Los Niños Heroes

Chapultepec Castle was home to the Colegio Militar (Military College.) After brutal hand-to-hand combat with the American forces, Mexican General Nicolás Bravo surrendered the castle. According to legend six cadets decided to continue fighting to their deaths. One cadet even wrapped himself in the Mexican flag and jumped from the high walls of the castle. Los Niños Héroes, or the heroic children, came to symbolize Mexican patriotism; poems and songs were written to commemorate the valiant actions of these young men in defending the castle and their country. For years a monument honoring the fallen cadets was situated in Chapultepec. The six were honored in a daily retreat ceremony at Colegio Militar, and special pilgrimages were made to the monument annually on September 13. Recently, however, questions have been raised about the legend, noting that it did not gain prominence until later in the 19th century. Recently the Museum of National History at Chapultepec has demoted the Los Niños Héroes artifacts to a smaller and less prominent gallery.