History of Cinco de Mayo 

By: Emily Clawson 

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s “Independence Day”, but a celebration of a surprising military victory over France in 1862. Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Friday, May 5 in 2023, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the clash. Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza’s success at the Battle of Puebla on May 5 represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement. In 1867—thanks in part to military support and political pressure from the United States, which was finally in a position to aid its besieged neighbor after the end of the Civil war—France finally withdrew. The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico in 1864 by Napoleon, was captured and executed by Juárez’s forces. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic triumph. Their were two people interviewed on what their thoughts on Cinco De Mayo were, and Brittany Doverspike replied, “I don’t know much about the holiday, but it sounds like a fun thing.” The other person who was interviewed Julia Dembowski said, “I don’t celebrate that holiday at all so I know nothing about what they do for it.” In conclusion that’s the history of Cinco De Mayo