States,^[1] the company, which was based in New York City,^[2] was granted a concession by the Dominican government to develop the area, including building infrastructure and attracting settlers. The agreement, which was signed on December 28, 1872 and ratified by the Senate of the Dominican Republic on February 19, 1873,^[1] also granted the Company complete corporate sovereignty over Samaná Bay and the surrounding land.^[2]

Following the signing of the agreement, American investment increased significantly in the Dominican Republic, and there was an influx of planters of both sugar and tobacco from the United States, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, and sugar production especially increased dramatically.^[2]

In January 1874, however, President Buenaventura Báez was overthrown,^[3] and the new government under Ignacio María González subsequently cancelled the concession and seized the Company's assets^[4][5][6] due to the Company's non-payment of their $150,000 annual lease (equivalent to $3,937,083 in 2024).^[7]