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Trujillo Leaves Office
Trujillo leaves office and installs a puppet dictator in his place, however, he remained in control and ran for presidency a few years later. -
Period: to
Butterfly Timespan
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Minerva Learns the Truth About Trujillo
Minerva, Dede and Patria have just started school at Inmaculada Concepcion. Minerva makes friends right away with Sinita, who one night tells her the truth about Trujillo, which she doesn't believe right away, but over time learns is true. -
WWII
WWII was war in which most world powers and their colonies took part in. Because so many countries were fighting against each other, it was known as a world war, because battles were occuring on all continents except Antartica. -
Trujillo's Second Presidency
Trujillo's Second Presidency led to his dictatorship. Trujillo never left power till his death, though he had puppet governments set up. -
First Memories of the Mirable Family
The Mirable family is gathered together before they get married. This is a time before their life is cluttered with politics and boys, thought they are starting to play a role in the girls' lives, they have not yet had their impact. This is a time right before the family's bubble is burst with their father's affair, and politics. -
Minerva Preforms for Trujillo
Minerva and her friends are getting ready to perform for Trujillo. This is their first performance for him, and her first time meeting him and talking to him. Her friend is accused of trying to kill Trujillo with a bow and arrow, but the matter is smoothed over by saying that it was part of the play. -
Patria Falls in Love
Patria has always been called to be a nun, or so she always thought. She was very spiritual and kindhearted as a child, but now, she isn't sure what she wants. She has been asked if it is her calling, and she will pray about it over her vacation, but while she is home, she falls in love. You could say it was love at first sight, but she just knew that becoming a nun was not the life God planed for her; instead she was to marrie Pedrito Gonzales. -
Maria Teresa is Exposed to Polotics
Minerva is caught sneaking out of school, she covers it up by saying that she was visiting a sick uncle, and Maria Teresa backs up her story, but demands to know the truth later. Finally Minerva tells her that she has been going to meetings to learn about politics and the resistance movement. -
Maria Teresa Buries Her Diary
Because of the military and police coming around asking questions, and people "dissapearing," Maria Teresa has to bury her diary because it mentions certain people. This is the first time Trujillo has personally impacted Maria Teresa's life. -
Trujillo and Communism
Trujillo didn't really have much of an opinion about communism until the Cold War came along. Because of the US's stance on the matter, Trujillo outlawed the Dominican Communist Party. -
India Becomes an Independent Country
India, for the most part, had a peaceful revolution that was based on boycott and nonviolent resistance to the Raj. India eventually gained its independence in 1947. Their freedom was owed in part to WWII. -
Dede's Pivotal Moment
On this particular day, Dede is faced with the choice of marrying Jaimito, which she isn't sure about, but ends up agreeing to. At the same time, the man who she loves, Lio, is leaving the country and is inviting her sister to go with him. -
Dede is Introduced to Politics
Dede is introduced to politics by being around her sister and her sister's "boyfriend," Lio, who Dede secretly has a crush on, though she is dating her furture husband at the time. It is through double dating with her sister, that she learns about current events and the revolution people are plotting. She is undecided about her stance in politics. -
Israel Becomes a State
Israel became a state so that Jewish people have a country they can call their own. This was in partial response to the Holocaust, and persecution people of Jewish origin had been facing. -
Minerva Learns of Her Half Sisters
One day Minerva is driving out in the country and she drives past a group of kids that are obviously related to her. Later on, she sees her father's vehicle parked near the house. She will eventually confront her father and meet her sisters. -
Patria Looses Her Child
Patria looses her child which not only impacts her emotionally, but also spritirually, which leads her to be more aware of the flaws in the government and the wrongs that have been happening in her country and to her people. -
Discovery Dance
All of the Mirabals are invited to a dance, especially Minerva. At the dance, Trujillo makes advances towards Minerva, and she slaps him. After this, her family leaves the dance. Her father is arrested as a result of leaving the dance and dies shortly after leaving prison. -
Korean War
The Korean war was the result of WWII when the country was split into two different countries. The US occupied Korea after WWII, but war soon came about in Korea due to the two countries arguing about where their countries' borders were located. Both sides claiming more land than they really had. -
Trujillo Leaves Office
Trujillo leaves office and puts his brother, Hector Trujillo, in charge of the government. This is just a puppet government; Trujillo is still in charge. -
Maria Teresa Dreams
Maria Teresa has a terrible dream in which she sees her father's dead face. These dreams will continue throughout her life, her father's face being replaced by the important people in her life. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a war that the USA participated in. It was basically a war against communism. -
The SIM
SIM stood for Servicio de Inteligencia Militar, which was run by Johnny Abbes Garcia. The SIM replaced the Department of State for Security around 1957. The SIM turned out to be the more bloody of the two sister agencies. -
Maria Teresa Joins the Resistance
She was laying in her bed, when a knock came from a man in the resistance, he had a delivery for her sister and brother-in-law. After she met him, she joined the resistance- mostly so she could get to know him better. -
Fidel Castro Invades The Dominican Republic
Fidel Castro invaded the Dominican Republic, but it was unsuccessful and he was driven back. However, this gave the rebels courage to continue their fight, although many were rounded up and captured before and after the failed attack. -
Luperion Invasion
A group of exiled Dominicans led an invasion of the Dominican Republic, but it was quickly crushed. The survivors were carted off to prison and either tortured, executed, or both. -
Constanza Attacked
Patria has almost completely lost her faith. To regain it, she decides to go on a retreat with her Father Jesus and some other people from her parish. While they are on the mountain, they are shelled, and she sees a boy killed. She is sickened. -
Patria Joins the 14th of June Movement
After seeing the boy die, she is convicted. Patria joins the movement that will be known as the 14th of June Movement. She becomes the final member of the butterflies. -
Attempted Assasination of Venezuela's President Betancourt
Because of bad blood between Venezuela's president Betancout, Trujillo ordered his assasination. The president, however, was not injured when a car exploded as he passed it in a parade. Because of this, other countries imposed sanctions on the Dominican Republic. -
Dede Leaves Her Husband
Dede is unhappy with her husband's dictatorship of her own home. In a way, Dede fights her own Trujillo, which no one really suports her on except Minerva. Perhapts that is why she didn't need to free her country, she was too busy freeing her home. She leaves, but her familly encourages reconciliation, for her and her babies. She agrees mostly for her boys. -
Family Imprisioned
Dede watches as her brothers-in-law, nephew, and sisters are rounded up like animals and taken to prison. Months will pass before she sees them again -
OAS
Countries begain cutting the Dominican Republic off because of the harsh sanctions the OAS had imposed on the Dominican. The USA was starting to work with rebles, and eventually, the CIA helped supply arms to them. -
Margarita Mirabal Comes For a Visit
Margarita Mirabal, comes with a gift for Dede and Patria, letters from their sisters in prison. It is the first time they have heard from the girls, and they now have a way of sending them things from the outside world. -
Nelson Released
Nelson is finally released from prison. Patria is excited. She has promised herself to Trujillo, God, and has almost gone insane. But finally, her boy is home! -
Trujillo Assasinated
Trujillo is assasinated as he is being drivien to one of his country homes. He was assasinated by the CIA who wanted to get rid of him because of his weakening political power, human rights violations, and so they could establish a strong government that was not made up of pro communist rebles -
Dede is Interviewed
Dede is being interviewed by an interviewer who wants to know about her heroic sisters. Dede is tired of being interviewed, but she agreed to talk to the woman
