What is Cinco de Mayo, really?

It isn’t Independence Day in Mexico.  It isn’t actually a drinking festival.  But what it IS takes a bit of history to understand.  And technically, it’s all Napoleon’s fault.

Early 1800s

In 1808, Napoleon made his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, the king of Spain.  That action by France signaled Spain’s weakness to its colonies in the Americas.  It  sparked almost all of them to start independence movements.  In September of 1810, Miguel Hidalgo began the revolt in Mexico, starting a war that officially lasted until 1821.  After it got rid of the Bonaparte brothers, Spain tried to get Mexico back for years.  It didn’t work.

1830s

But French meddling in Mexico wasn’t over, not by a long shot.  You see, Mexico had trouble keeping a stable government.  By one count, there were 44 different governments in its first 33 years.  France blamed Mexico for taking some of its citizens’ money, and they went to war over it in 1838.  That issue got settled, but the unrest in Mexico continued.  There was that Texas thing (1836) and revolts in California (1831, 1836, 1845).  All of that led up to the Mexican-American War, 1846-48.

1860s

All was not well afterward, though.  Mexico had more governmental changes, and that led to financial woes.  In 1861, they stopped paying interest on the loans they had taken from France and other nations.  France (led by Napoleon III, by the way) decided to install a friendly king in Mexico to ensure stability.

The French invasion lasted from 1861-1863.  On May 5, 1862, there was a battle in Puebla, south of Mexico City.  The Mexican army pulled out an unexpected win!  Even though the French went on to win the war, the Mexican population enjoyed the moral victory.  (The French emperor only lasted four more years, anyway.)

The California Connection

1901 poster

Even Mexican miners in Gold-Rush-Era California celebrated the battle.  In fact, while the event gradually became less important in Mexico, miners in California celebrated it every year.  It eventually became ingrained in Hispanic culture in the state.

That local celebration went national, however, when beer companies decided to promote Cinco de Mayo – for the purpose of selling more beer, of course.  Since the 1980s, it has become a U.S. celebration of Mexican culture and tradition.  But for the record, it has nothing to do with Mexico’s Independence Day.

And you can blame Napoleon for El Cinco de Mayo — both of them.