The Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the state's most iconic landmarks. It draws 2.5 million visitors every year. People tour the grounds of this cultural museum to learn about the pivotal role it played in Texas' struggle for independence. Not only does it have a compelling fundamental story, but research yields many little-known pieces of information.
In the early 1700s, the Spanish military built the Alamo to serve as a mission. Mexico gained independence from Spain and gave the structure its current name, which translates into "cottonwood." In 1835, a band of 200 Texas volunteer soldiers drove the Mexican soldiers out, and several months later, Mexican General Santa Anna sent back an army of 6,000. Led by Jim Bowie and Davey Crockett, the defenders held on for 13 days before eventually being defeated. Six weeks later, an army led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexican soldiers at the Battle of San Jacinto and Texas' independence was won.
After the battle, Santa Anna ordered the defenders' bodies burned, including a dozen Tejanos -- otherwise known as Hispanic-Americans -- who had joined the fight against the Mexican army. According to the Alamo's official website, a handful of women, children and African slaves survived the fight. When Santa Anna eventually lost the Battle of San Jacinto, he narrowly escaped execution and instead signed a peace treaty in Washington, D.C., before being exiled to his home in Jalapa, Mexico. Though he held the office of president six times, he died a poor person in 1876.
The Texan commander of the Alamo Battle, Lt. Col. William Barrett Travis, asked for assistance from both the Texas and U.S. governments, but nobody responded. Only 32 rangers from nearby Gonzales, Texas, came to the defenders' aid and all were eventually killed in the battle. Many of the soldiers had lived in Texas for only a short time, lured by the prospect of free land. The youngest person to die at the Alamo was 15, and the first soldier killed was ironically the first in command, Travis.
The Alamo is open to the public every day except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Entry is free of charge, though the museum takes donations. History talks are given every half hour at the main entrance, but because of the number of visitors, walking tours are not provided. The Alamo is inside Alamo Plaza near the downtown San Antonio River Walk.
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