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Cinco de Mayo is obviously celebrated on the 5th of May, true to its name. This was the day that the French and Mexico fought in Puebla, ending in the French retreat from Puebla and eventually the entire country after the capture and execution of Archduke Maximilian.

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Where is Cinco de Mayo celebrated and why?

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Where is Cinco de Mayo celebrated and why?

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Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in the state of Puebla in Mexico, as well as in the United States. The reason for its widespread celebration in the US lies in Chicano activists in the 1960s. These activists felt their struggles in American society were reminiscent of the Mexicans' resistance against France and colonial rule.

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What is the significance of Cinco de Mayo?

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What is the significance of Cinco de Mayo?

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To Mexicans, particularly those in and around Puebla, Cinco de Mayo symbolizes the fact that Mexicans refused to be ruled by colonial powers like France and Spain. They are also inspired by the unlikely victory of General Zaragoza defeating a well trained and supplied French army with the help of much less well trained Mexican citizens. In the US, however, it simply represents pride in Mexican heritage and a celebration of Mexican culture and customs.

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What small town was a key player in the battle for CInco de Mayo?

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What small town was a key player in the battle for CInco de Mayo?

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The battle of Cinco de Mayo took place in Puebla, between a polished French army under General Lorencez and a ragtag group of Mexican resistance fighters, led by General Zaragoza. In addition, Puebla is the only part of Mexico that celebrates Cinco de Mayo in any major way.

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Historical Figure: General Ignacio Zaragoza

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Historical Figure: General Ignacio Zaragoza

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General Zaragoza was born in a small Mexican village that is now part of Texas. After Mexico's loss of the Texas territory, his family moved to Monterrey and Zaragoza joined a seminary. After spending a small part of his life trying to pursue business, he enlisted in a small Mexican militia as a sergeant. After his militia became part of Mexico's army, he became a Captain. During the 1850s, he joined the Liberal Party's army opposing Santa Anna and served in many conflicts during this period. The Battle of Puebla occurred while he was Secretary of War under Benito Juarez, but he left his post to defend Mexico when British, French, and Spanish troops entered the country. At the battle of Cinco de Mayo, Zaragoza pulled off an incredibly unlikely victory against the French and pushed them back to Orizaba.

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Benito Juarez was born to a pair of Mesoamerican Indians in San Pablo Guelatao. His parents died when he was 3, and he eventually left his uncle's care to live with his sister in Oaxaca. There, he began his education, eventually receiving a degree in law. After winning a council seat, he dove head first into politics and planned to have a lifelong career in the field. Despite this, his contemporaries described Juarez as "impeccably honest" and said he never used political success for his personal gain. He believed in liberal solutions for Mexico's ills, such as replacing the aristocratic government and their monopoly with a constitutional government and a capitalist economic system. He was exiled in 1853 after conservatives won in national elections, but returned in 1855 when liberals won back the government. After this, he spent time overseeing the Mexican Supreme Court under Comonfort. Finally, after a period of struggle for liberal politicians in the early 1860's, Juarez was elected and became the first indigenous President of Mexico.

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Historical Figure: General Charles de Lorencez

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Historical Figure: General Charles de Lorencez

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General Charles de Lorencez was an accomplished French general who fought in wars such as the Crimean War and the Franco-Prussian war. However, his most infamous mission was when he led 6,000 French troops into Mexico and arrived at Puebla on May 5th. He lost in an unlikely fight against Zaragoza's ragtag group of Mexican soldiers, and was forced to retreat.

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Historical Figure: Archduke Maximilian I 

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Historical Figure: Archduke Maximilian I 

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Maximilian was an Austrian archduke, the younger brother of Emperor Francis Joseph. He was a rear admiral in the Austrian Navy. When he was made Emperor of Mexico, he was led to believe by Napoleon that the people had elected him. In reality, his appointment was an agreement between the conservative politicians of Mexico and the French government, whom Mexico owed debts to. His blindness to this political struggle in Mexico led to his eventual capture and execution.

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Napoleon was the leader of France, and caused the Battle of Puebla by following Britain and Spain in attempting to intimidate Mexico into paying back debts. However, he also had an agenda to take over Mexico and use it for land expansion. He installed Archduke Maximilian as Emperor of Mexico, but lost and pulled out of Mexico after Lorencez's defeat at Puebla and Maximilian's execution.