Happy Cinco de Mayo 2006

elchrist · Posted: 05 May 2006 07:57 AM Post subject: Happy Cinco de Mayo 2006

Mars · Posted: 05 May 2006 10:57 AM Post subject:

Cinco de mayo! Mexican indepence day rocks!

Encanto · Posted: 05 May 2006 11:32 AM Post subject:

The Significance of Cinco de Mayo

The Mexican holiday known as "Cinco de Mayo" is widely misconstrued in this country, even by people of Mexican descent. Other people do not seem to care about the origin and cultural significance of Cinco de Mayo, they simply see it as an opportunity to go out and get drunk on Mexican beer at reduced prices. Despite its commercialization, this holiday is of importance to many people. This writing will attempt to clarify the meaning of this holiday and return some significance to a day that has lost most of it to the advertisement industry of this country.
The biggest misconception about Cinco de Mayo is that it commemorates of México's Independence Day. That holiday is, in fact, celebrated on September 16. On that date back in 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo issued a proclamation known as "El Grito de Dolores" that united the many different rebellions going on against Spain into one cohesive struggle. México achieved its independence from Spanish rule in 1821. Cinco de Mayo is actually a commemoration of a victory by Mexican troops in La Batalla de Puebla more that fifty years later, on May 5, 1862.
From the time of Mexican Independence in 1821 to the time of this battle in 1862, México suffered numerous setbacks in its attempts to form a stable republic, and endured several incursions into its sovereignty as an independent nation. Fifteen years into its independence, Texas seceded from México. The Texas Revolt was led by "American-Mexicans," Anglos who immigrated from the United States to México, promising to obey Mexican laws and respect Mexican traditions. This revolt eventually led to the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), a war won by the U. S. As a result, México was forced to surrender approximately half of its territory to the U. S. México, which had never been financially stable, underwent a severe economic crisis during the 1850s.
President Benito Juárez inherited México's troubled political and financial situation, which included a bankrupt Mexican treasury. As a result of these problems, President Juárez issued a moratorium in 1861 halting payments on Mexican foreign debt. Much of this debt was owed to France. Shortly thereafter, France sent troops to México to secure payment of its debt.
At the time, the French Army of Napoleon III was considered the premier army in the world. It had enjoyed recent victories throughout Europe and Asia. The French expected to march form the port city of Veracruz to Mexico City without encountering much resistance. President Juárez sent troops, under the command of General Ignacio Zaragosa, to Puebla to confront the French. The Mexican troops consisted almost entirely of indigenous soldiers, much like today. General Zaragosa's troops, outnumbered 4,700 to 5,200, were severely under-equipped. La Batalla de Puebla raged on for two hours, after which time the French were forced to retreat to Orizaba. Despite tremendous odds, the humble Mexican Army defeated the most powerful fighting unit in the world!
One year after La Batalla de Puebla, the French brought in more troops and re-attacked. This time they were able to make their way to Mexico City, take the capital, and install Emperor Maximilian of Hapsburg as the reigning monarch of México. Maximilian ruled México for about four years, until his execution in 1867 by troops loyal to President Juárez, who regained power.
Although La Batalla de Puebla on Cinco de Mayo was rendered militarily insignificant by the French's subsequent victory, it did inject the Mexican people with pride and patriotism it had never before enjoyed. Since its independence from Spain in 1821, México had suffered one tragedy after another. La Batalla de Puebla was the first time that the Mexican pueblo could rally around a common cause and proudly proclaim, «¡Yo soy Mexicano!»

taken from- 1996 by Ignacio Gonzalez

salieridelcai · Posted: 05 May 2006 11:44 AM Post subject:

Yeah, the French are well known for not being too good in battle. They got worked in 1862!

elchrist · Posted: 05 May 2006 01:44 PM Post subject:

The US should indeed be celebrating Cinco de Mayo more than Mexico would. If it weren't for Mexico's victory, the French may have taken over the South (of the United States).

The Battle of Puebla and Cinco de Mayo
http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/10.html

verbal · Posted: 06 May 2006 08:56 AM Post subject:

Cinco de Mayo should also be recognized as Jimmy Buffet day because you know there is not one non-Mormon American* that can resist a Corona while Margaritaville is playing.

* If you resist, then my friend, you are not a true American.

elchrist · Posted: 06 May 2006 09:31 PM Post subject:

Happy Seis de May 2006!

Enjoying it with a six of Samuel Adams.

Boracho

superplayer · Posted: 09 May 2006 02:45 PM Post subject:

even more 5 de Mayo anomalies.

People often tend to believe that Mexicans were all united against the French "invasion," figthing to maintain their sovereignty to the last man. In reality, the French had been invited by an important sector of Mexican society, particularly the conservatives. Why? After several years of Mexican "independence" such liberty had proven the incapability of Mexicans to keep peace and hence to govern themselves. Countless civil wars and little revolutions between Liberals and Conservatives obsucred any chances for peace and stability. Lawlessness was the only form of government in most places. This cost the country the loss of more than half of its territory in 1848 when Mexicans were fighting each other while the Americans were there too. All this led many people to believe that they were much better off during the colonial times and realized that it could be a good idea that someone from outside be given a chance to rule the hard-to-unite country.

To make the long story short, Conservative people in Mexico City and elsewhere waited long lines to sign up to give the French troops free housing and other commodities for their stay in the country.