Cinco de Mayo and the Confederate Blind Spot

I was out celebrating Cinco de Mayo with friends last night and realized something. Most people don't even know what they're celebrating... 

Cinco de Mayo shows up every year dressed as a party holiday, and most people never question it. It’s not Mexican Independence Day. It marks the Battle of Puebla—and that fight quietly worked against the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Here's a brief history lesson (since certain history topics are no longer allowed in schools): On May 5, 1862, Mexican forces led by Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the army of Napoleon III (nephew of the Napoleon we all know). France wanted control in Mexico and influence in North America to gain access to cotton (rare commodity in Europe at the time).

At the same time, the Confederacy was desperate for European support because they needed more weapons. And France was a potential ally.

That Mexican victory didn’t end France’s plans, but it slowed them down—and timing was everything.

• It delayed French expansion in the region.
• It reduced chances of aid for the Confederacy.
• It gave the Union time to strengthen its position and "open up a can" on the Confederacy in Vicksburg and Gettysburg.

If Mexico would have lost the Battle of Puebla, then that would have meant the Confederacy gaining access to more weapons from the French before losing ground in Vicksburg and Gettysburg. But the loss delayed them over a year. That year made a huge difference in the war.

Some people celebrate Cinco de Mayo while romanticizing the Confederacy, not realizing the holiday marks a moment that hurt Confederate chances. That's typical. 

History doesn’t care about modern contradictions. Most people celebrate holidays without any sense of the origin. Americans just want any excuse to drink, right? I bet even ICE agents were tipsy from margaritas last night.

Cinco de Mayo isn’t just food and drinks. It’s a reminder that Mexico’s victory disrupted bigger plans and indirectly shaped the American Civil War.

Enjoy the celebration each and every year, everyone. And "thank you" to that group of Mexican soldiers for doing their thing almost 200 years ago. Had they not, then I might have been in a cotton field today instead of writing this now.