Santo Domingo was under Spanish rule from 1861 to 1863 and eventually became part of the Dominican Republic. The eastern half of the island of Hispaniola experienced constant unrest and needed help to be controlled. While President Grant saw the acquisition of Santo Domingo as desirable due to its fertile soil and geographic location, others like Carl Schurz recoiled at the idea of representatives from the multi-racial population joining the U.S. Congress.