Why Do We Celebrate Cinco de Mayo? | RV Texas
Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo? You have General Ignacio Zaragoza to thank! In this very short Texas Tidbit video, we visit General Zaragoza's birthplace in Goliad, Texas. For more information, visit
You might also be interested in our video about Goliad State Park and Historic Site:
That video includes footage of Mission Espiritu Santo, the Karankawa RV camping and shelter loop, the Jacales RV camping area, the onsite museum, Goliad State Park's annual History in Lights exhibit and more.
Don't miss our Bonus Footage at the end of the Goliad State Park video where we talk about the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and their contributions to state parks and public lands around Texas and the United States.
We (Tom & Stacie) are Native Texans who are all about exploring the Lone Star State in our weekend home on wheels. We're always looking for fun and interesting places to visit. What's your favorite Texas Tidbit? Let us know in the comments so we can add it to our list of places to visit!
This Video is Part of Our Texas Tidbits Series:
It's also part of our Texas History Series:
and our Goliad TX Series:
While we were in Goliad, we also filmed:
Presidio La Bahia: The Oldest Fort West of the Mississippi
and the Goliad Brewery
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Filmed at Presidio La Bahia in Goliad, Texas. December 2016.
Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed this video, please give us a Like! Subscribe to our channel for more videos about RVing and the great state of Texas!.
Safe Travels and Happy Camping!
Presidio La Bahia, Goliad TX | Historic Fort | RV Texas
Take a Tour of Presidio La Bahia! The oldest standing fort west of the Mississippi River, still stands today in Goliad, Texas. Presidio La Bahia, built here in 1749, is so rich in Texas history, that you can feel that history as you walk its grounds.
This historic fort in Texas played a role in the American Revolution and, many historians believe that the events that took place here had a direct impact on the final outcome in the Texas fight for Independence during the 19th century. For more information on Presidio La Bahia visit
Presidio La Bahia is an absolute must visit destination for anyone interested in Texas history. It is located just south of Goliad State Park and Historic Site and the town of Goliad, Texas.
We (Tom & Stacie) are Native Texans who are all about exploring the Lone Star State in our weekend home on wheels. We're always looking for fun and interesting places to visit. Have you been to Presidio La Bahia? We'd love to hear about your visit. Please leave a comment and tell us about it.
This Video is Part of Our Texas History Series
It is also part of our Goliad TX Series
You might also be interested in our other videos from Goliad, Texas:
Goliad State Park and Historic Site (with bonus footage about the CCC!)
Texas Tidbits: The Man Behind Cinco de Mayo
Goliad Brewery
Did You Like This Video? Please Subscribe!
Join Us As We RV Texas Y'all!
Like Us on Facebook:
Connect With Us on Twitter:
Follow Us on Instagram:
Pin With Us on Pinterest:
Visit our website:
Filmed at Presidio La Bahia in Goliad, Texas. December 2016.
Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed this video, please give us a Like! Subscribe to our channel for more videos about RVing and the great state of Texas!.
Music Credits: Laid Back Guitars by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Source:
Artist:
Safe Travels and Happy Camping!
Tejano Talks 43 Cinco De Mayo - Feature - (2018)
Recently we celebrated Cinco de Mayo, a respected remembrance of the Battle of Puebla in 1861.
Cinco de Mayo is a cultural phenomenon in the United States. Texas is at the center of this celebration for Tejanos were responsible for Cinco de Mayo’s history.
However, for most it’s an opportunity to drink a lot of margaritas, plain ol’ tequila and cerveza.
During the celebration, people often mistake Cinco de Mayo for a celebration of Mexican independence. But they’re wrong.
It is not a fiesta, it’s a somber remembrance of a heroic battle that changed the course of history for both the United States and Mexico.
The history of Cinco de Mayo started with France trying to collect a debt from Mexico in 1861.
Under the leadership of Napoleon III, France saw this as an opportunity to conquer Mexico and expand its empire. The French navy imposed a blockade on the Mexican coast.
In late1861, France landed a well-armed Army of 8,000 soldiers at Veracruz under the leadership Gen. Charles Latrille de Lorencez and forced the Mexican Army into a full retreat.
Mexican president Benito Juarez urged resistance and called for the Mexican army to force the French into retreat. At the time, the French had one of the most powerful armies in the world. The French advanced to a small village in Mexico by the name of Puebla de Los Angeles.
The Mexican army was poorly trained and armed and had short supplies of ammunitions, weapons and practically no artillery.
In South Texas, Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza had been aware of the pending French invasion of Mexico and knew Mexico needed time to gather its resources and fight back.
