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Colton Crawford
Texas History 2305
Prof. Hacker
Texas History Site Project
My trip to the San Jacinto Battlefield and Monument was a very eye opening experience.
The obelisk commemorating the events was very unique. I was astonished at the sheer size of
the structure. At 570 feet tall it is “the world’s tallest war memorial” (SJMH). I remember thinking
to myself that it appeared a lot like the washington monument from afar. Upon further research I
discovered that this was intended. The monument is built above ground, but the terraces ground
it in. This monument represents all of the history of this part of the world and the culmination of
what was won here at san jacinto and the sacrifices that were made to ensure that. “The design
was the brainchild of architect Alfred C. Finn, engineer Robert J. Cummins, and Jesse H. Jones”
(SJMH). Jesse Jones wanted to build a world class memorial that would honor all those who
fought for the independence of Texas not just those who fought at the battle of San Jacinto, but
all those who fought and risked their lives in the Texas Revolution. Jesse Jones was a Houston
“entrepreneur, banker, builder, civic leader and a Democrat” (Bell). During that time he was one
of the most powerful men in the country. There is a long standing myth that when the
government agreed to give funding for the monument there was an implicit understanding
between them and Mr. Jones that it would not be taller than the washington monument.
“Somehow he managed to keep his commitment while outfoxing the yankees” (Bell). The
monument is actually “15 feet taller than the Washington monument” (SJMH).
He was put in charge of the reconstruction finance corporation which was created to put
people back to work during the New Deal Era (Bell). The San Jacinto monument was one of the
projects under this corporation that would provide jobs for unemployed americans (SJMH). In
1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt was to attend the centennial exposition in Dallas, Texas but stopped
in Houston. He took a boat down Buffalo Bayou and came out to the location of where the
monument was to be built. “The San Jacinto Monument was constructed between April 21, 1936
and April 21, 1939” (Knepper). Jesse Jones was instrumental in the Federal government at the
time he precured 400,000 dollars from the 3 million dollars the Congress set aside for the Texas
Centennial. “The octagonal monument was constructed with federal and state funds at a cost of
$1.5 million” (Knepper). He saw it as both a commemorative effort and also one that was going
to bring prominence to Houston. Houston at that time was an up and coming city and also where
Jesse Jones live and worked. He wanted to draw attention to Texas and the Sacrifices that had
been made to win Texas independence. His idea was to take his two favorite memorials, the
washington monument and the lincoln memorial and set one on top of the other with the lone
star of Texas atop. Construction techniques did not exist to build a building such as this and so
they had to be created and invented as they completed the structure. The footprint of the
monument was designed to specifically hold the weight of the column of the monument. The firm
that built it was the W.S Bellows construction company which is still in business today in
Houston (SJMH). “The Monument is faced with Texas Cordova shellstone, a type of limestone
noted for its creamy color and fossilized texture” (SJMH). The shells in the stone are from sea
animals that were fossilized over the centuries.
By 1820 only about 3,000 Spanish citizen’s occupied the vast province of Texas “most of
them living in or around just three townsSan Antonio, Goliad and Nacogdoches” (Ward). Spain
wanted permanent settlers in Texas. Since few Spanish citizens were willing to move to such a
remote region they opened it up to foreigners. In 1821 Moses Austin was given permission to
bring 300 americans to Texas. “AngloAmericans had kept an eye on the province the Spanish
called Tejas for a long time” (Ward). About 200,000 acres was being granted to the settlers in
Austin’s colony. But Moses Austin died before he could see his dream fulfilled. “It was his son,
Stephen F. Austin, just twentyseven, who brought the first handful of American families with him
to East Texas in 1821.” (Ward) This was a time of great change throughout the world, empires
were crumbling and revolutions were coming in. The people of Mexico rose up in revolt against
the Spanish. They wanted the same liberties their American neighbors had won in 1776. Then in
1821 after years of fighting Mexico won its independence. Texas now became part of Mexico.
“The Spanish were no longer in control. A man named Agustin de Iturbide was in charge, and
Austin’s contract had been thrown out”. (Haley) Stephen F. Austin set out for Mexico City to get
confirmation for his colony from the new government. “Austin had to travel more than 1,000
miles Mexico city, to try to fix the situation.” (Haley) After a year Austin’s contract was confirmed.
The following year the Mexican government adopted the constitution of 1824. It was widely
endorsed by Texas citizens. By 1830 immigrants from the United States began to outnumber
native mexicans. In 1830 the Mexican government forbid immigrants from coming to Texas. In
1833 Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna became president of Mexico. In April of 1833 Texans drafted
a petition to separate Texas from Coahuila. Stephen F. Austin attempted to meet with Santa
Anna in Mexico city to discuss their terms. Upon receiving no reply he vented his frustration in a
letter to his fellow Texans. The letter was later intercepted and he was thrown into Mexican
prison. Texas was then placed under martial law. A year later upon Austin’s release he felt war
was Texas’ only option and the rebellion began.
The Battle of San Jacinto was the final battle of the Texas Revolution. It was one
of the most important battles in American history. “On March 13, 1836, the revolutionary army at
Gonzales began to retreat eastward” (Kemp). The day after arriving at San Felipe on the Brazos,
Houston turned his troops North. A week later Santa Anna reached San Felipe. For reasons that
are unknown he decided to turn his troops South towards Richmond to cross the Brazos. “On
April 11 and on April 15, with some 700 men, arrived at Harrisburg” (Kemp). On March 30
Houston and his troops camped at the Groce plantation on the Brazos River. While camped
Sam Houston was made aware of the massacre of General Fannin’s troops at Goliad. Houston’s
reluctance to fight was gnawing at his men. He refused to discuss his plans and open mutiny
within the ranks was at hand. On the evening of April 13 they left the Groce plantation and
continued East. They headed towards Harrisburg. “There he learned that Santa Anna had gone
down the west side of the bayou and the San Jacinto River, crossing by a bridge over Vince's
Bayou. The Mexicans would have to cross the same bridge to return” (Kemp). On April 19, the
Texans crossed Buffalo Bayou. The Texans learned that Santa Anna was about to leave for
Lynch’s ferry with less than a thousand troops. This was the chance Houston had been waiting
for. They took the road to Lynchburg and after marching all night took possession of Lynch’s
ferry. After burning Harrisburg Santa Anna headed towards San Jacinto. Noticing increased
mexican scout activity the Texas counter marched a mile into dense woods. In front of them lay
a peaceful prairie with high grass. For weeks, the volunteer army of Texans under Sam
Houston’s command were trailed by troops under the command of Mexican president Antonio
Lopez de Santa Anna. At San Jacinto the chase ended. The Texans made their stand. Against
the advice of his officers Santa Anna abandons the high ground and chooses a slope with his
back to the water. “Houston disposed his forces in battle order about 3:30 in the afternoon while
all was quiet on the Mexican side during the afternoon siesta” (Kemp). According to Houston, the
Mexicans suffered 630 casualties and had 730 taken prisoner. “Against this, only nine of the 910
Texans were killed or mortally wounded and thirty were wounded less seriously” (Kemp).
Eighteen minutes of blood and glory changed Texas sovereignty.