Title: Investigating the History before Cinco de Mayo The Battle for Independence
1Investigating the History before Cinco de
MayoThe Battle for Independence
- Team A
- Dawn, Robin, Debbie, Tamie, Mike
2Cinco de Mayo - The Holiday
- Mexicans living in the United States wanted to
maintain and reaffirm their roots. - They chose Cinco de Mayo to celebrate their
ethnic and cultural background. - May 5th has been enthusiastically adopted by
Mexican-Americans, Chicanos and various Hispanic
communities in the United States. - The Cinco de Mayo Fiestas include many forms of
Latin music, great variety of foods, theater,
artwork, crafts fairs and many other cultural
expressions - http//zedilloworld.presidencia.gob.mx/PAGES/cultu
re/note_5may.html
3Cinco de Mayo - Important Dates
- 1821 Gained independence from Spain but unstable
period - 1846 Mexico and United States war began
- 1855 Reform period with conflict
- 1861 Onset of Puebla battle
- 1862 Battle of Puebla
4Cinco de Mayo - 1821 Gained independence from
Spain
- Mexicos fight lasted from 1810 to 1821
- Mexicos struggle for independence against
Spanish Colonial rule. - After an 11 year fight, Mexico won its
independence from Spain in 1821
5Cinco de Mayo 1846 Mexican-American War
- BEGAN April 25, 1846--The first battle between
the Mexican and U.S. armies. - The Mexican War between the United States and
Mexico began with a Mexican attack on American
troops along the southern border of Texas on Apr.
25, 1846. - A dictatorial Centralist government in Mexico
began the war because of the U.S. annexation
(1845) of Texas, which Mexico continued to claim
despite the establishment of the independent
republic of Texas 10 years before. the Mexicans
opened fire on the fort and the battles of Palo
Alto and Resaca de la Palma followed.
6Cinco de Mayo - 1848 Mexican-American war
- The Mexican Army of more than 5,000 troops was
defeated by Taylor's army of 2,000 - ENDED February 2, 1848--The signing of the
Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo
7Cinco de Mayo - Was the war Eminent?
- The ongoing and passionate battle between the
Liberals and Conservatives - Government witnessed eighteen transfers of power.
One of the key issues was the role of the
Catholic Church and the separation of church and
state. - With the adoption of a Liberal-based constitution
in January 1857, the Conservative/Liberal
conflict evolved into a full-scale civil war,
referred to as the War of the Reform. - http//www.houstonculture.org/hispanic/jalisco.htm
l
8Cinco de Mayo - Leading towards war.
- Mexico went through forty years of internal power
struggles and rebellions. - By 1861 the countrys finances were so bad that
the nation owed 80 million pesos in foreign
debts. - Mexicos president, Benito Juarez, pledged to pay
off these debts eventually but, as an emergency
measure, he suspended all payment for two years. - In France, Napoleon III saw this as an
opportunity to establish French colonies in Latin
America
9Cinco de Mayo - The War of the French Intervention
- México, which had never been financially stable,
underwent a severe economic crisis during the
1850s. - Much debt was owed to France.
- France sent troops to México to secure payment of
its debt.. - French troops invaded Mexico in an attempt to
install Maximilian as Emperor of Mexico
10Cinco de Mayo - Battle of Puebla
- The Battle of Puebla, May 5, 1862 -- This period
painting shows the beginning of the French attack
on Puebla de los Angeles (Puebla), May 5, 1862. - The heights of the Cerro de Guadalupe, a ridge of
high ground dominating the entrance to Pueblo,
the fort of Loretto and the fortified monastery
of Guadalupe rise in the background.
11Cinco de Mayo - Victory at Puebla
- The Victory of Cinco de Mayo. In this painting,
as the defeated French troops stream back from
their failed assault, Mexican cavalry with lances
pick off the stragglers. - French troops of the elite 2nd Zouave Regiment,
with their distinctive baggy red trousers, are in
the foreground. - The white gaiters or spats over their shoes are
those that General Count de Lorencez ordered them
to freshly whiten in order to impress the
Mexicans in what he hoped would be his triumphal
entry into Puebla. - Meanwhile other French infantry, wearing white
trousers, blue coats and fezzes, can be seen
fleeing in the background.
