Cinco de Mayo (the fifth of May) is celebrated to honor Mexico's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). The Mexicans were able to defeat the massive French army on May 5, 1862, despite being smaller in number and not very well equipped. Here are some interesting facts you might not know about this day. 1. Cinco de Mayo is not a celebration of Mexico's Independence Day. Mexicans celebrate their day of independence on September 16. 2. Mexico won the battle, but not the war Although the Mexican Army won the battle at Puebla on May 5th, 1862 the French went on to win the war occuppying the region for five years. |
For the leader of France, Napolean III, the battle at Puebla was an attempt at not only spreading his empire but at conquering a key Mexican access point to the U.S., where he intended to lend support to the confederate army during the Civil War in an effort to keep the U.S. divided and consequently less powerful.
4. Abraham Lincoln sympathized with the Mexican cause but…
Abraham Lincoln sympathized with the Mexican cause during the French occupation but was unable to lend direct support to the nation due to the U.S. Civil War, which was taking place at the same time. When the Civil War finally ended, the U.S. forced France to withdraw its troops from Mexico and their empire collapsed.
5. Roosevelt helped popularize Cinco de Mayo in the U.S.
Cinco de Mayo became a popular holiday in the U.S. after President Franklin Roosevelt enacted the “Good Neighbor Policy” in 1933 to improve relations with Latin American countries.
For your CInco Celebration start with Riley's Spice of Life Dried Salsa!
(Make at least twice as much as you think you are going to need.) http://rileyspice.com/salsa/