By snoadmin
Little did the 4,000 Mexican troops know when they stomped a French army twice its size on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla, about 100 miles east of Mexico City, that they would signal the beginning of one of the most significant annual parties on the big blue marble.
The fifth day of the fifth calendar month has turned into a celebration of culture and pride recognized the world over, most notably in California – a state that had an estimated 8.5 million people of Mexican descent eight years ago, according to U.S. Census 2000. According to the same census, four million were Mexican-born.
Because the numerical theme of Cinco de Mayo mandates it, we’ll liberally regurgitate some fifth grade history.
The details of that important victory are lost – or completely unknown – to most in our modern society. With the distractions of mariachi music, tamales and Corona-with-lime to both dull and enliven the senses, many dismiss it simply as a day to party.
Most Americans don’t know the battle in Mexico helped end the institution of slavery in the early days of our own Civil War.
The upstart battle in Puebla that day was important not only to Mexico and its quest for independence, but was critical in shaping U.S. history
French Emperor Napoleon III, with his avid contempt for the U.S., sent Maximillian to rule Mexico, with an explicit directive to filter military arms and supplies to the Confederate secessionists. Bonaparte saw the American Civil War as an opportunity to establish an immense sphere of influence in North America by way of iron-fisted domination over the Mexican monarchy.
Because of the constraints of the Monroe Doctrine, the Union government was forced to take a hands-off approach to the French occupation. The tenuous détente meant certainly that the French pipeline to the South would be cemented.
General Zaragosa, a Texas-born commander, and Colonel Porfirio Diaz mustered a ragtag army that included both Diaz’s elite cavalry and many farmers armed only with the tools of their livelihood.
The French army, in its attempt to fight a European-style war, replete with brightly colored uniforms, underestimated the strength and ferocity of the Mexican guerillas. History reveals that Maximillian’s army was trounced like a narco-trafficker at a DEA company picnic.
The victory didn’t seal the deal, though, and the French returned a year later to capture Mexico City. The oppressive reign of the French in Mexico wouldn’t end until 1867 when Emperor Maximillian was executed by Mexican President Benito Juarez.
While Cinco de Mayo is mostly a regional holiday, with most of the large celebrations centered in Puebla, it’s become a global celebration similar to Oktoberfest and St. Patrick’s Day.
Much like the phenomenon that encourages everybody to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo allows the world to be Mexican.
It’s impossible to say how long the policy of African-American enslavement would have thrived if the pipeline hadn’t been severed at Puebla, but it’s certain the Mexican victory stopped short the supplies that would have sustained the South.
Cinco de Mayo is more than a day to indulge in wonderful food and partying. It’s a day to recognize the symbiotic relationship between the U.S. and our family and friends to the south.
While mariachis, ballet folklórico, carne asada tacos and handmade tamales are wonderful cultural offerings to celebrate this important day, honoring the victory at the Battle of Puebla gives us cause to raise our margaritas to salute Mexico’s intrinsic desire to be free from European oppression – a desire that parallels our own commitment to freedom.
