For many Americans, the 5th of May, or Cinco de Mayo, is a day to celebrate the Hispanic culture, typically by eating Latin food and drinking margaritas.
But what is the actual history of this holiday?
Contrary to popular belief, Cinco De Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day.
According to History.com, the holiday commemorates The Battle of Puebla. In 1861, Benito Juarez was the president of Mexico and France was ruled by Napoleon III.
Napoleon wanted to take control of a portion of Mexico, so he sent his army to Veracruz, driving President Juarez and his government to retreat.
On May 5th, 6,000 French troops set out to attack the small town of Puebla de Los Angeles in east-central Mexico.
President Juarez was able to round up his own group of 2,000 men who defended Puebla, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza.
The rag-tag group of resistance members out battled the French, taking down 500 soldiers while only losing 100 of their own in a battle that lasted from sun up to early evening.
The battle was not a strategic victory for the Mexicans, but it was a symbolic victory, which bolstered the resistance movement.
To learn more about the real history of Cinco de Mayo, visit History.com.
