Cinco de Mayo (“fifth of May”) remembers the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862, when General Ignacio Zaragoza’s smaller Mexican army beat an invading French army. It is not Mexico’s Independence Day, which is 16 September. In Mexico it is marked mainly in Puebla, and in the USA it has been celebrated since 1863.
Cinco de Mayo quick facts
- Mexico’s army beat three French attacks on the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe.
- Telegrams sent during the battle announced victory at 5:40 p.m.
- France still took Mexico City later and did not leave until 1867.
- Californians first celebrated Cinco de Mayo in 1863, during the US Civil War.
- Mexican Americans formed 129 patriotic clubs to raise money for Mexico.
Cinco de Mayo at a glance
Cinco de Mayo is a day of parades, music and dancing. Many people think they know what it celebrates, but a lot of them are wrong. It is not Mexico’s Independence Day. It is also far bigger in the USA than in most of Mexico.
This guide tells the real story. It covers a surprising battle in 1862 and the telegrams sent on the day. It also covers the Mexican Americans in California who started the US parties. The facts come from museums, universities, PBS and a Mexican government history institute.
| Cinco de Mayo at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Meaning | “Fifth of May” in Spanish |
| Date | 5 May each year |
| What it marks | The Battle of Puebla, 5 May 1862 |
| Winner of the battle | Mexico, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza |
| Losing side | France, led by General Charles de Lorencez |
| First US celebrations | 1863, in Los Angeles and San Francisco |
| Mexico’s Independence Day | 16 September (a different day) |
What Cinco de Mayo means
Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for “fifth of May”. The University of North Texas Libraries explains that the day is named after its date.
It remembers the Battle of Puebla. That battle was fought on 5 May 1862 near the city of Puebla, in central Mexico. Mexico’s army beat a larger French army that day.
The victory did not win a war, but it meant a great deal to Mexicans. It showed that a young, struggling country could stand up to a much larger European army.
It is not Mexico’s Independence Day
This is the biggest mix-up about Cinco de Mayo. PBS NewsHour says Mexico’s Independence Day is 16 September, not 5 May.
Independence Day remembers 1810, when Mexicans began to rise up against Spanish rule. PBS NewsHour says it is Mexico’s most important national holiday.
So the two days mark different events, 52 years apart. One is about breaking free from Spain. The other is about defending Mexico from France.
Why France invaded Mexico
The story starts with money. The Pritzker Military Museum and Library says Mexico owed large debts after two wars. One was the Mexican–American War of 1846 to 1848. The other was Mexico’s own Reform War, from 1858 to 1861.
In 1861, President Benito Juárez stopped paying debts to European countries. National Geographic says he needed the money to rebuild Mexico.
In December 1861, Spain, Britain and France sent troops to the port of Veracruz. Pritzker says Spain and Britain soon went home. France stayed.
France’s emperor, Napoleon III, wanted more than money. National Geographic and Pritzker both say he had a bigger plan. He hoped to set up a government in Mexico that would be friendly to France. So the French army began to march inland.
The two armies
The Mexican army was led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. The French army was led by General Charles de Lorencez.
Mexico’s soldiers were outnumbered and short of good weapons. Pritzker says Mexico had about 4,500 poorly equipped soldiers, while France had about 6,500. Other sources give different numbers, so the exact sizes are uncertain. Every account agrees that the French army was the bigger one.
The Battle of Puebla, 5 May 1862
The Mexicans defended two forts on the hills near Puebla. The Mexican government history institute, INEHRM, names them as Loreto and Guadalupe.
National Geographic says Lorencez made two big mistakes. He attacked the strong hilltop forts instead of the weaker city. He also placed his cannons badly.
The French attacked the forts three times. INEHRM and National Geographic say the Mexican soldiers pushed them back each time.
Then the French cannons began to run low on ammunition. Pritzker says Zaragoza sent his cavalry, soldiers on horseback, into the side of the third French attack. The French turned and fled.
National Geographic adds that heavy rain fell before the French retreat. By evening, the battle was over.
News by telegraph
Zaragoza sent news of the battle to Mexico City by telegraph as it happened. INEHRM has kept these telegrams, and they show the day hour by hour.
| Time on 5 May 1862 | What the telegrams reported |
|---|---|
| 9:30 a.m. | Mexican troops in position |
| Noon | Cannon fire begins |
| 5:40 p.m. | Victory announced |
In his victory telegram, Zaragoza wrote that the nation’s armies had “covered themselves in glory”. INEHRM says newspapers in Mexico City printed special editions the same day.
Zaragoza reported about 600 to 700 French casualties and about 400 Mexican ones. Casualties are soldiers killed or wounded. Other accounts give different figures, which is common for battles of that time.
What happened after the battle
The victory was real, but the war was not over. Pritzker says France sent many more troops. The French later captured Mexico City.
France then put an Austrian nobleman, Archduke Maximilian, in charge of Mexico as emperor.
Zaragoza did not see the end. Pritzker says he died of typhoid, a serious illness, about four months after the battle.
France’s plan finally collapsed in 1867. The American Civil War had ended by then. Pritzker says US support for Mexico helped push the French out. Mexico was free of French rule at last.
How the day became a holiday
National Geographic says Juárez made 5 May a national holiday in 1867. The Battle of Puebla had become a symbol of Mexican courage.
