Transcript Cinco de Mayo PPT

Investigating the
History before Cinco de Mayo
The Battle for Independence
T
Cinco de Mayo - The Holiday
• Mexicans living in the United States wanted to
maintain and reaffirm their roots.
• They chose Cinco de Mayo to celebrate their
ethnic and cultural background.
• May 5th has been enthusiastically adopted by
Mexican-Americans, Chicanos and various
Hispanic communities in the United States.
• The Cinco de Mayo Fiestas include many forms
of Latin music, great variety of foods, theater,
artwork, crafts fairs and many other cultural
expressions
•
http://zedilloworld.presidencia.gob.mx/PAGES/culture/note_
5may.html
Cinco de Mayo - Important Dates
• 1821 Gained independence from Spain but
unstable period
• 1846 Mexico and United States war began
• 1855 Reform period with conflict
• 1861 Onset of Puebla battle
• 1862 Battle of Puebla
Cinco de Mayo - 1821 Gained independence from Spain
• Mexico’s fight lasted
from 1810 to 1821
• Mexico’s struggle for
independence against
Spanish Colonial rule.
• After an 11 year fight,
Mexico won its
independence from
Spain in 1821
Cinco de Mayo – 1846 Mexican-American War
• BEGAN: April 25, 1846--The first battle between the
Mexican and U.S. armies.
• The Mexican War between the United States and
Mexico began with a Mexican attack on American
troops along the southern border of Texas on Apr. 25,
1846.
• A dictatorial Centralist government in Mexico began the
war because of the U.S. annexation (1845) of Texas,
which Mexico continued to claim despite the
establishment of the independent republic of Texas 10
years before. the Mexicans opened fire on the fort and
the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma
followed.
Cinco de Mayo - 1848 Mexican-American war
• The Mexican Army of
more than 5,000 troops
was defeated by
Taylor's army of 2,000
• ENDED: February 2,
1848--The signing of
the Treaty of
Guadeloupe Hidalgo
Cinco de Mayo - Was the war Eminent?
• The ongoing and passionate battle between the
Liberals and Conservatives
• Government witnessed eighteen transfers of power.
One of the key issues was the role of the Catholic
Church and the separation of church and state.
• With the adoption of a Liberal-based constitution in
January 1857, the Conservative/Liberal conflict
evolved into a full-scale civil war, referred to as the
War of the Reform.
http://www.houstonculture.org/hispanic/jalisco.html
Cinco de Mayo - Leading towards war.
• Mexico went through forty years of
internal power struggles and rebellions.
• By 1861 the country’s finances were so
bad that the nation owed 80 million pesos
in foreign debts.
• Mexico’s president, Benito Juarez,
pledged to pay off these debts eventually
but, as an emergency measure, he
suspended all payment for two years.
• In France, Napoleon III saw this as an
opportunity to establish French colonies
in Latin America
Cinco de Mayo - The War of the French Intervention
• México, which had
never been financially
stable, underwent a
severe economic crisis
during the 1850s.
• Much debt was owed
to France.
• France sent troops to
México to secure
payment of it’s debt..
• French troops invaded
Mexico in an attempt
to install Maximilian as
Emperor of Mexico
Cinco de Mayo - Battle of Puebla
•
The Battle of Puebla, May
5, 1862 -- This period
painting shows the
beginning of the French
attack on Puebla de los
Angeles (Puebla), May 5,
1862.
•
The heights of the Cerro de
Guadalupe, a ridge of high
ground dominating the
entrance to Pueblo, the fort
of Loretto and the fortified
monastery of Guadalupe
rise in the background.
Cinco de Mayo - Victory at Puebla
•
The Victory of Cinco de Mayo.
In this painting, as the defeated
French troops stream back from
their failed assault, Mexican
cavalry with lances pick off the
stragglers.
•
French troops of the elite 2nd
Zouave Regiment, with their
distinctive baggy red trousers, are
in the foreground.
•
The white gaiters or “spats” over
their shoes are those that
General Count de Lorencez
ordered them to freshly whiten in
order to impress the Mexicans in
what he hoped would be his
triumphal entry into Puebla.
