Transcript Who Celebrates 5 de Mayo

History of 5 de Mayo
(It is not the Independence of Mexico!)
Who Celebrates 5 de Mayo
Mexico after the MexicanAmerican War
The French invasion
Batalla de Puebla (Puebla Battle)
The Mexican Empire
5 de Mayo celebration
Who Celebrates 5 de Mayo
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California
Texas
New Mexico
Arizona
– at one point part of Mexico.
– lost to US during the
Mexican-American War in
1848.
– new Mexican-American
citizens united to form a
coalition society to protect
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Who Celebrates 5 de Mayo
 These societies evolved into
an elitist society
 contributed money and
materials to the Mexican
Government to fight against
the Mexican Imperial
Monarchy
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Mexico Before the Mexican American War
 Agustin de Iturbide
– crowned emperor of a free Mexico.
 He was a “Criollo” of noble Spanish decent
 only 8 months
 Constitutional government led by Santa Anna
– “traitor” that sold the land to US and caused the MexicanAmerican War.
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Mexico after the Mexican-American War
 Santa Anna
– the Mexican dictator
– was forced to resign.
 In 1858, Benito Juárez,
– a full blooded Zapotec Indian, a
lawyer and a priest,
– elected as president of Mexico to
defend the Constitution established in
1857.
– was re-elected in 1861.
 The country was in a financial hole due
to the Mexican-American war.
 1861, President Juarez issued a
moratorium on all debt repayment
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The Initiation of the Mexican-French War
 Congress made the decision to
suspend the payment of the foreign
debt for two years
 except to US, who helped Juárez to
the presidency
 The creditors, France, Spain and
England
 France, ruled by Napoleon III
(Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew),
– greedy agenda of expanding its
empire to the Americas. (18521870 emperor of France)
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Napoleon III’s Agenda
 Dispose of the
Constitutional Government
of Mexico
 Establish a monarchy
favorable to France in
Mexico, Central and South
America
 Have a monopoly on raw
materials from the Americas
 Have a close check on the
United States after the
annexation of the Mexican
territory
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Foreign invasion of Mexico
 On December 8th, 1861
– European forces
landed in Veracruz.
 Spain and England
– withdrew their
support
– went back to Europe
on April 11th, 1862.
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The French Invasion
 Illusion of Mexican people would welcome them
 the French set out to Mexico city with 6/7,000 men.
 This illusion
– fostered by conservatists and rich “Criollo” landlords
– feared the loss of their lands to the Republic.
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Puebla Battle
 General Ignacio Zaragoza
– Ordered to stop the French
troops
– army of only 2000 men.
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Puebla Battle
May 5, 1862
 Loreto and Guadalupe in
the city of Puebla
 video
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Puebla Battle
 one fort was in ruins
 more than 1000
French soldiers were
died.
 The Mexican Army
had won a battle…
 But not the war….
 This date is symbolic
of the Mexican’s
courage against a
formidable army
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Forts of Loreto and Guadalupe
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The Mexican Empire
 Mexico won the battle of Puebla
but lost the war
 In June 1864
– Maximilian of Habsburg and
his wife Charlotte (Carlota)
arrived in Mexico as crowned
emperors by Napoleon III
 Maximilian
– organized the administration
– liberated the Indians from
servitude
– developed the natural
resources of the country
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The Mexican Empire
 Juárez
– went North and requested
volunteers and financial
support
– Want to overthrow the empire
 May 15, 1867
– Maximilian was captured and
tried by court martial
– executed in “El Cerro de las
Campanas”
• June 19 with his officers
Miguel Miramón and Tomás
Mejía
 Carlota
– sent back to Austria
– developed dementia
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Maximilian and the Charro Outfit
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5 de Mayo Celebration
 5 de Mayo is a Mexican
holiday
 it is in US where the
celebration is more festive
 consisting of parades,
music, folklore, dances and
food
 These festivities are to
celebrate the solidarity
among the MexicanAmericans
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5 de Mayo Today
 The battlefield
– now a park in Puebla
with a statue of
General Zaragoza
riding horseback.
 forts
– is a museum
– display of hundreds of
toy soldiers set up to
show what happened
that day
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