Known as the “cradle of Texas liberty,” the Alamo was originally the chapel of a San Antonio mission. Later used as a fort, it became the site of a historic battle in 1836. The deaths of the more than 180 Texans who fought to defend it inspired the cry “Remember the Alamo!” It became a symbol of heroic resistance, and soldiers recalled the cry at the later battle of San Jacinto, in which Texas won independence from Mexico.

History

The Mission San Antonio de Valero was founded between 1716 and 1718 by Franciscan priests. Before the end of the 18th century the mission had been abandoned, and the buildings fell into disrepair. After 1801 the mission was occupied at various times by Spanish troops. It was apparently during this period that the chapel became known as the Alamo (the Spanish word for “cottonwood'”), from the grove of trees in which it stood.

In 1835, during the war for Texas independence from Mexico, a group of Texas volunteers captured San Antonio. Afterward, fewer than 150 soldiers, under the command of Lt. Col. William B. Travis, remained to defend the city. On February 22, 1836, a Mexican force estimated at 5,000, under the command of Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna, arrived in San Antonio. On the same day the frontiersman Davy Crockett and a number of his Tennessee riflemen arrived to help in the defense. A few additional men arrived later. Travis and Col. James Bowie decided that the Alamo must be held to prevent Santa Anna's march into the interior.

Battle of the Alamo

On February 23 the Texas troops, along with some 30 refugees, moved into the Alamo, prepared to resist an attack. Santa Anna demanded that they surrender. The Texans answered with a cannon shot, and a bombardment by the Mexican forces began.

The siege lasted until the morning of March 6. Several thousand Mexicans then stormed the building through a hole in the outer wall. The high rock wall, about 3 feet (1 meter) thick, enclosed an area large enough to accommodate 1,000 men. It was within this enclosure that the battle of the Alamo was fought. All of the defenders died fighting, and at Santa Anna's order their bodies were burned. The only survivors were an estimated 16 people, mostly women and children. The Mexicans suffered heavy casualties, with some 1,600 soldiers killed.

Texas finally gained its independence in 1836, and in 1845 it became part of the United States. After 1845 the U.S. Army used the Alamo for lodging troops and storing supplies. In 1883 the state of Texas purchased the building, and in 1903 Texas acquired the title to the remainder of the mission grounds. The Alamo and nearby buildings were restored and preserved as a state park. The site features a monument to the Texans who died there.