Zaragoza Plaza

Under the Spanish colonization system, houses built outside presidio fort walls by civilians and soldiers' families were intended to become a center of settlement, and a diverse population of Spanish, Indian, African, and European people flourished around the stone walls of Presidio La Bahía. Ignacio Zaragoza was born there in 1829 in one of the houses near the presidio. His father, a presidial soldier, was reassigned frequently and moved his family to other Texas presidios and finally to Matamoros in 1834. In Mexico, Zaragoza became a military leader in the reform movements in the 1850s. At the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, his undermanned Mexican army defeated the French army, then considered the supreme military force in the world. The victory became a source of pride in Mexico and is now the focus of the international celebration of Cinco de Mayo.

Texas · United States