The Alamo Battle Was Not About Texan Independence, The Texans Weren't Supposed to Defend the Alamo, Photograph Courtesy of the Library of Congress, The Defenders Experienced Internal Tension, The Defenders Died Believing Reinforcements Were on the Way, There Were Many Mexicans Among the Defenders. A bill introduced by 10 Republican state lawmakers would bar the overhaul from citing any reasons for the Texas Revolution beyond those mentioned in the Texas Declaration of Independence which does not include slavery. Every day during the siege, the defenders of the Alamo looked for Fannin and his men but they never arrived. The Legacy of Slavery. "The Alamo is part of that.". And even Crisp, the historian who emphasizes the complicated narratives of the fort, said he agrees it deserves world heritage status. Immigrants to Texas usually came from the South and brought slaves with them to work their agricultural enterprises, says History News Network, but if slavery was outlawed? He was born around 1815. Remember the Alamo? A battle brews in Texas over history - Travel The original plan, announced in 2017, called for repairing the Alamo, fixing up the plaza and building a world-class museum for artifacts, including a collection donated by rock musician Phil Collins, an Alamo enthusiast. But Texans are deeply divided over how, exactly, to remember the Alamo. The migration of U.S. citizens to Texas increased over the next decades, sparking a revolutionary movement that would erupt into armed conflict by the mid-1830s. Bush and Patrick traded compliments, with Bush declaring that theres nobody in the state Capitol who cares more about Texas history than Patrick. San Antonio was built around it. Don't get me wrong - the defenders of the mission-turned-fortress were killed en masse as Mexican troops stormed the structure. It has been used just anecdotally for generations to put down Mexican Americans, a big beefy white guy going up to the little Mexican guy and punching him in the arm and saying, "Remember the Alamo," that type of thing. It perpetuates every hoary Alamo myth. . ", On how Texas history often fails to address slavery. A popular telling of the battle holds that in early 1836 a small group of brave Texans defended the mission-fort known as the Alamo against thousands of Mexican soldiers, knowing it meant certain death. The remains of William Travis, David Crockett and James Bowie are entombed in a marble coffin at San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas. Presumably Joe's escape was successful, for the notice ran three months before it was discontinued on August 26, 1837. Some 600 Mexican soldiers died in the battle, compared to roughly 200 rebellious Texans. Joe, the Slave Who Became an Alamo Legend General Sam Houston felt that holding San Antonio was impossible and unnecessary, as most of the settlements of the rebellious Texans were far to the east. The legality of slavery had thus been at best tenuous and uncertain at a time when demand for cotton -- the main slave-produced export -- was accelerating on the international market. Renovations to the Alamo have previously been stalled due to similar conversations over the sites legacy and the role of slavery in the Texas revolution.. And the surrounding plaza is a tourist circus, packed with novelty shops and a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum. In early 1836, a small group of Texas volunteers at the Alamoheld off the Mexican army for 13 days before being defeated (and executed). By mid-February 1836, Colonel James Bowie and Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis had taken command of Texan forces in San Antonio. Did you know? Until now. On how the Anglo-centric narrative of the Alamo history has affected Latino kids. The Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. According to Texas lore, it's the site in San Antonio where, in 1836, about 180 Texan rebels died defending the state during Texas' war for independence from Mexico. The Mexican forces also suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of the Alamo, losing between 600 and 1,600 men. "It was the thing that the two sides had been arguing about and shooting about for going on 15 years. To some, the Alamo, the San Antonio fort where Texans died while fighting off the Mexican army, is a symbol of liberty and Texas pride. After his report to the Texas Cabinet, Joe was returned to Travis's estate near Columbia, where he remained until April 21, the first anniversary of the battle of San Jacinto. You Can't Tell the Story of 1776 Without Talking About Race - Time They in turn sent Stephen Austin to Mexico City to complain. Share your thoughts about this episode on Twitter at: @MandoFun and on our Facebook group. In May, Mexican troops in San Antonio were ordered to withdraw, and to demolish the Alamos fortifications as they went. Democratic elected officials in San Antonio want the Alamo story to be told from other perspectives. hide caption. But those plans have always presented logistical challenges the Alamo is owned by the state, while the adjoining plaza is owned by the city as well as ideological ones. There were 41 Europeans, two African Americans, and the rest were Americans from states in the United States. Even though the Texans were fighting against a certain kind of tyranny, they were also fighting for an independent republic