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Cinco de Mayo / Battle of Puebla |
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The holiday of Cinco De Mayo, the 5th of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862 at a violent and chaotic time in Mexico's history. Mexico had finally gained independence from Spain in 1821 after a difficult and bloody struggle, and a number of internal political takeovers and wars, including the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the Mexican Civil War of 1858, had ruined the national economy.
During this period of struggle Mexico had accumulated heavy debts to several nations, including Spain, England and France, who were demanding repayment. Similar debt to the U.S. was previously settled after the Mexican-American War. France was eager to expand its empire at that time, and used the debt issue to move forward with goals of establishing its own leadership in Mexico. Realizing France's intent of empire expansion, Spain and England withdrew their support. When Mexico finally stopped making any loan payments, France took action on its own to install Napoleon III's relative, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, as ruler of Mexico.
France invaded at the gulf coast of Mexico along the state of Veracruz and began to march toward Mexico City. The French army encountered strong resistance near Puebla at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. Lead by Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a smaller and poorly armed militia estimated at 4,500 men was able to stop and defeat a well-outfitted French army of 6,500 soldiers, which stopped the invasion of the country.
Unfortunately, the victory was short lived. Upon hearing the bad news, Napoleon III had found an excuse to send more troops overseas to try and invade Mexico again, even against the wishes of the French populace. A full year later, the French were eventually able to depose the Mexican army, take over Mexico City and install Maximilian as the ruler of Mexico.
Maximilian's rule of Mexico was also short lived, from 1864 to 1867. With the American Civil War now over, the U.S. began to provide more political and military assistance to Mexico to expel the French. The Mexicans executed Maximilian and his bullet-riddled shirt is kept at a museum in Mexico City. So despite the eventual French invasion of Mexico City, Cinco de Mayo honors the bravery and victory of General Zaragoza's smaller, outnumbered militia at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The victory was a glorious moment for Mexican patriots and helped to develop a needed sense of national unity, and is the cause for the historical date's celebration.
In Cozumel, this is a minor holiday as it is more popularly celebrated in the United States and here in Mexico, primarily observed in the state of Puebla where you will often find parades and reenactments of the Battle of Puebla. Another popular observance locale is Peñón de los Baños in Mexico City, where the day is celebrated by people originally from Puebla. If you are staying in Cozumel, you can still go out, find almost all of the shops and restaurants are open and create your own party! We never need an excuse for a celebration here in Cozumel.
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Copyright 2000 - 2024 Sherri Davis, All Rights Reserved. Contributors retain the copyright to their work. Please do not take art or written content without permission. Other graphics and reference materials are used and attributed as per the Fair Use Provision of The Copyright Act and individual terms of use.
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