Cinco De Mayo Design Wall 5-5-14

I am heading out to the fabric store.  They are having a closeout sale.  She is closing and only selling wool things.  Not sure I understand what that it, but I get to get some fabrics on sale!

What a way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!!!!!  Independence to buy fabric!  Maybe they will have some Dia del Muertos Fabric!  I would love to get some.

Do you really know what Cinco de Mayo represents?  Much like our 4th of July, it is considered Mexican Independence Day, but independence from what?

While we were fighting the War Between the States, France's occupation of Mexico was not going well.  Mexico emptied its treasury in what they considered tribute payments to the French overlord.  On July 17, 1861, Mexican President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for two years.  England, Spain and France sent warships to collect the debt.

See Frank and I!

Late in 1861, Napoleon's French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.  Moving on from Veracruz towards Mexico City, the French army encountered heavy resistance from the Mexicans at Puebla. The 8,000-strong French army attacked the much smaller and poorly equipped Mexican army of 4,500. Yet, on May 5, 1862, the Mexicans managed to decisively crush the French army, then considered "the premier army in the Napoleon's greatest army.

The Mexican victory was not to win the war.  A year later with 30,000 troops the French defeated the Mexican army and installed Emperor Maximilian I as ruler of Mexico.  However withing 3 years (from 1864 to 1867) the American Civil War was over and the US provided assistance to Mexico.  they were a able to overcome the French and gain a country.