The Alamo

The construction for the Alamo began in 1724 and served as a missionary to Indian converts for seventy years until the Spanish secularized it and four other missionaries and distributed the land to the locals. This eventually grew into the city of San Antonio. The Alamo was given its name by a Spanish military unit after their hometown Alamo de Parras, Alamo meaning “cottonwood” in Spanish. The Alamo was used as a base by both sides during the Mexican War of Independence. December 1835, Ben Milam led his group of Texan volunteers against Mexican troops quartered in the city. They fought in the city for five days against Mexican General Marín Perfecto de Cós and forced him to surrender. The rebels then fortified themselves in the Alamo. Among the rebels were David Crockett, a famous pioneer and Tennessee congressman, and Jim Bowie, a well-known knife fighter. Crockett even said in a letter that he would rather be defending the Alamo than being in congress. All the men stationed at the Alamo decided to stay and fight because they knew it was a crucial position in the defense of Texas. General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Army cought the defenders by surprise and began the invasion only to be beat back by cannon and rifle fire several times. The fight continued for 13 days. On March 6, 1836, the Mexican forces finally scaled the walls and blasted open the barricade, eventually overwhelming the rebels. To this day, the Alamo is considered the Shrine of Texas Liberty.