. Americans are conditioned to believe that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, and celebrate by taking shots and eating enchiladas. In a way, May 5 appears to be more about debt repair than about drinking cocktails. Mexicans within the state of Puebla celebrate Cinco de Mayo history as the date of the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Out-manned and outgunned, Mexican forces defeated a French army sent by Napoleon III. Numerous Mexicans take the Battle of Puebla as a symbol of freedom and liberty.
The Battle of Puebla’s history
Rather than wearing amusing hats and speaking Spanglish, if Americans knew about the history of the Battle of Puebla, they would probably be expressing thanks to Mexico. September 16, which is the day Mexico’s 10 year Independence War with Spain began in 1810, is Mexico’s independence day, not May 5.
The Battle of Puebla truth
In 1862, on Cinco de Mayo, the US was in the middle of its Civil War. Mexico had been celebrating Mexican Independence day since 1810. The country was unfortunately nevertheless broke after a war with the United States in 1848, when it lost California and New Mexico (a vast territory that now involves Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming and Utah). . France felt the US was a threat, with its expanding territory and military. Napoleon III saw the Civil War as an chance to defuse that threat.
Background of Battle of Puebla
The Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, occurred because Napoleon III of France sent troops to Mexico under the ruse of collecting the debt. He really just wanted to defeat the Mexicans so he could have a force in place to aid the Army of the Confederacy. By having the US being split into two, Napoleon thought France could hold sway over two weakened nations in North The US instead of dealing with one single powerful one.
French defeated at Battle of Puebla
The Battle of Puebla on Cinco de Mayo 1862 pitted a ragtag Mexican force against the French Army, considered the baddest military force in the world at the time. 6,000 French troops led by a cocky general with no Mexican respect attacked Puebla. The Mexicans didn’t just stand their ground; they chased the French to the coast and defeated them.
Reason to celebrate Cinco de Mayo
Until 1867, the French weren’t totally out of Mexico, but the Battle of Pueblo on Cinco de Mayo was huge in preserving Mexican independence. The French Army’s defeat at the Battle of Puebla on Cinco de Mayo in 1862 also prevented Napoleon III from aiding the Confederates. The Mexican army may have played a key role in helping Abraham Lincoln win the civil war and preserve the Union. A deed worthy of a toast when Americans knock back the tequila on Cinco de Mayo.
Article Resources
tequila
http://cocktails.about.com/b/2007/05/01/tequila-and-cinco-de-mayo.htm
New Mexico
http://www.emersonkent.com/map_archive/mexico_texas_1845.htm
A deed worthy of a toast
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/gallery/0,28548,1607704,00.html
