cinco de mayo :: essays research papers

Cinco de whitethorno"After Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, it faced essential power struggles that left it in a volatile state of revolt and instability for years." In 1846, the Mexican government, under the dictator Santa Anna, went to war with the united States. As an outcome of that war, Mexico lost a large amount of drink down--the land we now know as Texas. In 1854, Juan Alvarez and his troops led a successful revolt to drive Santa Anna out of power. One of Alvarezs strongest supporters was a patch by the name of Benito Juarez, a Zapotec Indian leader. In 1855, Juarez became the subgenus Pastor of Justice under the new regime and issued two new polemic laws. One denied the right of the church and military courts to try civilian cases and the other made the sale and distribution of church lands legal. Many people disagreed with these laws and for leash years a civil war raged between the two sides. In 1861 Juarez took control of the capital, Mex ico City, and put his new Constitution into effect. Not only had Juarezs laws get around the country, they had caused the civil war that left Juarez in debt to Spain, England, and France. The three countries were concerned slightly the debt, so they held a meeting in London, at which Spain and Britain decided to forgo the debt in exchange for military control of the Custom House in Vera Cruz. France did not agree to these terms and invaded Mexico in 1861 in hopes of defeating the country and disposing of Juarez. The French troops--deemed among the best trained and equipped in the world--marched into the city of Puebla on May 5, 1862, expecting no resistance. The French army consisted of 6,000 men under the command of put Lorencz. The French were met by an armed force of 2,000 peasants under the command of ecumenic Ignacio Zaragoza. The Mexican guerilla forces successfully defended their positions and attacked and drove back the French forces. Victory, however, was short-circui t lived. Within a year, France had successfully conquered Puebla and the rest of Mexico, and went on ruling in that location until 1867 when Juarez was once again restored to power. He ruled the country until his death in 1872. Cinco de Mayo, therefore, does not celebrate Mexicos independence, rather it symbolizes "the right of the people to self decisiveness and national sovereignty, and the ability of non-Europeans to defend those rights against modern military organizations.