Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of
May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s 1862 victory
over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. While it is
a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has
evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in
areas with large Mexican-American populations.
Cinco de Mayo history: In 1861, Benito Juárez—a lawyer and member
of the indigenous Zapotec tribe—was elected president of Mexico. At the time,
the country was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new
president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments. In response, France, Britain and Spain sent
naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding repayment. Britain and Spain
negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces. France, however, ruled by
Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to carve an empire out of Mexican
territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a
large force of troops and driving President Juárez and his government into
retreat.
The Battle of Puebla: Certain that success would come swiftly,
6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to
attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. From his new
headquarters in the north, Juárez rounded up a ragtag force of 2,000 loyal
men—many of them either indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them
to Puebla. The vastly outnumbered and
poorly supplied Mexicans, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, fortified
the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, Lorencez gathered
his army—supported by heavy artillery—before the city of Puebla and led an
assault.
How long did the Battle of
Puebla last?: The battle lasted
from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had
lost nearly 500 soldiers. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the clash.
Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French,
Zaragoza’s success at the Battle of Puebla on May 5 represented a great
symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance
movement. In 1867—thanks in part to military support and political pressure
from the United States, which was finally in a position to aid its besieged
neighbor after the end of the Civil War—France finally withdrew. The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand
Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico in 1864 by Napoleon,
was captured and executed by Juárez’s forces. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed
for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic
triumph there.
Cinco de Mayo in Mexico: Within Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily
observed in the state of Puebla, where Zaragoza’s unlikely victory occurred,
although other parts of the country also take part in the celebration. Traditions include military parades,
recreations of the Battle of Puebla and other festive events. For many
Mexicans, however, May 5 is a day like any other: It is not a federal holiday,
so offices, banks and stores remain open.
Why do we celebrate Cinco de
Mayo in the United States?: In the
United States, Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican
culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American
populations. Chicano activists raised
awareness of the holiday in the 1960s, in part because they identified with the
victory of indigenous Mexicans (such as Juárez) over European invaders during
the Battle of Puebla. Today, revelers
mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing
and traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano. Some of the largest
festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.
Confusion with Mexican
Independence Day: Many people
outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of
Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle
of Puebla. Independence Day in Mexico
(Día de la Independencia) is commemorated on September 16, the anniversary of
the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s famous “Grito de Dolores”
(“Cry of Dolores”), a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war
against the Spanish colonial government in 1810.
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