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Battle of the Alamo by Dr. Charles D. Grear

Quill and Musket Lecturer Series. Battle of the Alamo by Dr. Charles D. Grear. Early History of the Alamo. Established in San Antonio in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero to convert local American Indians and promote settlement in the region.

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Battle of the Alamo by Dr. Charles D. Grear

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  1. Quill and Musket Lecturer Series Battle of the Alamoby Dr. Charles D. Grear

  2. Early History of the Alamo • Established in San Antonio in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero to convert local American Indians and promote settlement in the region. • Presidos (military fortifications) established nearby for protection. • 1731, with the economy established by missionaries and soldiers the first major wave of European settlers arrive from the Canary Islands. • Mission quietly exists until 1772-1777 when the local population increased with the elimination of missions in East Texas. Most settlers relocate to San Antonio.

  3. Secularization of the Complex • 1793 the King of Spain decrees that Mission de Valero be secularized (removed from the church) and all its property distributed. • Alamo complex abandoned until 1802 when a company of Spanish cavalry San Carlos de Parras from El Alamo, Coahuila turned it into a military post and dubbed it the Alamo after the place of their last posting. • In the previous year several American filibusters invaded Spanish Texas causing the Spanish Viceroy (colonial governor) to increase its military presence.

  4. Pre-Texas Revolution Events • United States purchases Louisiana from the French bringing their presence closer to Texas. • Mexico declares and wins its independence from Spain. • Stephen F. Austin is granted permission to bring American settlers into Texas. Mexico allows the settlements in the interior of the region to bolster its population and potentially deter anyone else from encroaching on the territory. • Many Americans settle the land.

  5. Stephen F. Austin

  6. The Storm Approaches • Texans involve themselves in political turmoil. • President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and his Centralists ratify a new constitution taking power away from the states. • Texans join other Mexican states in protest against this change. • The Texas Revolution begins as a political struggle and not for independence. Defenders at the Alamo display this with a flag calling for the reinstatement of the Constitution of 1824.

  7. Constitution of 1824 Flag

  8. Texans Capture the Alamo? • When open hostilities began in Texas, the Alamo was still a Mexican military base. • Texans forced Gen. Perfecto de Cos (Santa Anna’s brother in law) to surrender the Alamo complex during the Battle of San Antonio de Bexar

  9. Texas Fortification • Texans fortify the old mission but most have no idea about its past. • The Alamo is not just the building that remains today (which is the old chapel of the mission), but a huge complex spanning more than a couple city blocks. • The original commander Colonel James C. Neill left because of a family emergency. • Command fell to William B. Travis, James Bowie, and to a limited extent Davy Crockett.

  10. Alamo Complex

  11. Alamo Commanders • James Bowie William B. Travis Davy Crockett

  12. Battle of the Alamo • Strategically not important for the Mexican Army to capture. The force occupying it was small (under 200 men) and it was far from the bulk of the Texan Army. • It was a statement and a matter of pride. • Santa Anna wanted to send the message that resistance would be met with death. • Wanted to regain the honor of his embarrassed brother in law Cos. • Strategically not important for the Texans as well. Sam Houston (commander of the Texas Army) ordered it abandoned .

  13. Symbol of Texan Defiance • Travis, Bowie, and Crockett made a stand. • Survived a siege from the Mexican cannons for 13 days before the actual battle. • Mexican forces launched the attack early in the morning of March 6, 1836 and lasted only an hour. • All defenders, even those that surrendered were killed. • The only survivors were women, children, and slaves. They were released to spread the news of the battle. Joe, Travis’s personal slave, personally told Sam Houston about the battle days later.

  14. Battle of the Alamo • A short video depicting the battle can be found at: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmeFTtfV8vE

  15. Did Davy Crockett Surrender? • Many people have debated this topic especially when the diary of Mexican officer described Crockett’s surrender. • Pro- He was a politician and not a professional soldier who came to Texas to restart his political career. • Con- In Texas just mentioning this is blasphemy. I would not recommend it. It just goes against the myths and legends to disagree. • In the end, does it really matter. The myth was born and the battle influenced the rest of the revolution.

  16. Importance of the Battle • Gave Houston time to start organizing his army. • Occupied Mexican Forces while politicians drafted a Declaration of Independence and formed the Republic of Texas. • Became the ultimate symbol of defiance during the Revolution.

  17. Aftermath • The bodies of the Texas defenders were burned and Santa Anna began his pursuit of Houston and the bulk of the Texas Army. • Battle of the Alamo along with the Goliad massacre inspired the Texas Army. • Men at the Battle of San Jacinto (the last battle of the Texas Revolution) cried “Remember the Alamo.” • Viewed as the Thermopylae (what the movie 300 was based on) of the Texas Revolution. The men are remembered but the Alamo complex abandoned.

  18. The Alamo After the Revolution • Became headquarters for the United States Army in Texas once it became a state. • The Alamo was actually used as horse stalls. • Army improved the buildings, especially the chapel by putting up a wooden roof. It looked ugly against the stonework so they added to the front of the building giving it its iconic roof line in 1849. See subsequent pictures. • Early on it became a tourist destination and is now one of the most visited sites in Texas.

  19. Earliest know photograph of the Alamo

  20. Modern Day Alamo (Chapel)

  21. Cold War Symbolism • The movie The Alamo starring John Wayne was made in 1960 to inspire Americans in the Cold War. • The symbol and strength of American defiance against all odds was sorely needed during the Cold War. • Sputnik had been launched and America lagged behind the Soviets. At that time it looked like the US was losing the Cold War. • Best piece of American propaganda (and a great movie) during the era.

  22. The Alamo starring John Wayne

  23. Other Lasting Impacts • Alamo– Military term for a place to make your last stand. • First United States Special Forces during World War II were dubbed “Alamo Scouts.”

  24. Bibliography • Harding, Stephen. TexianIlliad. Abilene, TX: State House Press, 1996. • Crisp, James E. Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett’s Last Stand. London: Oxford University Press, 2005. • Davis, William C. Three Roads to the Alamo: The Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barret Travis. New York: Harper Perennial, 1999. • Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. New York: Anchor, 2005.

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