Mexico
By Jesse Burkett
Mexico City is the capital and largest city in
Mexico. Their federal republic government is
governed by President Felipe Calderon. To the
north of Mexico is the U.S.A. and to the
southeast are the countries Guatemala and
Belize.
• Mexico’s Flag
Mexico’s flag has three vertical stripes in green, white, and
red with the coat of arms in the middle white stripe.
Before Benito Juarez changed the meanings of the colors
while he was President the green represented
independence, the white religion, and the red the union
of Americans and Europeans. He changed them to
represent hope, unity, and the blood of the national
heroes.
• Mexican Independence
Independence day for Mexico is celebrated every
September 16 because that was the day in 1810
that the priest Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
led a revolt against Spanish rule. He failed and
was executed. Father Jose Maria Morelos led
another revolt after Father Hidalgo was
executed. Father Morelos also failed and was
executed, but when the Mexican-born Spanish
and the Catholic Church added their support to
the revolution the revolt finally succeeded in
1821.
• The Battle of the Alamo
On February 23, 1836 Santa Anna’s army reached what is
now San Antonio determined to crush the Texan
rebellion. They laid siege to the Alamo for thirteen days
and on March 5 they surrounded it with all the rebels
trapped inside. They then rushed the fort with about
1,400 men and soon all of the rebels were dead. The
victory was costly though, around 600 Mexican soldiers
were dead.
• Los Niños Heroes
This holiday is celebrated in Mexico on September 13 to
honor six young men from 13-19 years old who fought
for their country in the Mexican-American War during
the Battle of Chapultepec. These men, Juan de la
Barrera, Juan Escutia, Francisco Marquez, Agustin
Melgar, Fernando Montes de Oca, and Vicente Suarez
gave their lives defending their country.
• Independence Monument
Also referred to as the Angel of Independence this
monument was built in remembrance of the
War of Independence centennial celebrations in
1910. It is a 21-foot golden, winged angel on top
of a 118-foot column. This monument is located
in Mexico City.
• The Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is to the northeast of Mexico.
The total area is about 600,000 square miles
and the longest distance across the gulf is about
1,000 miles. Sebastian de Ocampo was credited
with being the first European to discover the
Gulf.
• Benito Juarez
Benito Juarez helped install many liberal reforms
that were put into the new Mexican constitution
in 1857. He was exiled twice when the
conservatives took control of Mexico. But when
he was able to return he became President from
1861-1872. He died in 1872 of a heart attack.
• Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz
Born in 1651 she is considered to be Mexico’s first
feminist. She was a great and controversial
writer and poet. She is on the 200-peso note.
She studied theology while in a convent. She
wrote many controversial plays and letters that
caused many to think badly of her.
• Cinco De Mayo
This holiday is celebrated on the fifth of May to
commemorate a victory over the French
invading forces in 1862. In this victory 4,500
Mexican militia defeated 6,500 well armed
French soldiers. Though this victory was a great
one, it was also a short one, later Napoleon sent
30,000 more troops to invade and control
Mexico.
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