Cinco de Mayo celebrations to hit the streets of Watsonville an...

jarbee wrote:

Cinco de Mayo. Such an interesting holiday that began as an anti-French celebration in California. Why were the French sending troops to Mexico?
"In late 1861 Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, sent troops to Mexico, alongside British and Spanish forces, to collect debts owed by a previous Mexican government. President Benito Juárez had announced the annulment of these debts, and vowed to pay nothing to European powers. Napoleon’s troops occupied the port city of Veracruz on December 8, 1861. Soon thereafter, the British and Spanish forces returned home, having established a truce with Mexico....
While the Battle of Puebla did not prevent the imminent French takeover of Mexico, it did go as an important morale victory for the Mexican Army. It also gave the Juárez government much needed time to organize its new government that many nations recognized as legitimate. The United States, embroiled in its own conflict, supported the Republican Mexican forces with much of its arms and equipment, including the very uniforms and weapons used by the Union Army in the Civil War." (Wikipedia, Battle of Puebla)
A bunch of Mexicans (that's Europeans mixed with aboriginals and several dashes of Catholicism) didn't want to pay their debts so they killed the debt collector. Despite France contributing decisively in America's Revolutionary War (eternal thanks to Ben Franklin for that bit of diplomacy) and giving us a great deal with the Louisiana Purchase, America gave military assistance to the Mexicans.
We should update the holiday and call it abandon your mortgage day. Perfect for Watsonville and the Central Valley. That would be a historical celebration. Mexicans have a long and proud history of not paying their debts. Let's have a beer!

harold wrote:

<quoted text>isn't it funny how the name of your city is san jose. hmmm makes me wonder all of the cities in california are of spanish decent. maybe it is because this used to be mexico.

The Man wrote:

<quoted text>
How were the first Europeans explorers illegal? Your post makes no sense. Don't the Lakotas have Casinos now?