WHAT IS CINCO DE MAYO REALLY ABOUT?
Thread started by
Eddie GOpez at 05.5.08 - 12:45 pm
The Battle of Puebla and Cinco de Mayo
In 1862, the United States was in the middle of a civil war. All the South needed was a strong exterior ally and its strengthened cause might have permanently split the United States. A possible exterior ally was closer than Abraham Lincoln liked, as the French Army under Gen. Laurencez was making its way through Mexico.
The French Army was considered the greatest military force on the globe. For nearly 50 years—since the defeat of Napoleon I’s army at the hands of allied forces at Waterloo, Belgium in 1815—it had not known defeat and had recently won victories in Europe and Asia. In 1862, the French landed in Veracruz along with forces from Queen Isabella II of Spain and Queen Victoria of Great Britain. They had come to collect the debt owed to them by Mexico—debts that Mexican President Benito Juarez had officially suspended because the country was essentially bankrupt.
Refusing Juarez’ proposed compromise to repay the debts two years later, the collaboration of the three countries’ militaries seized the custom house at Veracruz. They intended to intercept the customs payments in exchange for their debt. After some time, the diplomats for Spain and Great Britain reached an agreement with Juarez and the armies from those two countries departed from Mexico. The French, on the other hand, stayed and headed for Mexico City.
France had significant interest in halting the growth of the United States. The North American country’s rate of expansion and power was threatening to the other world powers. If Napoleon was successful in conquering Mexico, the possibility of marching north to aid the Confederates in dividing the United States into two less powerful and less threatening countries was real.
The United States was a major cause of France’s attack on Mexico. The war America recently won over Mexico leveled the Mexican treasury and led to financial disaster. Thus, Juarez suspended payment to France and incited Napoleon III, ruler of France, to act. Lincoln and the United States were dependent on Mexico staving off the French troops until the Confederacy could be defeated and Lincoln could deploy troops south to aid Juarez.
Early on May 5, 1862, General Laurencez led 6,000 French troops toward Puebla, Mexico, just 100 miles from Mexico City. Expecting the attack was General Ignacio Zaragoza, a Texas-born Mexican who was ordered to defend Juarez with a force of 4,000 troops, many of them agricultural workers armed with antiquated rifles and machetes. The battle would take place in a muddy, uneven field.
To show his contempt for the Mexicans, Gen. Laurencez ordered his troops to attack through the middle of the foes’ defenses, their strongest position. The French cavalry went through ditches, over adobe ruins and toward the slope of Guadalupe Hill. By then, the cavalry, exhausted and nearly disbanded, failed to achieve its goal. The Mexican army stood its ground. Gen. Zaragoza, who had no experience in military tactics but was a veteran in guerrilla warfare, ordered his troops to go after the French, who fled to Orizaba, where Zaragoza attacked the French again, forcing them to flee to the coast.
http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/10.html
Glad i could share this. I learned a few more details myself but i knew the history pretty well before this search. Enjoy my firends and enjoy your margaritas, coronas, pacificos, dos xx's....
...¡Y QUE VIVA MEXICO!
¡VIVA MEXICO!
¡VIVA!
¡VIVA MEXICO!
¡VIVA!
¡VIVA MEXICO!
¡VIVA!
¡FelÃz Cinco De Mayo!
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forgot one important detail in the title and body my peeps...
here it is.
Eddie GOpez05.5.08 - 12:47 pm
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Nice post. I didn't know much of that.
I'm still gonna bake French Bread though!!
When are we setting up the HMW pool umbrella?
Eric Hair05.5.08 - 12:53 pm
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i hear they don't even celebrate it in mexico outside of puebla
and here it's mostly just an excuse to sell tequila
oh well. happy birthday karl marx.
stevestevesteve05.5.08 - 1:02 pm
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im currently drinking tecate and eating an al pastor burrito from my local taqueria.
ruinedbyidiots05.5.08 - 1:04 pm
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I thought it was a day to tell Joe Borfo he is
jinete del año
sexy05.5.08 - 1:35 pm
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sexy check you email damnit, we have laptop business to attend to
Eric Hair05.5.08 - 1:41 pm
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Hey my Mexican friend, it's your favorite white man asking you a couple of things.
Gustavo Arellano of ' Ask a Mexican fame ' wrote an article a couple of days ago about Cinco de Mayo.
found here. It reads in part, "Cinco de Mayo is an actual holiday that commemorates Mexico's victory over France in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. What's never noted is that a year later, the French came back, slaughtered the Mexicans, then occupied Mexico for four years until the Mexicans finally kicked them out. If this is what passes for a Mexican holiday, no wonder the only way to celebrate it is by drinking ourselves into oblivion."
Me -
I can't find any reference to this. You think this Gustavo Arellano is just playing up to the man? Or is he telling the truth here? What gives? What I don't get is the Mexicans celebrating this holiday a week early. It throws me off every freakin time! Hmmmmmm maybe that's point! :-/
I found this too that might be helpful for the white boys.....
Gabacho Glossary. BTW, I do find this guy pretty funny. I'm just wondering if he needs body guards around him when he goes outside.
User105.5.08 - 2:58 pm
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Senior Sexy ---->
She's Available, and she likes to have them sucked.
Joe Borfo05.5.08 - 3:01 pm
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BORFO this is not a thread where you can displa to alll your nasty foot fetish man. keep that to yourself please. you suck those nasty toes please.
Eddie GOpez05.5.08 - 4:17 pm
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AL,
that may be twisted. why would they come back a year later? that battle was when they were kicked out for good.
Eddie GOpez05.5.08 - 4:21 pm
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Eddie,
It was right there in black and white in the LATimes. I'm not making this stuff up. Maybe this guy is just making a living out of being a muck raker?
User105.5.08 - 4:28 pm
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Furthermore this guy is an idiot. TAPATIO is more than a hot sauce. it's someone from the state of JALISCO, this region is known as the TAPATIO region of mexico a popular term for the MARCIACHI music and folkoric costumes of this region. JALISCO is the birth region of this famous folkloric musical style.
Eddie GOpez05.5.08 - 4:33 pm
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Mexico is one of the few contries in recoreded history that has fought off an invaider withouth the help of any foriegn nation, Haiti almos did it but Castro sent in some muscle, go Haiti go Mexico!
dannyzuko05.5.08 - 4:55 pm
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Cuba, Playa Girón, bay of Pigs!
sexy05.5.08 - 5:27 pm
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The United States of America ejected the japanese from the Aleutian's with no help from any other country, just sayin. Fuck Yeah!
Someone come find me on the beach in Venice and drink with me. I'll be the one playing the loud music, and staring at the sky.
franz05.5.08 - 6:48 pm
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Viva Mexico!
Any country that has a day of the dead as much fun as Mexico's is automatically Goth As Fuck and therefore OK by me.
Also, Hocico kicks ass.
ephemerae05.5.08 - 8:38 pm
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