Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday popular in America, has an interesting historical background. It does NOT celebrate Mexican Independence Day, which is in September. Instead, Cinco de Mayo (the Fifth of May), celebrates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, where the Mexican army defeated the invading French army.
Below are some interesting links and resources on the Battle of Puebla and the Franco-Mexican War.
The History Guy: The Wars of Mexico–Lists the wars of Mexico from independence to the current day.
Cinco de Mayo Battle Saved America–Interesting article on how the Battle of Puebla may have affected the outcome of the U.S. Civil War.
Cinco de Mayo Observance Is Important Because It Provides a Collective Identity for Latinos, Says UCLA Center–An article discussing how Cinco de Mayo is an important holiday for U.S. Latinos.
The French Mexican Expedition, 1861-1867—