Do you know what you're celebrating today?
Do you recognize the names Benito Juarez, Robert Shulfeldt, and Emperor Maximilian?
Ask your Claxton student! Many will be taking part in classroom activities today to teach them the significance of Cinco de Mayo.
Education World explains:
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla, in which a few thousand ill-equipped Mexican citizens defeated a much larger army of highly trained French soldiers. Although the victory did not result in the immediate end of French occupation, many historians believe it indirectly affected the outcome of the American Civil War and led to Mexico's eventual independence. Today, people in both the United States and Mexico celebrate Cinco de Mayo -- the Fifth of May -- as a day of freedom and goodwill.
Check out these fun activities at Education World and Apples 4 the Teacher.
Many of our third through fifth grade students participated in Readers Theater readings that explained the history of Cinco de Mayo. The script appears below. You can have a performance at home, or just read on to learn more about this important day.
Cinco de Mayo Readers
Theater
Cast: Narrator; Narrator 2; Students 1,2, 3 and 4; Benito
Juarez, president of Mexico; Robert
W. Shulfeldt, American ambassador to Mexico; General Záragoza; Napoleon the Third of France; Napoleon the Third's wife, Maria; Swiss Banker; Messenger; Emperor Maximilian; his wife, Carlota
Scene One, An American Classroom in
the United States
NARRATOR: Once upon a time, a group of people
felt they were not being treated fairly by those who governed them, so they
decided to form a new government, with a new president. They wanted the
government to treat all people equally; no matter if they were Native American
or European, no matter if they were rich or poor.
STUDENT 1: Hey, I’ve heard this story! You’re going
to tell us about the American Revolution, right? The war between the British
and the American colonists that gave birth to our country, the United States of
America!
STUDENT 2: I already know about that too! It’s
the story about our first president, George Washington, and how we told the
King of England we weren’t going to be part of his country anymore because we
wanted to live in a country where people were treated more fairly.
NARRATOR 2: Well, actually, this is a similar
story, but it’s about something that happened in Mexico, the country that
neighbors the United States to the south. This story took place on the fifth of
May in the year 1862.
STUDENT 3: The fifth of May? Hey, isn’t that
Cinco de Mayo? I've heard of Cinco de Mayo –its like our July 4th
in the United States, right?
NARRATOR: You’re right and wrong at the same
time. Yes, the fifth of May is Cinco de Mayo –it’s is a day of celebration for many Mexicans, like the Fourth of
July is celebrated in the United States. But Cinco de Mayo isn’t a federal holiday
in Mexico and it isn’t a celebration of Mexico’s independence. In Mexico,
Independence Day is on September 16th . That’s the day that’s most like our 4th of July –the
birthday of the country.
STUDENT 4: Hey, my family celebrates Cinco de
Mayo! We always go to a Mexican restaurant on that day.
NARRATOR: Nowadays, Cinco de Mayo is
celebrated as much in our country as it is in Mexico. Everyone loves to
celebrate and have a good excuse to go out to eat and have a party, and a lot
of Americans and their families come from Mexico. But not many people can tell
you what happened on the fifth of May in 1862 and why it was an important
event. Let’s go back in time and
meet some of the people who were part of this important day in history.
NARRATOR 2: It was the year 1862, one hundred
and fifty-four years ago. Mexico had a new president who had been elected one
year earlier. His name was Benito Juarez (pronounced: Beh-nee-toe Hoo-ah-rez). He was Mexico’s 26th
president, and its first president who was a full blooded Indian.
Scene 2, Mexico City, Mexico
BENITO JUAREZ: I am Benito Juarez, the 26th
president of Mexico. I was elected to make Mexican governance fair for all. The
poor people in our country are tired of being mistreated. It is time to make
some new laws and changes. Ever since Mexico fought our War of Independence
with Spain, we have not been able to agree on how to make our country work, but
one thing is for sure –the rich people have never treated the poor people
fairly, especially the Indians.
ROBERT SHULFELDT: My name is Robert W. Shulfeldt, and
I am on a visit to Mexico from the United States. I work for Abraham Lincoln, the President
of the United States, where the American Civil War is being fought.The
Confederacy is trying to break away from the United States so they can continue
to own slaves. President Lincoln sent me here to tell the new president of
Mexico that we will support him, but we’re so busy fighting the Civil War that
we can’t do much until we defeat the Confederacy.
BENITO JUAREZ: It is sad that your country can’t
agree either, but at least you’ve managed to make it work for nearly a hundred
years. . We have never agreed about things here in Mexico. There has been a lot
of fighting ever since we became a country.
ROBERT SHULFELDT: President Lincoln wanted me to tell
you that we will help you create a fair country if can win the Civil War and
make ours more fair too. If we do, we’ll send soldiers to help your government.
