1. The Mirabal Sisters
Women in History

2. The Mirabal Sisters
Patricia, Maria, and Minerva Mirabal

3. “What matters is the quality of a person
“What matters is the quality of a person. What someone is inside themselves ” — Maria Teresa Mirabal
The Mirabal sisters were three women from Salcedo, Dominican Republic. These women bravely followed their convictions and selflessly fought for what they believed. They opposed a dictator’s regime-ultimately giving their lives for their cause.

4. They were savagely killed by henchmen following the Dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo orders. They were a threat to this despot because they were trying to overthrow his cruel, ruthless, and fascist government.

5. The families first real run in with Trujillo was at a party to which they were invited. The family left early. Trujillo was angry about this so he had the father, Don Enrique arrested (no one was permitted to leave a party before Trujillo).
Minerva and Doña Chea were arrested the following day. Every day Minerva was taken to the Fortaleza Ozama and interrogated by two of Trujillo’s men. She refused to write a letter of apology to Trujillo.

6. They were again arrested a few years later and were always in fear of Trujillo's men. This constant fear and stress led to Don Enrique, the girls’ father’s death on December 14,

7. The Mirabal sisters helped form a group that fought against the Trujillo regime. It was known as the Movement of the Fourteenth of June. At the same time, the sisters were becoming known as Las Mariposas (The Butterflies).

8. On November 25, 1960 Trujillo decided he had enough of the sisters’ and decided it was time to get rid of them. He sent his men to intercept the three women on their return home from visiting their husbands who were incarcerated by Trujillo in hopes that it would make the ladies shut up and stop their activities.

9. The sisters’ car was stopped. They were led into a sugarcane field
The sisters’ car was stopped. They were led into a sugarcane field. Here they were mercilessly beaten and strangled to death. Then their car was taken to a mountain known as La Cumbre, between Santiago and Puerto Plata, and then thrown off to make it look like an accident.

10. Trujillo thought he was finally free of “the problem”
Trujillo thought he was finally free of “the problem”. But what happened was just the opposite of what he had hoped. The plan failed. The people of Dominican Republic, along with the Catholic church, were outraged.
These ladies’ lives were cut short because of their convictions. Trujillo, with this action brought more attention to the rebellion. Instead of eliminating the overthrow of his dictatorship he brought its downfall. This contributed to his assassination in 1961, only six months later.

11. The Mirabals' death was a catalyst for change, and was the first event, in a long sequence of events, that led to freedom and democracy in the Dominican Republic. 
In 1984, the United Nations designated November 25th, the day of the Mirabals' death, the "Day of Non- Violence Against Women" in honor of the sisters. 

12. Dede Mirabal, fourth and surviving sister, took over the guardianship her sisters' children and has devoted her life to preserving their memory. 
In the Dominican Republic, the Mirabal sisters are now national heroines and cities, towns, schools and institutions have been named after them.

13. Maria Teresa Mirabal

14. Maria Teresa, the youngest of the Mirabal sisters, was born on October 15, 1936.
She attended Inmaculada Concepción after the rest of her sisters.
In 1954 she graduated from the Liceo de San Francisco de Macorís in Mathematics, and then went to the University of Santo Domingo to study math.

15. On February 14, 1958, she married the engineer Leandro Guzmán, and on February 17, 1959, gave birth to their daughter Jaqueline.
Maria Teresa followed and admired Minerva, and became involved in her sisters' political activities.

16. On January 20, 1960 she was detained at a military base in Salcedo and freed the same day.
Two days later, on January 22, she and Minerva were arrested and taken to La Cuarenta, the infamous torture prison, and then transferred to La Victoria.
They were freed on February 7, 1960.

17. On March 18, 1960, she and Minerva were once again taken to La Cuarenta, having been sentenced to five years for threatening the security of the state (this sentence was reduced to three years on appeal).
The two sisters were freed on August 18,
She was murdered with her sisters on November 25, 1960

18. “What matters is the quality of a person
“What matters is the quality of a person. What someone is inside themselves ” — Maria Teresa Mirabal

19. Habits of Mind Questions
What was the significance of the sister’s actions?
What cause and effect connection can you make between the killing of the Mirabal sisters and the end of Trujillo’s regime?
From the point of view of Trujillo, what were alternative ways he could have dealt with the Mirabal sisters?
Can you make any text to person or text to world connections with the actions of the Mirabal sisters?
How do you think the Dominican Republic would be different if the Mirabal Sisters didn’t make a stand against Trujillo’s regime?