Cinco de Mayo - May 5, 1862

The celebration of Cinco de Mayo – the fifth of May in Spanish – is not Mexican Independence as is popularly thought. Cinco de Mayo is the commemoration of the Mexican militia defeating the French army on May 5, 1862. Five thousand ill-equipped and ill-prepared Mexican fighters defeated the entire French army at the Battle of Puebla on this day and is now celebrated across Mexico and in the United States as a patriotic day. Mexico’s actual independence day takes place on September 16. The holiday is particularly celebrated in Mexico’s capital city of Peubla where the battle took place.

This was a very anarchic period in Mexico’s history. In 1821, Mexico had gained independence from Spain after a long and violent struggle. The Mexican-American War during 1846 to 1848 also took its toll on Mexico. The country was in anarchy and the economy was in shambles. Throughout these decades, Mexico borrowed heavily from Spain, England, and France and, in 1861, Mexico’s president – Benito Juarez – said that payments on these debts wouldn’t be paid for two years but would begin again afterward. Spain, England, and France invaded. Spain and England eventually withdrew but France continued the invasion that led up to this historic battle.

http://clnet.ucla.edu/cinco.html