El Cinco de Mayo

El Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican Holiday

WHY? The holiday, El Cinco de Mayo, the 5 of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexicans over the French army at the Battle of Puebla. ¿POR QUÉ?

¿Qué pasó con los franceses? What happened with the French? ¿Qué pasó con los franceses?

After the Mexican-American War (1846-48) & The Mexican Civil War 1858.... Mexico owed France, Spain and England a lot of money. France wanted to add to its empire and used the debt issue to try and take over Mexico without the support of Spain and England. When Mexico stopped making loan payments, France tried installing Archduke Maximilian of Austria as ruler.

Archduke Maximilian of Austria

Presidente Benito Juárez commanded General Ignacio Zaragoza to block the advance of the French Army

The poorly armed Mexican militia of 4,500 men were able to stop and defeat the well outfitted French army of 7,000 soldiers. Victoria

The Mexicans won the battle at Puebla, but not the war. The President of France, Napoleon III, sent 30,000 troops to invade Mexico again. The French took Mexico City over and installed Maximilian as the ruler of Mexico. The U.S then provided political and military assistance to Mexico. The French were expelled and Maximilian was executed

Maximilian’s execution by the Mexicans

Despite the French invasion of Mexico City, El Cinco de Mayo honors the bravery and victory of General Zaragoza’s small, outnumbered army at the Battle of Puebla.

TODAY El Cinco de Mayo is a holiday celebrated in the U.S. by Mexican-Americans, mostly in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The holiday is recognized throughout Mexico, but it’s nothing like the celebration found in Puebla. HOY

el Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

Susan Ging Lent Production WORKS CITED http://www.mexonline.com/cinco.htm http://www.nacnet.org/assunta/spa5may.htm http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm ¡Adiós! Susan Ging Lent Production