The Alamo and Texas history

Alamo and Texas History

The battle of Alamo and San Antonio played a critical role in Texas revolution. Rebellious Texans had captured the city of San Antonio de Bexar in December of 1835 and they had fortified the Alamo, a fortress-like former mission in the towns centre. Santa Anna was the Mexican general who made an appearance in short order at the head of a massive army and laid siege to the Alamo. His perceived cruelty during the battle was an inspiration to many Texians that included Texas settlers and adventurers from the United States. After five days of house to house fighting they forced General Martin Perfecto de Cos' and his soldiers to surrender the volunteers who became victorious then occupied Alamo which was already fortified by Cos' men and strengthened its defenses (Hardin, 2006).

February 23, 1836 saw the arrival of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's army outside San Antonio that almost caught the people by surprise since they marched through the driving snow and fowl weather and it was even a month earlier than the Texans has anticipated. The Texans and Tejanos had undauntedly prepared to defend Alamo together and they did that by holding out Santa Anna's army for 13 days (DRT, 2011) the commander of Alamo William B.Travis sent out couriers that carried pleas for help to communities in Texas but his calls were unanswered since the Texans did not have the strength to fight Santa Anna's larger army. On the eighth day of the siege a band of 32 volunteers from Gonzales arrived and this brought the number of defenders to almost two hundred ( DRT,2011) .Colonel Travis was forced to draw a line on the ground and ask any man who was willing to stay and fight to cross over the line all except one man did; this was following the possibility of help fading .the defenders viewed it, Alamo was the key to the defense of Texas and hence they were ready to give their lives as opposed to surrendering their position to General Santa Anna. Alamo's garrison includes Jim Bowie, a renowned knife fighter and David Crockett, a famed frontiersman and a former congressman Tennessee.

The final assault took place before the day break on the morning of March 6, 1836 as there was emergence of columns of Mexican soldiers from the predawn darkness and they headed for Alamo's walls. They had been slowly working their lines closer to the Alamo with their artillery reducing the mission's walls. Cannon and small arms there were fired from inside the Alamo beat back several attacks. The Mexicans the regrouped by scaling the walls and rushing into the compound. When they got inside they captured cannon on the long Barrack and church and the barricaded doors was blasted for them to open. There was a continued desperate struggle which eventually saw the defenders being overwhelmed. As soon as sunrise struck, the battle had ended and Santa Anna entered the Alamo in order to survey the scene of his victory. Alamo was a heroic struggle against impossible odds and it was a place where men had made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and hence Alamo still remains a hallowed place and shrine of Texas liberty.

This battle provided a sense of honor to the Texas revolution. With the chain of events in 1836, its importance was that it delayed Santa Anna's army in san Antonio, it enabled Sam Houston to gather and prepare a larger army which was able to defeat the Mexicans at san Jacinto win Texas independence a few weeks later which was on April 21, 1836 where 800 Texans defeated Santa Anna's Mexican force and they shouted "remember Alamo "as they were staging their attacks ( Hickman,2006). This victory ensured the success of the Texan independence. For the Texans the battle of Alamo became a symbol of heroic resistance and a rallying cry in their struggle for independence. Santa Anna had been taken prisoner and came to terms with Houston which ended the war. Mexican troops that were in San Antonio were ordered to withdraw and destroy Alamos Fortifications on their departure. Texas was annexed in 1845 and for the years that followed the U.S. army quartered troops and they stored supplies at Alamo. Alamo was later purchased by the state of Texas and property rights to the surrounding area were also acquired by Texas. The battle of Aloma became the most celebrated military engagement in the history if Texas. It very important in the history of Texas as it is viewed as a patriotic sacrifice that the people took that paved way for independence for Texas. The battle will still remain as an inspiring moment in the history of Texas ( Hickman, 2006).