12Cinco de Mayo - Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian
- 1832-1867
- A dreamy romantic, he was selected by Napoleon
III to be the puppet Emperor of Mexico in 1862. - When the Mexican adventure of Napoleon III
collapsed in 1867, Maximilian was captured and
executed by a Mexican firing squad.
13Cinco de Mayo - General Ignacio Zaragoza
- (1829-1862) Helped to overthrow the dictatorial
Mexican president Antonio López de Santa Anna in
1855. - Served as Minister of the Army and Navy under
President Benito Juarez between April and
December, 1861, but resigned to take command of
the Mexican army opposing the French invasion. - He defeated French General Count de Lorencez at
the battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
14Cinco de Mayo - Benito Juarez
- From January of 1858, Juarez served as president
of Mexico until July 18, 1872 more than 15
years. - He led his country through some of its most
difficult years, notably the La Reforma
(1857-1860) and French intervention (1861-1867)
periods. - While still serving as president, Juarez died of
an apoplectic stroke at the National Palace in
Mexico City on July 18, 1872. His birthday
March 21 is a national holiday in Mexico.
15Cinco de Mayo - Emperor Napoleon III
- (1808-1873) born April 21, 1808 in Paris.
- As the nephew of Napoléon Bonaparte, Louis
Napoleon believed that he was the rightful heir
to the French throne. - In 1861, Napoleon III plotted to carve out a
French empire in Mexico. - When Mexico was forced to suspend payments on its
foreign debts, France, Great Britain and Spain
landed an expeditionary force at Vera Cruz.
16Cinco de Mayo - Migual Miramón
- 1832-1867- Mexican soldier of French extraction,
was born in the city of Mexico - He first fought against the U.S. and then, as
leader of the reactionary party, against the
liberals. - Decisively beaten by the Liberals in 1860, he
spent some time in Europe advocating, foreign
intervention in Mexican affairs and returned as
a partisan of Maximilian. - His ability as a soldier was shown by his double
defence of Puebla in 1856.
17Cinco de Mayo - Brigadier General Porfiro Diaz
- In 1846 Diaz joined the Mexican National Guard to
fight against the United States in the Mexican
War. - Diaz opposed Mexican president Antonio Lopez de
Santa Annas seizure of power in 1853, and was
forced into exile. - He helped overthrow of Santa Annas dictatorship
on August 12, 1855, and distinguished himself in
the War of the Reform (1857-1860), fighting for
the Liberal party. - During the French intervention, he continued his
distinguished career, fighting in the battle of
Puebla and elsewhere until the Mexicans prevailed
18Cindo de Mayo - dictator Santa Anna
- Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was a Mexican soldier
and politician. - President of Mexico 11 times and often ruled as a
dictator, he was always overthrown. - He began his long career by fighting for Spain
against the Mexicans when the Mexicans started
their armed struggle for independence in 1810.
1838, the French attacked Veracruz. - Santa Anna took command of the defending troops
and beat back the attackers. From 1841 to 1844,
he was president of Mexico
19Cinco de Mayo - Juan Alvarez
- From 1810 to his death in 1867 Juan Alvarez
fought for progressive causes. Son of a Spaniard
and an Acapulco Afro-Mexican, Alvarez was a
lieutenant to Guerrero during the 1810 war. - Juan Alvarez became President of Mexico in
October 1855. On November 14, 1855, he rode into
Mexico City attended by his bodyguard of Indian
warriors from the southern mountains. - He gave his entire life to the cause of Mexican
independence.
20Cinco de Mayo - References
- Images http//www.nevadaobserver.com/Archive/04050
1/Featurestory.htm - http//www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/history/html/sxix/
imperio.html - Santa Anna http//www2.worldbook.com/wc/popup?path
features/cincopagehtml/santa_anna.htmdirectye
s - 1821 Mexican America n War http//thenaturalameric
an.com/mexican_american_war.htm