In the meantime, we’ll loan you some money, but I’m afraid it can’t be much.
BENITO JUAREZ: Well, I wish you could send us some
soldiers now, because France has sent its army here to Mexico to keep me from
being president. The French government is afraid I will take money from the rich people to help
the poor, and they’re right. But I’m going to try to be as fair as I can about
it. After all, the rich people here in Mexico are only rich because they make
the poor people work so hard.
ROBERT SHULFELDT: Yes, we are also trying to help the
poorest people in the United States, the slaves. They are so poor they don’t
have anything of their own. In fact their very lives belong to someone else;
they are the property of the slave owners. The slave owners in the southern
United States force them to work for no wages and without any choice.
BENITO JUAREZ: Many of the rich people in Mexico
have their money because they take advantage of the poor Indians. Many of the
presidents of Mexico before me supported the rich. They borrowed lots of money
from banks in France and other parts of Europe and they gave away our gold and
silver mines to European companies.
ROBERT SHULFELDT: Good luck fighting the French army.
They are the best army in the world.
Scene Three, in the palace of
Napoleon III in Paris, France
NAPOLEON: I am Napoleon the Third. My
grandfather was the great Napoleon Bonaparte. In the year 1810 my grandfather
took over Spain and took control of all Spain’s lands, which included
Mexico. The Mexicans, who were
already unhappy with Spain, did not want another European country trying to
control them, so they fought to become their own independent country. But the
Mexicans have never been able to agree how to make a government that works.
MARIA: My Name is Maria, and I am Napoleon
the Thirds’ wife. We believe that those people across the ocean in the Americas
don’t know how to rule themselves. They need smarter people, like the kings and
queens and emperors who rule Europe to rule over them as well. The United
States of America is falling apart with a civil war, and the Mexicans have
never been able to agree on how to run their country. It is time for the
European powers to take over again. Mexico is a rich land with lots of gold and
silver, and they owe our banker friends lots of money.
SWISS BANKER: I am a Swiss banker and I just
got a letter from Mexico saying they would not pay my bank back for the loans
we made to their former presidents. Napoleon the Third, my banker friends and I
need your help. You have a great army. Will you send it to Mexico to force them
to pay us back?
NAPOLEON: The American Civil War proves that
the United States is a failure. I am thinking about helping the South win the Civil
War. Then we rulers of Europe can have more control in the Americas. But first,
I need to take care of this business in Mexico. Yes, I will send an army there.
In fact, we will just take over Mexico, and then all the riches of the land
will be ours.
SWISS BANKER: Thank you, Napoleon the Third!
England and Spain have said they will help too. We’ll show those Mexicans who’s
boss!
NAPOLEON: And then we’ll show those
Americans what a foolish idea their “Government for the People and by the People”
has been by helping the South win the Civil War! Besides, we need cotton that
the slaves grow in the United States. Ever since their Civil War began, the
Union has blocked the South’s cotton from reaching us.
Scene Four, in Mexico City, Mexico
BENITO JUAREZ: It has been a tough time in Mexico
since I became president. Britain, Spain, and France all sent ships and
soldiers to force my government to pay back millions of dollars in loans that
Mexico owed to European banks. I was able to negotiate deals with the British
and the Spanish, and they have left, but the French are being stubborn. I’ve just
received word that their ships have put soldiers ashore and they are marching
into the country to try to take over! General Záragoza (pronounced Sar-uh-go-sa), we are counting on you to
stop them.
ZÁRAGOZA: I am the Mexican army general
Záragoza, and I will do all I can to stop the French invasion! My soldiers and
cavalry will meet their army near the city of Puebla!
BENITO JUAREZ: I have just received word that if the
French win, they will send a prince from Europe to rule over the Mexicans. What an insult! We don’t want royal aristocrats to rule us; we want a freely elected
government.
ZARAGOZA: The 1860’s are proving to be a
trying time for the New World Democratic Republics. The United States is at war
with itself. The European powers are trying hard to hold onto the power they
still have in the Americas and to take back what they’ve lost. I will do my
best to beat the French.
Scene Five, In Italy
MAXIMILIAN: My name is Maximilian and I am a
prince of the Holy Roman Empire. Although I have a castle to live in, I don’t
have my own kingdom because my brother is older than I and he will be the next king
of Italy and Austria. Even though I come from a royal family, I’m not even sure
I believe in the idea of kings telling everyone what to do. I actually think it’s
fairer to let people decide how their governments should work.
CARLOTA: My name is Princess Carlota, and I
am Maximilian’s wife. We have just had a terrific offer from Napoleon the Third
of France. He wants my husband to be the Emperor of Mexico! Imagine that, our
own Empire to rule over! The Mexicans will love my husband because he really
wants people to be treated fairly and have their own say in the government. He’s
just the kind of leader they need. And he will also make sure that Mexico pays
back what they owe the European banks. He could make all sides happy. The
Mexicans aren’t really smart enough to make their country work. My husband will
show them how it is done.
