MAY 5

There is a common misconception that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day. Wrong! That is celebrated on September 16, marking the date in 1810, when Mexico declared war on the Spanish colonial government, which had occupied their lands for too long. On August 24, 1821, the Treaty of Córdoba was signed, and Mexico gained its independence from Spain.

So, if Mexico was an independent country, why were they fighting the French? Well, it all comes down to money. After decades of colonial occupation, the new Mexican government had to borrow money to establish the new nation. In 1861, they were unable to pay back the loans they had with European countries.

Mexico was able to negotiate their debts with Britain and Spain, but France refused to talk. Remember that France had sold most of its land in North America to the US in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. France wanted to have land in the Western Hemisphere, and Emperor Napoleon III saw this as the perfect opportunity expand its empire to the Americas.

The Franco-Mexican War began in 1861, and the Battle of Puebla took place in 1862. The President of Mexico, Benito Juárez, declared that the Battle of Puebla or the "Battle of Cinco de Mayo" would be celebrated as a national holiday. Though this was an incredible win for the Mexican army, there were many more battles and lots of set backs that would happen over the next five years.

The United States played a role in the end of the Franco-Mexican War. In 1867, the US gave military aid to the Mexican army as well as political pressure on France to stop the fighting. Why did it take the US so long to help out its neighbors to the south? Well, we were fighting our own Civil War from 1861-1865! The Franco-Mexican War ended on June 21, 1867.

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