What occurred at the Alamo What was its significance

The Alamo was originally a Spanish mission but was turned into a fort for Spanish soldiers. The fort was on 3 acres of land and contained several buildings with cannons along the walls and on roofs. During the fight for Texas Independence, the Alamo was occupied by Mexican troops. A group of 200 Texan volunteers including James Bowie, William Travis, and Davy Crocket captured the fort and gained control of San Antonio.

Soon, a Mexican force led by Santa Anna numbering in the thousands laid siege on the fort in order to recapture it. The Texan volunteers held out for 13 days before the Mexican forces overpowered them. Every soldier in the fort was killed and the only survivors were women, children, servants, and slaves. The Alamo became a symbol of resistance to oppression and the Texas fight for freedom.

On April 21, 1836, at the Battle of San Jacinto, Sam Houston led an army of over 800 Texans to attack Santa Anna’s army. Many soldiers shouted, “Remember the Alamo” as their battle cry. Sam Houston’s army defeated Santa Anna's forces guaranteeing the victory for Texas independence.

Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Kai. Kai Wonders, “Why should we remember the Alamo?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Kai!

Remember the Alamo! It's a famous saying that was heard often in the battles that helped shape the landscape of the western United States. But what did it mean to those fighting those battles?

The Battle of the Alamo took place between February 23 and March 6, 1836. It was a crucial fight in the Texas Revolution. American settlers who moved west into the land we now call Texas wanted a republic of their own instead of being ruled by Mexico.

A few months before the Battle of the Alamo, these settlers — who were called Texians at that time — had driven out all the Mexican troops from Mexican Texas. The Mexican troops, however, would not go away quietly.

On February 23, 1836, approximately 1,500 Mexican troops led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna attacked the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar (what is now San Antonio, Texas). The mission was defended by fewer than 300 Texians under the command of James Bowie and William B. Travis.

Despite the Mexican troops' overwhelming advantage in numbers, the two armies fought off and on for the next 12 days with few casualties. On March 6, however, the Mexican troops advanced on the Alamo in three separate attacks. By the end of the day, nearly all of the Texian defenders had been killed.

General Santa Anna sent a few noncombatant survivors ahead to tell others about the Texians' defeat at the Alamo. The news caused a panic, and the remaining Texian troops, most settlers, and the newly-formed Republic of Texas government fled from the advancing Mexican Army.

The Texians did not give up, however. Many of them were infuriated by what they thought was Santa Anna's overwhelming cruelty during the Battle of the Alamo. Other settlers and adventurers were soon inspired by thoughts of revenge to join the Texian Army.

The regrouped and stronger Texian Army — many of them shouting “Remember the Alamo!" — defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. This final defeat led to the end of the Texas Revolution.

In the early 1900s, the Texas Legislature bought the old Alamo Mission and made the Alamo chapel an official Texas State Shrine. Today, the Alamo is one of the most popular tourist sites in Texas.

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Uncover 300 years of history at the Alamo, an awe-inspiring story that’s more intriguing than you might imagine.  Established in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero, the former mission now known as the Alamo has been a crossroads of history. Having existed under five flags of independent nations and served as a garrison for five different armies, the Alamo has a rich history and a heritage to inspire. Best known as the site of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, the rest of the 300 year history is vital to understanding why the Battle happened and its importance.

When Spanish explorer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda first explored and mapped the Texas coast in 1519, two worlds - European and indigenous American - became destined to collide. Instead of the fabled ocean passage between Spanish Mexico and the "island of Florida," Álvarez de Pineda discovered land. For decades to come, European colonialists would attempt to explore its beautiful hills and plains, discover gold, control its life-giving springs and rivers, and conquer its many native peoples. During this time, the San Antonio area would become an important crossroads for European and indigenous American power.

In 1793, the Catholic Church relinquished control of Mission Valero, which became a self-governing community known as the Pueblo de Valero. But while eyes locally were focused on the distribution of mission lands, trouble was brewing both regionally and internationally. Threats on Tejas' borders with French Louisiana and America meant that by 1803, Valero had become a defensive fortress for the first time, occupied by a Spanish Army company known as La Segunda Compania Volante de San Carlos de Alamo de Parras - the Alamo Company for short. Then, in 1810, following the French invasion of Spain in 1808, years of unrest spilled over into war as Mexico sought independence from the Spanish crown. This was a violent time in San Antonio - of shifting allegiances and betrayal, but also of an emerging Texan identity.