MAXIMILIAN: I’m not sure this is the best
idea, but maybe you’re right, Carlota. Maybe I can fix things for both sides by
becoming the Emperor of Mexico. I will form a fair government for Mexico and
pay back the Swiss bankers. I guess we will accept Napoleon the Third’s offer.
CARLOTA: Good! As soon as we hear that the
French army has taken over, we will set sail for Mexico and have our own
kingdom!
Scene Six, Paris, France
MESSENGER: Napoleon the Third, I am afraid I
have some bad news. The Mexicans have defeated our French army in a battle
outside of the Mexican City of Puebla. On the fifth of May General
Záragoza and his men beat the French soldiers. Our invasion of Mexico is not
going as planned.
NAPOLEON: What! This can’t be! This was
supposed to be easy. The Mexicans are tougher than I thought. But we won’t give
up. I have a prince from the Hapsburg family, Maximilian, ready to rule Mexico when
we take over. I will send soldiers and supplies to Mexico for as long as it takes.
We will pay those Mexicans back for what they did to my army on the fifth of
May!
Scene Seven, Mexico City, Mexico
BENITO JUAREZ: General Záragoza, you did an amazing
job on the fifth of May, el Cinco de Mayo! Your small band of soldiers beat the
best army in the world! Tell me how you did it!
ZÁRAGOZA: My soldiers fought hard. We
pretended to be attacking from one direction while most of my troops snuck up
from another side. The weather turned bad and the fields were muddy. The French
soldiers got stuck in the mud with their cannons and wagons.
BENITO JUAREZ: I heard a rumor that some Mexican
farmers stampeded a herd of cows into the French army. What a great idea.
ZÁRAGOZA: I’ve heard that rumor too. I don’t know if it’s true. But I do
know the French retreated and the fifth of May, or el Cinco de Mayo, will
always be remembered as a great day for the people of Mexico.
BENITO JUAREZ: Yes! But I am afraid I have some bad
news. My messengers have told me the French are not giving up their plans and
are sending even more soldiers to try to take over Mexico. How will we ever win
the war when they have so many men and supplies that they can keep sending
across the ocean?
ZÁRAGOZA: We will tell all Mexicans to
remember the fifth of May, el Cinco de Mayo. It is a sign that we can beat the
French army. Remember el Cinco de Mayo! That will be our slogan and we will
keep fighting!
Epilogue, American Classroom in the
U.S.
STUDENT 1: Well, what happened? Did the
Mexicans finally win the war with France?
NARRATOR: Actually they lost a lot of battles
after that. The French were just so well trained. They had the newest guns and
many supplies. Many rich people in Mexico helped the French. The French actually
took over Mexico City. Benito Juarez and his supporters had to hide in other
parts of Mexico.
STUDENT 2: Did Maximilian become the Emperor of
Mexico like Napoleon the Third had planned?
NARRATOR 2: Yes, for a little while he did, and
some people say he actually did some good things for the Mexican people in the
few years he ruled. But Benito Juarez and his followers never gave up. They
remembered the battle of el Cinco de Mayo. It was proof that they could defeat
the French, so they kept on fighting. And they did eventually win!
STUDENT 3: So Benito Juarez became president of
Mexico again?
NARRATOR: Yes. And guess who helped him and
his army finally take Mexico back from Emperor Maximilian and the French.
STUDENT 4: Who?
NARRATOR 2: The United States! After the Union
won the American Civil War, hundreds of those Union soldiers went to
Mexico and help Benito Juarez. They knew that his brave men had made it so hard
for the French that Napoleon the Third had given up on helping the South in the
Civil War.
STUDENT 4: Oh, I get it! The battle of el Cinco
de Mayo could actually have kept the French from helping the South in the Civil
War. That IS important!
STUDENT 3: So Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of
freedom! I get it now too!
NARRATOR: That’s right; Cinco de Mayo is a
celebration of freedom from being ruled by royal families, a celebration of
freedom for all the people of the New World, no matter their skin color, no
matter if they are Indians or Europeans. And it’s a celebration of never giving
up on a good cause. Remember the fifth of May. Recuerda (pronounced ray-cwayr-da)
el Cinco de Mayo!
STUDENT 1, STUDENT 2, STUDENT 3 &
STUDENT 4: Remember
the fifth of May! Recuerda el Cinco de Mayo!
ZÁRAGOZA:
Recuerda el Cinco de Mayo!
BENITO
JUAREZ: Recuerda el Cinco de Mayo!
EVERYONE:
Recuerda el Cinco de Mayo!
