Posted on March 6, 2022
This is an update of my post published on March 6, 2011:
“Remember the Alamo!”
That battle cry was shouted by soldiers as they fought against Santa Anna and his huge Mexican army during the Texas revolution.
Did you know that Texas (and a lot of the rest of the Western U.S.) was once part of Mexico? Many people from the United States moved into Texas and, in 1835, some of these settlers tried to break away from Mexico and establishing Texas as an independent republic.
Mexico (naturally enough) said, “No! You can't go!” A large army headed by Mexican President Santa Anna set out to crush the rebellion. The Mexican army outnumbered the Texian and Tejano army at least 6 to 1. (Texians were Anglo-American inhabitants of Mexican Texas, and Tejanos were inhabitants of Mexican Texas who were descended from the original Mexican / Hispanic / Latino inhabitants.)
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Santa Anna |
Santa Anna laid siege to a fort called the Alamo, located near present-day San Antonio. After a 12 day-siege, Santa Anna launched an early-morning attack on this day in 1836; he was unnecessarily cruel in the attack, killing every last Texian and Tejano soldier. (He spared a slave and some women and children.) Some soldiers surrendered when it was obvious that the fort had fallen, or so the story goes - but if that is true, Santa Anna had those men quickly executed.
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The guy near the center with his rifle raised like an ax is Davy Crocket. |
Santa Anna expected his overwhelming show of force at the Alamo to scare Texians into abandoning the rebellion, but instead young men - both Texians and Tejanos - were so angry at Santa Anna's cruelty, they flooded to the Texian army led by Sam Houston. And just a month and a half later, Santa Anna's army was beaten and Santa Anna himself, dressed as a lowly soldier and hiding in a marsh, was captured. He apparently said something to the effect that Houston should show mercy to him and his army. Houston reportedly said, “You should have remembered that at the Alamo.”
The aftermath of Santa Anna's April, 1836, loss was that the Mexican troops left Texas, and Texas became (briefly) an independent republic.
Did you know...?
The most famous person to die in the Battle of the Alamo is Davy Crockett.
The Alamo has been the subject of songs, books, a Disney mini-series, and movies.
The Alamo is the most popular tourist site in Texas.
Remember the Alamo!
Here is “Remember the Alamo," sung by the Kingston Trio.
Here is the official website of the Alamo.
Also on this date:
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(Sunday of the first full week of March)
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