Alamo

During the presidency of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the Mexican government began to shift away from the federalist model. The Mexican border region of Texas was largely populated by immigrants from the United States who were accustomed to extensive individual rights, and they were quite vocal in their displeasure at Mexico's shift towards centralism.  Already leery of previous American attempts to purchase Texas, Mexican authorities blamed much of the unrest in Texas on American immigrants, most of whom had made little effort to adapt to the Mexican culture.  The Texians as the citizens of Texas were called, had several skirmishes and systematically defeated the Mexican troops stationed in Texas. The last group of Mexican soldiers in the region—commanded by Santa Anna's brother-in-law, General Martin Perfecto surrendered following the siege of Bexar.  When Mexican troops departed San Antonio de Béxar (now San Antonio)  Texian soldiers established a garrison at the Alamo Mission, a former Spanish religious outpost that had been converted to a makeshift fort. 

On February 23 1836, the arrival of General Santa Anna’s army at San Antonio caught the defendants of the Alamo by surprise.  The Texans and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo together.  They held out for 13 days against a Santa Anna’s army.  William Travis the commander of the army sent forth messenger to the communities requesting volunteers to join him.  Only a band of 32 volunteers from Gonzales joined his cause.  Legend holds that he drew of line in the ground asking any men willing to fight to step over-all except one step forward.

As the defenders saw it, the Alamo was key to the defense of Texas and they were ready to give their lives than surrender.  Among the Alamo’s garrison were Jim Bowie, renowned knife fighter and David Crockett, famed frontiersman and former congressman from Tennessee.

The final assault came before daybreak on the morning of March 6, 1836.  Cannon and small arms fire from inside the Alamo beat back several attacks.  Eventually, the Mexicans scaled the walls.  Once inside they opened the barricaded doors.  The desperate struggle continued until the defenders were overwhelmed.  People in the Texas and the United States continue to remember the Alamo as a heroic struggle against impossible odds and a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.  It is for this reason, the Alamo remains a hallowed ground.  Although the battle of Alamo was a defeat for the Texians it rallied the Texian population to a rebellion that eventually led to the independence of Texas on March 2, 1836.  Texas remained an independent republic until February 19, 1846 when it was annexed by the United States.