-
Many people confuse Cinco de Mayo with Mexican Independence Day, which actually happened much earlier.
-
The end of this war resulted in the French occupation of Mexico.
-
Ever since Mexican Independence, Liberals and Conservatives have been fighting. This finally becomes a Civil War. At the end the Liberals win and Benito Juarez comes to power.
-
Benito Juarez comes to power.
-
-
The Mexican government is broke from fighting all of the wars. Benito Juarez says that no debts will be paid for 2 years.
-
In response to Juarez's actions, Spain, England, and France send naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. While Spain and England are able to negotiate with Mexico, France decides to take advantage of the opportunity to expand imperially and invades Mexico.
-
Mexican forces led by Zaragoza, outnumbered 2-1, are able to crush what at the time was thought to be the best army in the world - the French. Mexico celebrates and unites with a new found sense of patriotism.
-
Chicanos working in mines in the California gold mines celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Cinco de Mayo by eating traditional foods and partying. Still today, Cinco de Mayo is much more celebrated by Mexican-Americans in the USA than it is in Mexico itself. All the while, the French send a much larger force to Mexico and take over the country.
-
Finally, with the help of US forces now that the US Civil War is over, the French (Napoleon III and Maximillian I) are thrown out of Mexico. Benito Juarez enters Mexico City and forms a government.
