The Day of the Niños Héroes
13 September
Back on 13 September 1847, the following teenagers gave their lives defending their Country.
Juan de la Barrera
Juan Escutia
Francisco Márquez
Agustín Melgar
Fernando Montes de Oca
Vicente Suárez
all between the ages 13 and 17.
Today, in Mexico, they are remembered!
These young men were cadets at the military college located at Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City. They lost their lives defending the Castle from the invading American forces.
It was former American President James Polk's efforts to expand that lead to the Mexican-American War, which went from March 8, 1846 to February 1848. America wanted the Mexican provinces of California, New Mexico and, if possible Chihuahua.
The invading American forces took over the Castle at Chapultepec and made prisoners by General Nicolas Bravo, Mariano Monterde the director of the College, and several students.
In February of 1848 the agreement, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, was signed, thus ending the war in which Mexico lost half it's territory to American aggression.
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| the white area is what America acquired as a result of the Mexican-American war. - map lifted from http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorri37/4565201676/ |
wikipedia offers a short biography on the young cadets that are honored today