Alamo

The Alamo stands as a monument of pride, honor, bravery, and independence for the people of Texas as well as all of the American people. The Alamo is located in current day San Antonio Texas. The word itself is Spanish for "cottonwood". The mission originally constructed by the Spanish in 1744 and was named San Antonio de Valero. This place stood as a mission to convert foreigners and the Native Americans over to Christianity. In 1793, the church-mission was abandoned due to several epidemics plaguing the area and increased tensions brought on by the beginning of French and Indian war.

The Mexicans eventually gained their freedom from the Spanish in 1821 allowing them to vote their own governmental leadership much like the Americans did. Also during that time, an American named Stephen Austin came to Texas to aid Americans in colonizing Texas. Originally, Stephen Austin completed the negotiations with the Spanish. However, the Mexican government established after independence did not recognize the grant, forcing Austin in December 1821 to go to the Brazos River where the colony was located, then on to Mexico City to cement the deal (1). The idea behind the Mexican government accepting Americans in Texas was to tame the wild lands and create a farming community where no one else had ever tried. In 1824 the Mexican government created a constitution very similar to the American constitution. The constitution allowed Texas to establish its own capital and government once it achieved a reasonable size and population.

The Mexican constitution was thrown out when a military leader named Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna came to power. Later Stephen Austin came to the capital to ask Santa Anna if Texas could still become a separate state of Mexico. Santa Anna refused this request even though it was originally promised by other Mexican officials. Austin thought this decision to be outrageous and returned to Texas creating a letter to the people asking them to assist him in creating a formalized Texas government anyway. His letter of the 2d of October was transmitted by the municipality of Bexar to Vice-President Farias, who, finding in it what he believed to be treasonable matter, dispatched an express for Austin, had him arrested at Saltillo, and taken back to Mexico and imprisoned (2). Austin remained in imprisoned for nearly two years before being allowed to return to Texas. At this point, Stephen Austin was against the Mexican government stating to Santa Anna "Our only choice is war".

Austin had three men to help the Texans against Santa Anna's rule. Jim Bowie, Sam Houston and William Travis were all strong and well educated men. Travis and Austin began driving the Mexicans out and capturing several forts announcing that the Texans would fight until the restoration of the constitution of 1824 and making Mexico a democratic government once again. In opposition, Santa Anna commanded the force himself and was