Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence day that many believe it to be as that is held on the day of September sixteenth. It is actually a celebration that stems from the battle of 1862 at Puebla. To set the stage accurately, Mexico’s independence from Spain was in 1821 after a very drawn out struggle. Now, as Mexico stood to represent their own country, they lacked an economy and had an extensive debt lined up with several nations. Their existed a great deal of internal turmoil as the country worked to establish their government and develop an avenue viable of generating viable payback methods.

France, one of the nations most actively seeking repayment, used this debt as reason to consider taking over the newly formed nation and adding it to their empire. America, unable to actively support Mexico’s independence due to being involved in Civil War at this time, disagreed with France’s intent. Lead first by Archduke Maximilla, Napoleon’s relative, an invasion was attempted on the grounds of Puebla. Mexico prevailed. Cinco de Mayo is a celebration held in honor of the small and out-numbered Mexican militia that was able to defeat the first attempt of invasion by the French in 1862 under the lead of Maximilla. Later, Napoleon launched a successful invasion on Mexico City and in 1864 Maximilla was declared ruler of Mexico in the name of France.

Now that the Civil War of America had ended, it voiced strongly against the French’s overtaking of Mexico and began aiding Mexico in their attempt to regain their independence. Cinco de Mayo has grown to be a celebration of not only the Mexican militia of 1862 but also of the culture and customs underpinning the Mexican way of life. Largely commercialized, the promotion of this and many other celebrations hold economic interests to a functioning government. With this idea in mind, it is not far stretched to say that the Cinco de Mayo celebrations in America through concerts, parades and festivities surpass the celebrations of those in South America.