[1] This was not a particularly wealthy upbringing for Zaragoza, until the year 1830, when Miguel decided to capitalize on the U.S. government's land sale in what would later become the state of Texas.

[1] Miguel was able to procure the land and begin life as a rancher, which at the time was more lucrative than his average military job.

Zaragoza joined the army supporting the cause of the Liberal Party, in opposition to dictator Antonio López de Santa Anna.

[1] Zaragoza’s first major experience as a captain in the military was when he led the liberal army against general Santa Anna in 1854.

[3] By the beginning of 1857, Zaragoza was fighting in a Mexican civil war against conservative party leaders, Leandro Márquez and Miguel Miramón.

After this promising string of military victories, Zaragoza won the war on December 22, 1860, by defeating the conservative forces in the battle of Calpulalpan.

[1] In the year 1861, through appointment by then president of Mexico Benito Juárez, Zaragoza served as the minister of war and navy for the liberal party in the Mexican parliament.

During his short time in office, Zaragoza was able to help president Juárez negotiate a two year moratorium on Mexico’s debt to France.

[3] In 1862, with the abrupt death of his wife and the need for generals in the military to help his country fight France in the Mexican east,[3] Zaragoza decided to resign in order to lead the Army of the East (Ejército de Oriente) against the Europeans, in particular the French, who were using the Mexican external debt as a pretext under the Treaty of London[2] concluded earlier that year to invade Mexico.

[2] After all was said and done, Zaragoza and his forces won the day-long battle, losing approximately ninety men compared to the estimated 1,000 French casualties.

When the French left Mexico in defeat, Zaragoza became a legend as one of the few Mexican generals to have success in battle against the then-greatest army in the world.

His famous quotation, Las armas nacionales se han cubierto de gloria ("The national arms have been covered with glory"), is used to remember the battle, and comes from the single-line letter he wrote to his superior, President Juárez, informing him of the victory.