The Alamo

The Alamo

• The Alamo was a mission or church

• In the 1700’s it was used to teach Native Americans the Catholic religion

• In 1836, it became a huge battleground between Texans and Mexicans

The Battle

• On March 2, Texas Declared Independence

• From Feb. 23- Mar. 6: Santa Anna led a 13 day siege (attack) of the Alamo

• Anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000 (no one knows for sure) Mexicans took on 187 Texans

• Eventually they broke through, killing everyone

William B. Travis

• The leader of the Texas army at the Alamo

• Was originally ordered by Sam Houston to destroy the Alamo

• “Victory or Death!”• “I will never surrender!”• Kept waiting for help

James Bowie

• Leader of the volunteer soldiers• Disagreed with Travis• Was in very bad health• Famous “dueler” in Lousiana and

Mississippi, made famous this knife:

Juan Seguin

• Leader of Tejano forces, which were Mexicans who joined Texas

• Many Mexican soldiers did not like the dictator Santa Anna and wanted to fight him

David Crockett

• Congressman from Tennessee, brought many volunteers to help Texas

• “King of the Wild Frontier”• Crockett and his men wereOffered land in Texas

Why is this important?

• The 187 knew they would die, but they stayed strong anyway for 13 days refusing to surrender

• They took out hundreds more Mexican soldiers

• It held off the Mexican army for 13 days so Sam Houston could gather supplies and soldiers

Reading: “The Fall of the Alamo”1) Why was Travis concerned about the

Texans’ odds at the Alamo?2) What is Travis asking for in his letters?3) What was happening at Washington-on-

the-Brazos?4) What did Santa Anna order once his men

made it inside the walls of the Alamo?5) Why would the defenders of the Alamo

stay when they were so outnumbered? Would you have stayed?