History of 5 de Mayo

(It is not the Independence of Mexico!)

Who Celebrates 5 de Mayo

Mexico after the Mexican-American War
The French invasion
Batalla de Puebla (Puebla Battle)
The Mexican Empire
5 de Mayo celebration
Who Celebrates 5 de Mayo
 California
 Texas
 New Mexico
 Arizona
These states were at one point part of
Mexico.
The territory was lost to US during the
Mexican-American War in 1848.
After the war, the new Mexican-
American citizens united to form a
coalition society to protect
themselves against the atrocities of
the newly empowered American
Army.

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Who Celebrates 5 de Mayo

These societies evolved into an

elitist society that was
economically powerful and that
contributed great amounts of
money and materials to the
Mexican Constitutional
Government to fight against the
Mexican Imperial Monarchy

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Mexico after the Mexican-American War

 At the end of the War, Santa Anna, the Mexican

dictator responsible for the war, was forced to
resign.
 In 1858. Beinto Juárez, a full blooded Zapotec
Indian, a lawyer and a priest, was elected as
president of Mexico to defend the Constitution
established in 1857.
 After much internal struggle, Juarez was re-
elected in 1861.
 The country was in a financial hole mainly due
to the Mexican-American war.

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The Initiation of the Mexican-French War

 The financial struggle in Mexico

made Congress make the decision
to suspend the payment of the
foreign debt for two years (except
to US, who helped Juárez to the
presidency)
 The creditors, France, Spain and
England decided intervention was
needed to collect the debt.
 But France, ruled by Napoleon III
(Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew),
had it’s own unrevealed greedy
agenda of expanding its empire to
the Americas.

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Napoleon III’s Agenda

 Dispose of the Constitutional

Government of Mexico
 Establish a monarchy favorable to
France in Mexico, Central and
South America
 Have a monopoly on raw materials
from the Americas
 Have a close check on the growing
power of United States after the
annexation of the Mexican territory

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Foreign invasion of Mexico

 On December 8th, 1861

European forces landed in
Veracruz.
 After realizing of Napoleon’s
greedy plans, Spain and
England withdrew their support
and went back to Europe on
April 11th, 1862.

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The French Invasion

 Under the illusion that Mexican people would welcome them, the French set out
to Mexico city with 7,000 men.
 This illusion was fostered by conservatists and rich “Criollo” landlords who
feared the loss of their lands to the Republic.

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Puebla Battle

 President Juárez ordered General

Ignacio Zaragoza to stop the
French troops with an army of
2000 men.

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 Puebla Battle
May 5, 1862

 The battle took place in the

fortified hills of Loreto and
Guadalupe in the city of
Puebla

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Puebla Battle

 By the end of the day,

one fort was in ruins and
more than 1000 French
soldiers were death.
 The Mexican Army had
won a battle…
 But not the war….
 Yet, this date is
symbolic of the
Mexican’s courage
against a formidable
army

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Forts of Loreto and Guadalupe

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The Mexican Empire

 In June 1864, Maximilian of

Habsburg and his wife
Charlotte (Carlota) arrived in
Mexico as crowned emperors
by Napoleon III
 He organized the
administration, liberated the
Indians from servitude and
developed the natural
resources of the country

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Maximilian and the Charro Outfit

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The Mexican Empire

 Juárez went North and

requested volunteers and
financial support from the
Californians and other wealthy
Mexican-American societies to
overthrow the empire
 On May 15, 1867, Maximilian
was captured and tried by court
martial
 He was executed in “El Cerro
de las Campanas” on June 19
with his officers Miguel
Miramón and Tomás Mejía
 Carlota was sent back to
Austria where she developed
dementia

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5 de Mayo Celebration

 5 de Mayo is a Mexican
holiday
 However, it is in US where the
celebration is more festive
consisting of parades, music,
folklore, dances and food
 These festivities are to
celebrate the solidarity among
the Mexican-Americans

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On a different Note
Mexico has a pretender to “The Throne”

 After the independence from Spain in 1822, Agustin de Iturbide, one of

the heroes fighting for the Independence was crowned emperor of a free
Mexico.
 He was a “Criollo” of noble Spanish decent
 His empire was short lived, only 8 months before he abdicated in favor of
a Constitutional government led by Santa Anna, the “traitor” that sold the
land to US and caused the Mexican-American War.
 When Maximilian became emperor years later, not being able to conceive
with his wife, he decided to create a royal house of Habsburg-Iturbide so
he adopted two of Iturbide’s grandson's.
 Maximilan von Götzen-Iturbide born in 1944. He inherited his claim
following the death of his grandmother Maria Josepha Sophia de Iturbide
who was the daughter of Salvador de Iturbide y de Marzán (It was he who
was adopted by Emperor Maximilian). Maximilian von Götzen-Iturbide
resides in Australia.

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