where slavery was legal, Crisp told Fusion. They ran out into the open where they were unceremoniously run down and killed by Mexican cavalry. In 1845, the United States annexed Texas. May 10, 202110 AM Central. The Mexican armies that entered the department to put down the rebellion had explicit orders to free any slaves that they encountered, and so they did. Joe, slave of William B. Travis and one of the few Texan survivors of the battle of the Alamo, was born about 1813. Though vastly outnumbered, the Alamos 200 defenderscommanded by James Bowie and William Travis and including the famed frontiersman Davy Crockettheld out for 13 days before the Mexican forces finally overpowered them. The fort was full of women, minorities of many color, and followers of many religions. Sometimes we try so hard to create perfect heroes, and in trying so hard to create perfection, we force ourselves into a corner where its difficult to accept the reality that people are not perfect, said Carey Latimore, a history professor at Trinity University. Joe was on the wall with Travis during the final battle and saw Travis die. The attack on the Alamo in 1836 was not a 13-day siege and slaughter as often portrayed in film and television. Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, and at the time, Texas (or rather Tejas) was part of Mexico. . It represents to the Southwest what the Statue of Liberty represents to the Northeast: a satisfying confirmation of what we are supposedly about as a people. Enslaved people who attempted to resist going to their new masters were whipped and thrown in jail until they relented and promised not to run away during the new arrangement. Audible: For you, the listeners of the Mandatory Fun podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook download with a free 30-day trial to give you the opportunity to check out some of the books and authors featured on Mandatory Fun. . On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and over 2,000 federal troops arrived at Galveston Island to take possession of the state and enforce the two-year-old Emancipation Proclamation.There, he proclaimed his "General Order No. Disclosure: Texas Historical Commission has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Its just that not everyone inside the Alamo died that day. He was listed as a resident of Harrisburg in May 1833. The Mexican government was opposed to slavery, but even so, there were 5000 slaves in Texas by the time of the Texas Revolution in 1836. Key members of the states GOP leadership and some conservative groups are insisting that the renovation stay focused on the battle. But three writers, all Texans, say the common narrative of the Texas revolt. The Mexican government, for its part, encouraged the slave runaways, often with offers of land as well as freedom. The boards decision necessitated a new vote by the San Antonio City Council to authorize the project. After the U.S. Department of the Interior nominated the Alamo for UN recognition last year, State Senator Donna Campbell introduced a bill preventing any foreign entity from gaining any ownership, control, or management" over the fort. And while the entire defending force was annihilated in the final assault and its aftermath, Joe survived, and his accounts of the siege and final battle form the basis of much of what we know about the Alamo from inside the fort. Indeed, an enslaved man named Joe, who was owned by Travis, survived the battle of the Alamo and became one of the primary sources of information about the 13-day siege, inspiring dozens of books and movies, including the John Wayne classic. Part of the narrative of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo is that the defenders were there to liberate Texas from the tyranny of Mexico. There has always been this great mystery of why on earth [Lt. Col. William] Travis and [James] Bowie stay, and the best argument there is probably because they believe reinforcements would be forthcoming. According to Jose Enrique de la Pefia, one of Santa Anna's officers, a handful of prisoners, including Crockett, were taken after the battle and put to death. That left at least $200 million to be raised through donations. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. The following year, the family acquired 200 acres (80 ha) along the Red River. And the Alamo is more than just a battle of 13 daysit was a Spanish mission for more than 100 years before it became a fort. Amelia W. Williams, A Critical Study of the Siege of the Alamo and of the Personnel of Its Defenders (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Texas, 1931; rpt., Southwestern Historical Quarterly 3637 [April 1933-April 1934]). To an amazing degree, maybe because the Texas media [are] still dominated by Anglos as well as the Texas government, that viewpoint has just never really gotten into the mainstream. But the truly perplexing thing is that in the two weeks leading up to the arrival of Santa Anna's forces in San Antonio, Travis and Bowie are getting almost daily warnings of the progress. We'll send you a couple of emails per month, filled with fascinating history facts that you can share with your friends. This famous story shows the dedication of the Texans to fight for their freedom. And in the end, Santa Anna lost the war, going down in defeat within six weeks. The site is much bigger