The Alamo

Nardo, Don. The Alamo. Part of the World History series. 2013. 103p. ISBN 978-1-42050861-1. Available at 976.4 NAR on the library shelves.

With Americans spreading westward in the 1830s and Mexico imposing its own law following its independence from Spain, the two powers were bound to confront each other. The spark that lit the fuse was the desire of the new Mexican dictator, Santa Anna, to disarm all state militias and collect weapons so only the federal Mexican government had an army. Texians, however, were opposed. The population of Texas having changed in the 1810s and 1820s as Americans moved in droves for free land, a majority now felt that the far away Mexican government was taking their rights away.

When a Mexican army entered the state, it headed to San Antonio, where it was switfly defeated in a siege by the local militia. Santa Anna himself took command of another army and marched to San Antonio. The Texians who had seized the town shored up the Alamo, an old Catholic mission, and were ready to defend themselves and their families. As Santa Anna’s army approached, messages were sent to request help, but none came.

Over the next thirteen days, the siege of the Alamo became widely known in the United States. Texians bravely resisted, but were eventually overrun and all defenders perished. The Alamo’s fall sparked outrage and galvanized the state militias, which, under Sam Houston’s leadership coordinated their efforts and successfully defeated Santa Anna. This led to the area’s independence from Mexico and the establishment of the Republic of Texas.

Many famous people, including Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie perished at the Alamo, leading to the battle cry “Remember the Alamo!” Though the memory of the event remained in the nation’s consciousness and was made into movies countless times, the building itself was not maintained and eventually fell in disrepair, until steps were taken to secure it for posterity. Though a defeat, the Alamo directly impacted American politics, leading to the spread of slavery in the southwest, and changed American culture to provide the model of rugged American individual standing up for his rights.