Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo, also known as the fifth of May, celebrates the Mexican Army's victory in the Battle of Puebla which was during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). President Benito Juarez, who issued a standstill in which all-foreign debt payments would be suspended for a period of two years, the Spanish the the British accepted this and withdrew but the French government did not accept this offer and advanced the French troops to invade the country's capital; Mexico City but to get there, the troops would have to cross the state of Puebla. The President then commanded a young and brave general, Ignacio Zaragoza, to protect the city of Puebla from the French troops. The French troops who were under the command of Louis Napoleon was the most powerful army and were more than six thousand men strong. Even though the Mexican Army was eventually defeated, this showed to the world that Mexico can challenge anyone who dares to think that they can conquer Mexico. Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French troops at the Battle of Puebla, southeast of present day Mexico City and about 1,000 French troops were killed there. In honor of Ignacio Zaragoza the city was later renamed Puebla de Zaragoza, and the battlefield is maintained as a park. The U.S was not able to help the Battle of Puebla because America was in the middle of a civil war. Abraham Lincoln was the president during this time. Cinco de Mayo affected the outcome of the Civil war because President Lincoln was worried that the ability of the Union would fail and decided to edict to free the slaves for he was uncertain that the Army of the Republic had not been effective in winning over the Confederate forces. Lincoln was also aware of Napoleon the Third taking advantage over the fact that the situation was not in favor of the Americans. This day in Mexico state of Puebla is celebrated with parades, speeches and in some cases the reenactments of the Battle of Puebla. Cinco is