Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
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| Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!!! |
May 05, 2003 |
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A man named Benito Juarez was the president of Mexico during the famous battle when his country successfully fought the French. We now commemorate that battle every year on the 5th of May.
President Juarez appointed several generals to defend the Mexican town of Puebla. Ignacio de Zaragoza fortified the Hill of Guadalupe north of the city. On May 5, 1862 his 2,000 military men and Puebla citizens, armed with home and farm tools, defeated a frontal attack by 6,000 men of what was the best trained army of the time.
Through the 19th century, despite two heroic stands against French invaders, the City of Puebla gained a reputation as a conservative, Catholic city whose Mexican patriotism was suspect. In 1847 the city refused to let General Santa Anna defend it against the invading US forces, who took it unopposed.
The Battle of Puebla changed that.
Heather joined New Mexico music artist Tobias Rene and thousands of New Mexicans last year to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
The celebration of the Cinco de Mayo is the third in importance in Mexico after the Independence Day on September 16th and the November 20th Revolution Day.
Cinco de Mayo, however, is the biggest Mexican celebration in the United States. |
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