text: In 1756, the city of Santa Bárbara de Samaná was officially established, with European families mostly from the Canary Islands of southern Spain, in a place called Carenero Grande. The town was organized as a Parish of the La Vega Party, within the territorial division that the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo had then. Decades later when the area became a French colony, through the Treaty of Basel, the French governor of  tried to develop the Samaná region, installing French settlers escaping the slave revolts in Haiti, including the family of Théodore Chassériau. These settlers were dedicated to cutting precious woods for export and growing coffee.
  The province is also home to what are known Samaná Americans, the descendants of free black Americans immigrated beginning in 1824. They took advantage of the pro-African immigration policy of then president Jean-Pierre Boyer when Samaná was under Haitian rule. This migration to Santa Bárbara, Samaná began with 34 African-American families. Their culture contrasted with the Hispanic culture of the country as they maintain many elements of 19th century African-American culture—such as their brand of English, food, games, community organizations, English names, manners, music and some recipes that have been preserved as a result of their isolation, which until the 20th century was accessible only by boat. Most are of the African Methodist Episcopal and Wesleyan faith brought to the island by their ancestors.
  During the entire First Republic (1844–1861) era, Samaná became the El Seibo Province. The Constitution of 1865 created the Maritime District of Samaná, with a military government, which later became the Province of Samaná by the Constitution of 1907 that stopped recognizing the maritime districts as a territorial category.