Cinco de Mayo as many of us know is not the Independence of Mexico. It was a day of a battle when a rag-tag group of Mexican farmers, clergymen and soldiers fought against the French army. In 1861, Mexican president Benitó Juarez realized that his Government was broken and therefore could not pay back his debtors. Because France had an interest in the country and the United States was in the early stages of civil war, they took the opportunity to set up Mexico as a French colony. It was on May 5th, 1862 in the province of Puebla, when this small group of Mexican soldiers thwarted the French armies.