The True Story of Cinco de Mayo:

The Battle of Puebla

Ms. Argueta

Mexican Independence- 1821-After Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, it faced internal power struggles that left it in a volatile state of rebellion and instability for years.- This was only made worse with Santa Anna’s loss of the Texas war for independence. Mexicans began fighting amongst themselves, and Santa Anna lost power.-This means that Mexican Independence happened BEFORE the events that would eventually become Cinco de Mayo

Starting a Nation Costs Money!!!-After it got independence, Mexico had to take out a lot of loans to try and pay for the building of a nation (starting a country takes a lot of cash!!!)-- Mexico borrowed money from Spain, France, and England-- As time went on, Mexico found that it could not pay for the loans on time

Stop the Fighting, Hold the Loans!-Not only did Mexico have to borrow a lot of money, there were disagreements between its leaders as to how the country should be run.-The movement for independence was far from gaining unanimous support among Mexicans, who became deeply divided - In order to try and solve the escalating problems, the president of the time, Benito Juarez, put the loan payments on hold while he tried to settle the fighting that was going on in Mexico

France Takes Over

- France didn’t like this too much so, while all of the other countries that had loaned money to Mexico backed off and let Mexico try and solve its issues, France decided to come in and take over Mexico until they could get their money back-they flooded the Mexican harbors with ships, soldiers, and what they hoped would be a new ruler for Mexico.

The French troops--deemed among the best trained and equipped in the world--marched into the city of Puebla on May 5, 1862, expecting no resistance.

Mexico Says NO!-The French army consisted of 6,000 men under the command of Marshal Lorencz. -The French were met by an armed force of 2,000 peasants under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza.

– Although the French troops would remain in Mexico for a while longer, this strong stand by the Mexican people is one of the most impressive examples of Mexican citizens coming together to fight for their right to rule themselves

Cinco de Mayo, therefore, does not celebrate Mexico's independence, rather it symbolizes the right of the people to rule themselves. The fact that they won against such a strong foreign invader is also a very proud moment in Mexican history.

-In America, Cinco de Mayo is taken as an opportunity to celebrate Hispanic culture in general, and is celebrated with huge fairs, which include Mexican singing, dancing, feasting, costumes, sports activities, fireworks, and entertainment.

-Mariachi bands play while dancers perform native Mexican dances such as the Mexican Hat Dance and the Raspa. Speeches and parades encompass a large part of the celebration too.

-These events are one way in which people celebrate the friendship of the United States and Mexico.- -This observance of the Cinco de Mayo victory is a special symbol for all Mexican people who celebrate their rights of freedom and liberty, honoring those who fought, against the odds, for these principles

So Why Is Cinco De Mayo Such a Big Deal in the U.S.?-Interestingly enough, Cinco de Mayo isn’t celebrated as widely as you think in Mexico.

-In certain towns, such as Puebla and other areas affected by French rule, it is a pretty big deal, but the big celebration in Mexico occurs in September, for Mexican independence day

-Cinco de Mayo thus allows Mexican-American citizens to celebrate and share their culture through music, dance, and food-So, eat up, read up, and embrace your tejano side!

Resources:

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/cincodemayo.html

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