The Cultured Girl

No doubt many of you will be sipping margaritas tonight in honor of Cinco de Mayo. But before you start toasting, it’s not a bad idea to know a little about why you’re celebrating.

Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo does not comemorate Mexico’s independence. It marks the country’s short-lived victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The conflict began when Napoleon III ordered 6,500 soliders to take Mexico City. Along the march, the French encountered suprisingly strong opposition from a ragtag Mexican infantry which, despite being ill-equipped, managed to stop the invasion.

In the end, the Mexican army lost. Upon hearing of the Puebla battle, Napoleon sent 30,000 more soldiers, easily conquered Mexico City, and anointed Archduke Maximillian as Emperor of Mexico in 1864.

Mexican rebels resisted the emperor’s rule from the get-go, and once the American Civil War ended, they got the support they needed. The U.S. military armed the resistance with weapons and ammunition and Maximilian was deposed in 1867. Benito Juárez, the nation’s president prior to the French intervention, was reelected.

The end. Now go and enjoy a Corona.