wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

History of Cinco de Mayo

Total questions: 22

Worksheet time: 22mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Cinco de Mayo...

a)

is on the fifth of May

b)

celebrates the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla

c)

is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico

d)

All of the answers shown are true

2.

Select all the answers that are true.

a)

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day

b)

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in the U.S. in areas with large Mexican-American populations

c)

Cinco de Mayo is a major holiday in Mexico

d)

In the U.S., Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage

3.

In 1861 Benito Juárez was elected president of Mexico. What else is true about Mexico at that time?

a)

It was in financial ruin.

b)

It had undergone years of internal strife.

c)

It was forced to default on debt payments to European governments.

d)

All of the answers listed are true.

4.

Who sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico in response to Mexico defaulting on their debt payments?

a)

France

b)

All of the countries listed

c)

Britain

d)

Spain

5.

Which two countries negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces?

a)

France

b)

The United States

c)

Britain

d)

Spain

6.

Who decided to use the default on the debt to carve and empire out of Mexican territory in late 1861?

a)

King Charles of England

b)

Napoleon III

c)

Isabel Vera Cruz

d)

General Ignacio Zaragoza

7.

Where did the French fleet land in Mexico late in 1861?

a)

Mazatlan

b)

Cabo San Lucas

c)

Nayarit

d)

Veracruz

8.

How many French troops did General Charles Latrille de Lorencez command in the Battle of Puebla?

a)

8,000

b)

6,000

c)

7,000

d)

9,000

9.

Who rounded up a ragtag force of 2,000 loyal men in the Battle of Puebla?

a)

Napoleon III

b)

Benito Juárez

c)

General Charles Latrille

d)

General Ignacio Zaragoza

10.

Who led the vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans and fortified the town of Puebla for battle?

a)

General Charles Latrille

b)

Benito Juárez

c)

General Ignacio Zaragoza

d)

Napoleon III

11.

How long did the Battle of Puebla last?

a)

2 weeks

b)

12 days

c)

5 days

d)

From daybreak to early evening

12.

How many soldiers did the French lose when they finally retreated from the Battle of Puebla?

a)

Nearly 500 soldiers

b)

Nearly 5,000 soldiers

c)

Nearly 600 soldiers

d)

Exactly 500 soldiers

13.

How many Mexicans were killed during the Battle of Puebla?

a)

More than 100

b)

More than 200

c)

Fewer than 100

d)

Nearly 500

14.

Which of the following are true about the success at the Battle of Puebla?

a)

It was not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French.

b)

It represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government.

c)

It bolstered the resistance movement.

d)

All of the answers listed are true.

15.

Why did France finally withdraw it's troops in 1867 from Mexico? (Select all answers that are true)

a)

Mexico received military support from the United States.

b)

Napoleon III died in the battle.

c)

France received political pressure from the United States.

d)

The United States was able to aid Mexico after the end of the Civil War.

16.

Who was installed as emperor of Mexico in 1864 by Napoleon?

a)

General Zaragoza

b)

Benito Juárez

c)

General Charles Latrille de Lorencez

d)

Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian

17.

What happened to Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian?

a)

He died in the Battle of Puebla.

b)

He was executed by Juárez´s forces.

c)

He died of typhoid fever.

d)

He died from an infected bullet wound.

18.

Who was the Puebla of Los Angeles renamed for?

a)

General Zaragoza

b)

Benito Juárez

c)

Napoleon III

d)

Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian

19.

When is Mexican independence from Spain actually celebrated?

a)

May 5th

b)

November 20th

c)

September 16th

d)

1910 every year

20.

Select all of the items that are true.

a)

Within Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily observed in the state of Puebla.

b)

Cinco de Mayo traditions include recreations of the Battle of Puebla.

c)

Cinco de Mayo traditions include some military parades.

d)

Cinco de Mayo is not a federal holiday in Mexico, so banks and stores are open.

21.

Select all of the true statements about Cinco de Mayo below.

a)

In the U.S. Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.

b)

Chicano activists raised awareness of the holiday in the 1960s.

c)

Revelers mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional foods like tacos and mole poblano.

d)

Some of the largest festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.

22.

Select all of the answers below that are true.

a)

Many people outside of Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla.

b)

Independence Day in Mexico (Día de Independencia) is commemorated on September 16th.

c)

September 16th is the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costillas famous "Grito de Dolores."

d)

The "Cry of Dolores" is a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war against the Spanish colonial government in 1910.