National Geographic describes the victory as a boost for the young country’s spirit. It became a rallying cry against foreign rule.
How Puebla marks the day
In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is marked mainly in Puebla, where the battle took place. PBS NewsHour says the city holds parades and re-enactments of the battle.
People dress in the uniforms of the French and Mexican armies of 1862. Then they act out the fighting for the crowds.
UCLA notes that the day is not widely celebrated across the rest of Mexico. For most Mexican families, 16 September is the bigger celebration.
How Cinco de Mayo began in the USA
The US celebrations are almost as old as the battle itself. PBS SoCal says the first ones were in 1863, just a year later. They took place in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
At that time, the USA was fighting its own Civil War. UCLA explains that Latino Californians saw a link between the two fights. Mexico was fighting a foreign emperor, and the Union was fighting slavery.
UCLA says people paraded through the streets of California and Nevada carrying both US and Mexican flags. They were celebrating freedom on both sides of the border.
PBS SoCal says Cinco de Mayo has been celebrated in California every single year since 1863. UCLA professor David Hayes-Bautista uncovered this history by reading old Spanish-language newspapers.
Patriotic clubs and the women who led them
Mexican Americans did more than celebrate. PBS SoCal says they formed groups called juntas patrióticas, or patriotic clubs. These clubs raised money for Juárez’s government.
PBS SoCal counts 129 of these clubs, mostly in California. Women played a big part. In Los Angeles, Francisca Manso de Cavazos gathered about 100 women and set up a women’s patriotic club.
Hayes-Bautista wrote a book about this history in 2012. It is called El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition. UCLA says it shows the day grew from American roots.
How it grew bigger
National Geographic says Cinco de Mayo became more popular across the USA in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1960s, Chicano activists took it up as a symbol of pride. Chicano is a name many Mexican Americans use for themselves.
From the 1980s, big companies began using the day in their advertising. National Geographic says this made it even better known.
Today, PBS NewsHour says many US communities treat it as a festival of Mexican American culture. It sits well alongside Hispanic Heritage Month, which celebrates Latino history every autumn.
Celebrating today
PBS NewsHour describes the celebrations in the USA. They include parades, contests for mariachi bands and folklórico dancing. Folklórico is a colourful kind of Mexican folk dance.
Street food is a big part of the fun. PBS NewsHour points out that some US party foods are new to most people in Mexico. Tortilla chips covered in orange cheese are one example.
PBS NewsHour also notes that some people find certain costumes hurtful. Fake moustaches and giant sombreros can turn a proud culture into a joke. A good way to join in is to learn the history. Enjoy the music and dance, and treat the day with respect.
Three things people get wrong
Myth: Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day. PBS NewsHour says Mexico’s Independence Day is 16 September, remembering 1810. Cinco de Mayo marks the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
Myth: the Battle of Puebla won the war. Pritzker says France sent more troops and later captured Mexico City. French rule did not end until 1867.
Myth: the US holiday was invented by advertisers. PBS SoCal says Mexican Americans in California began celebrating in 1863. Advertising only made the day bigger from the 1980s onwards.
Did you know? General Ignacio Zaragoza sent news of the battle to Mexico City by telegraph as it happened, and newspapers printed special editions the same day.
Try it
Draw a timeline from 1810 to 1867. Mark Mexican independence, the Battle of Puebla, the first US celebrations and the end of French rule.
Knowledge check
What does Cinco de Mayo celebrate?
Show answer
The Mexican victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862.
When is Mexico’s Independence Day?
Show answer
16 September, remembering the rising against Spanish rule in 1810.
Frequently asked questions
What does Cinco de Mayo celebrate?
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862. A smaller Mexican army led by General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated an invading French army that day.
Is Cinco de Mayo Mexico’s Independence Day?
No. Mexico’s Independence Day is 16 September, remembering the 1810 rising against Spain. Cinco de Mayo marks a separate battle against France in 1862.
Why did France invade Mexico?
Mexico stopped paying its foreign debts in 1861. France sent troops, and Emperor Napoleon III hoped to set up a government in Mexico that was friendly to France.
Did Mexico win the war against France?
Mexico won the Battle of Puebla, but France later captured Mexico City. French rule finally collapsed in 1867, when Mexico regained control.
Why is Cinco de Mayo bigger in the USA?
Mexican Americans in California began celebrating in 1863. The day grew as a symbol of pride in the 1960s, and advertising made it bigger from the 1980s.
How is Cinco de Mayo celebrated in Puebla?
Puebla holds parades and battle re-enactments. People dress in the French and Mexican army uniforms of 1862 and act out the fighting for crowds.
Sources
- Pritzker Military Museum and Library: the Battle of Puebla — the causes of the war, the armies, the battle and what followed
- INEHRM (Mexican government history institute): the telegrams of 5 May — Zaragoza’s telegrams, the forts, timings and casualties
- National Geographic: the Battle of Puebla — French mistakes, the 1867 holiday and the day’s growth in the USA; its Cinco de Mayo history page was also used
- UCLA: what is Cinco de Mayo? — the Civil War-era roots of the US celebrations
- PBS SoCal: how Cinco de Mayo got its start — the first celebrations in 1863, patriotic clubs and women organisers
- PBS NewsHour: Cinco de Mayo celebrates culture, not independence — Independence Day, Puebla re-enactments and US celebrations today