Zaragoza, who was born in Goliad. His statue and birthplace are now a state park at the La Bahia Mission grounds. He organized an army of Tejanos and set for Mexico.
More than 500 Tejanos were recruited by Zaragoza to fight at Puebla. Their main duty was to help Gen. Zaragosa train Mexico’s army for battle with the French, but there was little time.
General Ignacio Zaragosa and his army of Texas vaqueros and Mexican peasants awaited their fate as they defended the forts at Guadalupe and Loreto in Puebla. The French attacked. Zaragoza’s troops held, resisted and won. The battle is now often re-enacted in Mexico and the United States, as shown here.
Captain Porfirio Zamora y Galvan who lived in Palito Blanco was captain in Zaragosa’s Army. He was recognized for his bravery. His descendants still live in South Texas.
This victory gave Mexico a much-needed morale boost and a reason to unite as a country. The victory was celebrated all over Mexico and President Juarez declared a holiday named “El Cinco de Mayo.” Mexico went on to defeat the French.
Zaragoza was born in the Mexican Texas village of Bahía del Espíritu Santo (now Goliad, Texas) in what was then the Mexican state of Coahuila y Texas. H
Today the house where he was born in Golaid is a state and national historical site. He has monuments for his bravery in Texas and in Mexico.
Cinco de Mayo, while still celebrated in Mexico, has evolved into a Texas and United States holiday where the Mexican culture and its influence on Texas and the nation are celebrated.
PBS Show Goliad Experience, El Paso Owls & the Marine Identifier, #2622
Program 2622. Air dates March 11-17, 2018 & September 9-15, 2018
Goliad Experience, El Paso Owls & the Marine Identifier
Goliad State Park & Historic Site
If you’ve been to Goliad State Park & Historic Site, you’re probably familiar with the rich cultural history of the site. What you might not have experienced are the outdoor activities at the park; like camping, nature hikes, biking, and paddling the nearby Goliad Paddling Trail. There’s a lot to do here no matter you primary interest.
Owls Underground
Some owls in El Paso have a fancy new home, complete with a surveillance system, which gives biologists a bird’s-eye view of owl life.
Parks & Wildlife People: Brenda Bowling
Brenda Bowling just can't stop herself from identifying marine animals. She collected such a large database of information that she created an interactive website called “Identification Guide to Marine Organisms of Texas” with over 2,000 photographs.
The Volunteer Family
With two teens and a toddler, the Gibson family has a hectic schedule. But every year they squeeze in time to volunteer at the Texas Coastal Expo. Mom, dad and the kids all pitch in to help other families learn about the natural world. In return, the Gibsons say they’ve learned a lot about themselves.
Postcard From Texas
A small waterhole on the Santa Clara Ranch in Hidalgo County, Texas is a great place for some of the local wildlife to replenish and refresh.
La Bahia Fort | Goliad Texas
We had a nice stop at La Bahia in Goliad, Texas during the summer of 2014. Hope you enjoy this!
The Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía, known more commonly as Presidio La Bahia, or simply La Bahia is a fort constructed by the Spanish Army that became the nucleus of the modern-day city of Goliad, Texas, United States
Mexican culture in the US: A travel guide for Cinco de Mayo and beyond | News Today
Mexican culture in the US: A travel guide for Cinco de Mayo and beyond | News Today When celebrating the Cinco de Mayo holiday, consider a more authentic Mexican experience than simply ordering a margarita and chips and salsa at the local sports bar.
Not ready for a trip to Mexico right now? There is plenty of Mexico to explore and celebrate in the United States since much of the Southwest was once part of our neighbor to the south.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, which was September 16, 1810.
May 5 commemorates the Battle of Puebla in which Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza led his outnumbered troops in defense of Puebla against the French on May 5, 1862. Zaragoza was born in 1829 just outside the Presidio La Bahia in Goliad, which is now part of Texas.
The Presidio, or fort, displays a statue of Zaragoza, a Mexican national hero, who died of typhoid fever in 1862. Still operated by the Catholic Church, the Presidio hosts Mass at Our Lady of Loreto Chapel. Remember the Alamo and more!
The Misión San Antonio de Valero in San Antonio, now known as the Alamo, was constructed by the Spanish and was later occupied by Mexican and Texas troops.
The March 6, 1836 battle between Mexican troops and Texas revolutionaries is known among descendants of the Republic of Texas as a great fight against impossible odds. The Mexican troops crushed the revolutionaries, but the Texans fought back victoriously later that year, and the Republic of Texas was born.
For a celebratory atmosphere, visit Market Square, where the shops at El Mercado sell pinatas, jewelry, clothing, leather and other goods. The square also hosts Primer Sabado events, or First Saturdays, with food booths, art, music and children's programs.