•
Meanwhile other French infantry,
wearing white trousers, blue
coats and fezzes, can be seen
fleeing in the background.
Cinco de Mayo - Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian
• 1832-1867
• A dreamy romantic, he
was selected by
Napoleon III to be the
puppet Emperor of
Mexico in 1862.
•
When the Mexican
adventure of
Napoleon III collapsed
in 1867, Maximilian
was captured and
executed by a
Mexican firing squad.
Cinco de Mayo - General Ignacio Zaragoza
•
(1829-1862) – Helped to
overthrow the dictatorial
Mexican president Antonio
López de Santa Anna in
1855.
•
Served as Minister of the
Army and Navy under
President Benito Juarez
between April and
December, 1861, but
resigned to take command
of the Mexican army
opposing the French
invasion.
•
He defeated French General
Count de Lorencez at the
battle of Puebla on May 5,
1862.
Cinco de Mayo - Benito Juarez
•
From January of 1858,
Juarez served as president
of Mexico until July 18,
1872 – more than 15 years.
•
He led his country through
some of its most difficult
years, notably the La
Reforma (1857-1860) and
French intervention (18611867) periods.
•
While still serving as
president, Juarez died of an
apoplectic stroke at the
National Palace in Mexico
City on July 18, 1872. His
birthday – March 21 – is a
national holiday in Mexico.
Cinco de Mayo - Emperor Napoleon III
•
(1808-1873) – born April 21,
1808 in Paris.
•
As the nephew of Napoléon
Bonaparte, Louis Napoleon
believed that he was the
rightful heir to the French
throne.
•
In 1861, Napoleon III plotted to
carve out a French empire in
Mexico.
•
When Mexico was forced to
suspend payments on its
foreign debts, France, Great
Britain and Spain landed an
expeditionary force at Vera
Cruz.
Cinco de Mayo - Migual Miramón
•
1832-1867- Mexican soldier
of French extraction, was
born in the city of Mexico
•
He first fought against the
U.S. and then, as leader of
the reactionary party,
against the liberals.
•
Decisively beaten by the
Liberals in 1860, he spent
some time in Europe
advocating, foreign
intervention in Mexican
affairs; and returned as a
partisan of Maximilian.
•
His ability as a soldier was
shown by his double
defence of Puebla in 1856.
Cinco de Mayo - Brigadier General Porfiro Diaz
•
In 1846 Diaz joined the Mexican
National Guard to fight against the
United States in the Mexican War.
•
Diaz opposed Mexican president
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s
seizure of power in 1853, and was
forced into exile.
•
He helped overthrow of Santa
Anna’s dictatorship on August 12,
1855, and distinguished himself in
the War of the Reform (1857-1860),
fighting for the Liberal party.
•
During the French intervention, he
continued his distinguished career,
fighting in the battle of Puebla and
elsewhere until the Mexicans
prevailed
Cindo de Mayo - dictator Santa Anna
•
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
was a Mexican soldier and
politician.
•
President of Mexico 11 times
and often ruled as a dictator,
he was always overthrown.
•
He began his long career by
fighting for Spain against the
Mexicans when the Mexicans
started their armed struggle for
independence in 1810. 1838,
the French attacked Veracruz.
•
Santa Anna took command of
the defending troops and beat
back the attackers. From 1841
to 1844, he was president of
Mexico
Cinco de Mayo - Juan Alvarez
•
From 1810 to his death in
1867 Juan Alvarez fought for
progressive causes. Son of a
Spaniard and an Acapulco
Afro-Mexican, Alvarez was a
lieutenant to Guerrero during
the 1810 war.
•
Juan Alvarez became
President of Mexico in October
1855. On November 14, 1855,
he rode into Mexico City
attended by his bodyguard of
Indian warriors from the
southern mountains.
•
He gave his entire life to the
cause of Mexican
independence.
Cinco de Mayo - References
•
Images
http://www.nevadaobserver.com/Archive/040501/Featurestory.htm
•
http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/history/html/sxix/imperio.html
•
Santa Anna
http://www2.worldbook.com/wc/popup?path=features/cinco&page=
html/santa_anna.htm&direct=yes
•
1821 Mexican America n War
http://thenaturalamerican.com/mexican_american_war.htm