Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s defeat of France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The victory was an important Mexican triumph during France’s intervention in Mexico.
French forces, commanded by General Charles de Lorencez, attacked the fortified Mexican positions at Puebla. The Mexican army, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, was smaller and less well equipped, but it successfully repelled repeated French assaults near the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. The result gave Mexico a major morale boost and became a symbol of national resistance.
A common mix-up is treating Cinco de Mayo as Mexico’s Independence Day. Mexico’s Independence Day is September 16, marking the 1810 call to rebellion known as the Cry of Dolores. Cinco de Mayo is especially significant in Puebla, while in the United States it developed into a broader celebration of Mexican heritage, food, music, and culture.
The Puebla victory did not end the war. France later sent a larger force, captured Mexico City, and helped install Maximilian I as emperor. Mexico ultimately defeated the French intervention and restored the republic in 1867.