The chilaquiles breakfast taco on flour tortilla at Blanco Cafe downtown and Henry's Puffy Tacos are local favorites.
San Diego, California
The birthplace of San Diego is preserved at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, the site of the first Spanish settlement in California and San Diego's first downtown. Mexico took over the downtown after the country won its independence from Spain in 1821. The six-block site contains preserved and restored adobe and wooden buildings, thriving restaurants and shops.
The Barrio Logan neighborhood initially welcomed people fleeing the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century, and the area is now home to a local Mexican-American community, Mexican street art and modern art galleries. Some early evidence of the artistic scene can be found at Chicano Park beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge overpass.
The Centro Cultural de la Raza is in Balboa Park, also home to the San Diego Zoo and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. The center is a cultural arts center dedicated to Mexican, Mexican-American, indigenous and other Latino art and culture. Established by Colorado's mix of early pioneers as Fort Pueblo, a smaller version of the current city of Pueblo was incorporated as part of the Colorado Territory in 1870. Colorado became a US state in 1876. With the arrival of the railroad and an abundance of coal, Pueblo became a thriving steel town.
Each September, thousands of people come to Pueblo for the Chile & Frijoles Festival to celebrate the harvest of the town's most important crops: the mirasol green chile and pinto beans. The festivities have included chili and salsa competitions, a jalapeno pepper-eating contest, a 5K fun run, art exhibitions and live entertainment.
To learn more about the region's history, check out the renovated El Pueblo History Museum in the Union Avenue Historic District. For arts and culture, look to the Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center and the Buell Children's Museum. And the annual Colorado State Fair hosts nearly two weeks of livestock shows, rodeos and music starting in late August. Spanish land grants, Arizona
Established in 1752 as a Spanish presidio, the town of Tubac (now in Arizona) was once a stop on the road from Mexico to the Spanish settlements in California.
Tubac Presidio State Historic Park preserves the site of the Presidio San Ignacio de Tubac, the oldest fort in what would become the state of Arizona. Now it's an artist colony and home to many galleries. When you're finished gallery hopping, head to Elvira's restaurant, which was established in 1927 in Nogales, Mexico, and reopened in Tubac.
About 50 miles from Tubac, Rancho De La Osa was part of the original three million-acre land grant from Spain's king to the Ortiz brothers of Mexico in 1812. The rancho fell within the boundaries of the United States after the 1854 signing of the Gadsden Purchase settling the US-Mexican border. It now welcomes overnight guests, who can view a cannonball on display that Pancho Villa reportedly fired at the house during the Mexican Revolution.
The nearby Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge welcomes horseback riding, hunting, bird-watching and bird migration counts.
Visita
HAPPY Cinco De Mayo MEXICO
Cinco de Mayo is a date of great importance for the Mexican and Chicano communities. It marks the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla. Althought the Mexican army was eventually defeated, the Batalla de Puebla came to represent a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism. With this victory, Mexico demonstrated to the world that Mexico and all of Latin America were willing to defend themselves of any foreign intervention. Especially those from imperialist states bent on world conquest.
Cinco de Mayo's history has its roots in the French Occupation of Mexico. The French occupation took shape in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. With this war, Mexico entered a period of national crisis during the 1850's. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a Civil War, had left Mexico devastated and bankrupt. On July 17, 1861, President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for a brief period of two years, with the promise that after this period, payments would resume.
The English, Spanish and French refused to allow president Juarez to do this, and instead decided to invade Mexico and get payments by whatever means necessary. The Spanish and English eventually withdrew, but the French refused to leave. Their intention was to create an Empire in Mexico under Napoleon III. Some have argued that the true French occupation was a response to growing American power and to the Monroe Doctrine (America for the Americans). Napoleon III believed that if the United States was allowed to prosper indescriminantly, it would eventually become a power in and of itself.
In 1862, the French army began its advance. Under General Ignacio Zaragoza, 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians defeated the French army in what came to be known as the Batalla de Puebla on the fifth of May.
In the United States, the Batalla de Puebla came to be known as simply 5 de Mayo and unfortunately, many people wrongly equate it with Mexican Independence which was on September 16, 1810, nearly a fifty year difference. Over, the years Cinco de Mayo has become very commercialized and many people see this holiday as a time for fun and dance. Oddly enough, Cinco de Mayo has become more of Chicano holiday than a Mexican one. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on a much larger scale here in the United States than it is in Mexico. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having parades, mariachi music, folklorico dancing and other types of festive activities.
President Obama Celebrates Cinco de Mayo
The President celebrates Cinco de Mayo at a reception at the White House and calls on Congress to implement comprehensive immigration reform. May 5, 2010.