Cinco de Mayo: a history lesson from Chihuahua Cerveza!
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day. It’s the celebration of Mexico’s victory over the French at the battle of Puebla, which was fought on May 5th, 1862. In 1861, Mexican President Benito Juárez declared that his country couldn’t afford to pay its debts. This upset the countries that had made loans to Mexico, including France.
French troops set out to attack the Mexican city of Puebla de Los Angeles while the Mexican army, outnumbered two to one, fortified the town and prepared for the assault by the French forces.
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