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14 September 2015
The Battle of the Alamo The Alamo is the name given to an eighteenth century mission located in modern days San Antonio, Texas. Originally designed as a roman-catholic mission, the Alamo also served as a fortified structure whose original purpose was to withstand attacks by native American tribes. In 1836, the Alamo became the battleground of one of the most symbolic freedom battles in US history: The Battle to the Alamo, which raged between February 23 and March 6th, 1836.
Here, I aim at understanding the historical, cultural and political context the battle of the Alamo. My main goal is to understand what made such a relatively small battle so emblematic in US history. …show more content…
A few skirmishes here and there happened in the following few days. They were mostly due to Texians leaving the compound discretely and attacking besieging Mexican troops.
During the siege, William Travis, was the main commander of the Texian rebellion. During the siege, he unsuccessfully pleaded for help and reinforcement from the US and other neighboring towns. He famously composed his “letter to the people of Texas and all Americans in the world” in which he declared “I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country. VICTORY OR DEATH.” (Petite M.D., 1999).
In the mean time, Antonio López de Santa Anna managed to receive several reinforcement and started preparing for a final assault. He first ordered artillery to bombard the compound. During the early hours of march 6th, 1836, about 2000 Mexican troops supported by cavalry started the final assault. As troops were accumulating against the walls of the Alamo, Texians began shooting over the walls. During this phase of the assault commander William Travis was killed in cross fire while attempting to prevent Mexican troops from climbing the …show more content…
It does however represent a typical case of the struggle for survival of minorities. Texians were a Texas minority in 1836. As a minority, they differ from the rest in terms of culture, beliefs, philosophy, etc. One of the main attributes of the Texians culture was their attachment to the US model of democracy and universal civil rights. Because this model was not shared by Mexico’s government, the Texian minority was left at odds with the rest of the population. This is a typical example of governments exploiting cultural differences to single out on particular group of people for simple political reasons. Texians were called “pirates” not because they attached merchant ships but simply because they opposed the Mexican government’s view of the
Instructor’s Name
Course Number
14 September 2015
The Battle of the Alamo The Alamo is the name given to an eighteenth century mission located in modern days San Antonio, Texas. Originally designed as a roman-catholic mission, the Alamo also served as a fortified structure whose original purpose was to withstand attacks by native American tribes. In 1836, the Alamo became the battleground of one of the most symbolic freedom battles in US history: The Battle to the Alamo, which raged between February 23 and March 6th, 1836.
Here, I aim at understanding the historical, cultural and political context the battle of the Alamo. My main goal is to understand what made such a relatively small battle so emblematic in US history. …show more content…
A few skirmishes here and there happened in the following few days. They were mostly due to Texians leaving the compound discretely and attacking besieging Mexican troops.
During the siege, William Travis, was the main commander of the Texian rebellion. During the siege, he unsuccessfully pleaded for help and reinforcement from the US and other neighboring towns. He famously composed his “letter to the people of Texas and all Americans in the world” in which he declared “I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country. VICTORY OR DEATH.” (Petite M.D., 1999).
In the mean time, Antonio López de Santa Anna managed to receive several reinforcement and started preparing for a final assault. He first ordered artillery to bombard the compound. During the early hours of march 6th, 1836, about 2000 Mexican troops supported by cavalry started the final assault. As troops were accumulating against the walls of the Alamo, Texians began shooting over the walls. During this phase of the assault commander William Travis was killed in cross fire while attempting to prevent Mexican troops from climbing the …show more content…
It does however represent a typical case of the struggle for survival of minorities. Texians were a Texas minority in 1836. As a minority, they differ from the rest in terms of culture, beliefs, philosophy, etc. One of the main attributes of the Texians culture was their attachment to the US model of democracy and universal civil rights. Because this model was not shared by Mexico’s government, the Texian minority was left at odds with the rest of the population. This is a typical example of governments exploiting cultural differences to single out on particular group of people for simple political reasons. Texians were called “pirates” not because they attached merchant ships but simply because they opposed the Mexican government’s view of the