than just the 1836 battle, he said. The Dark History of New Year's Day in American Slavery | Time 8 Things You Might Not Know About Daniel Boone - HISTORY Battle of the Alamo - Students of History Bridget Bentz and Molly Seavy-Nesper adapted it for the web. And yet it spoke to a certain cross section of American and international viewers. This detailed timeline of Mexican history explores such themes as the read more, Mexico City, Mexicos largest city and the most populous metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere, is also known as Distrito Federal, or the federal district. Its a common misconception that the Texans who rose up against Mexico were all settlers from the U.S. who decided on independence. Biography of James 'Jim' Bowie, American Frontiersman - ThoughtCo On March 1, 32 brave men from the town of Gonzales made their way through enemy lines to reinforce the defenders at the Alamo. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Yes. Joe was last reported in Austin in 1875. The defenders of the Alamo, as brave as they may have been, were martyrs to the cause of the freedom of slaveholders, with the Texas War of Independence having been the first of their nineteenth-century revolts, with the American Civil War the second. "The Alamo is a symbol of greatness to some people; to others it's a symbol of Anglo dominance that is a dark side of our history," says Scott Huddleston, a veteran reporter covering the Alamo. He was one of several slaves spared by the Mexicans, who opposed slavery, after the battle. Treatment of slaves in the United States - Wikipedia Santa Anna's forces included a mix of former Spanish citizens, Spanish-Mexican criollos and mestizos, and several indigenous young men sent from the interior of Mexico. And of course, it doesn't happen. Greg Abbott (R), voted to deny a permit to move it. ThoughtCo, May. Perhaps the most well known Alamo survivor was Susanna Dickinson, wife of defender Almaron Dickinson, who spent the battle hiding in a small dark room with her infant daughter, Angelina. The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry. Joe claimed that when Gen. Antonio Lpez deSanta Anna's troops stormed the Alamo on March 6, 1836, he armed himself and followed Travis from his quarters into the battle, fired his gun, then retreated into a building from which he fired several more times. One of these was Susannah Dickinson, the wife of Captain Almaron Dickinson (who was killed) and her infant daughter Angelina. On how Mexican Americans were largely written out of Texas history. Talk free. A hearty man of six feet, Bowie was a walking contradiction; a slave trader who fought for freedom, a generous and congenial man who had his thunderous temper, and a commanding leader . Estimates of the number of enslaved people today range from around 38 million [1] to 46 million, [2] [3] depending on the method used to form the estimate and the definition of . The struggle over the Cenotaph ended in September when the Texas Historical Commission, a state board whose members are appointed by Gov. These days, Trevio wonders whether the city would have been better off redoing Alamo Plaza on its own. In his book, Cook tells a different story from what is commonly told in textbooks, film, and TV shows. Bonham and the men from Gonzales all died during the battle. In Section 9 of the General Provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Texas, it is stated how the new republic would resolve their greatest problem under Mexican rule: All persons of color who were slaves for life previous to their emigration to Texas, and who are now held in bondage, shall remain in the like state of servitude Congress shall pass no laws to prohibit emigrants from bringing their slaves into the republic with them, and holding them by the same tenure by which such slaves were held in the United States; nor shall congress have power to emancipate slaves.. In early April 1836, Santa Anna had the structural elements of the Alamo burned, and the site was left in ruins for the next several decades, as Texas became first a republic, then a state. Remember the Alamo? You get a sense that Travis never really believes something bad can happen to him. and the Mexican army defended it in the battle of December 1835, when it was further damaged. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Todd Hansen, editor of The Alamo Reader, found an account of Bettie staying with the Mexican troops at first, but later working as a servant and fleeing to Mexico to avoid being enslaved again in Texas. Joe did so and was struck by a pistol shot and bayonet thrust before a Mexican captain intervened. Owing to itscomplicated history, the Alamo has been controversial in the cityfor decades. Minster, Christopher. During the first couple of days, however, Santa Anna made no attempt to seal the exits from the Alamo and the town: the defenders could very easily have slipped away in the night if they had so desired. When events become legendary, facts tend to get forgotten. A little more than a year later, By 1835, there were 30,000 Anglo-Americans (called Texians) in Texas, and only 7,800 Texas-Mexicans (Tejanos). Historians estimate that one million slaves were taken in a . In early 1836, a small group of Texas volunteers at the Alamo held off the Mexican army for 13 days before being defeated (and executed). A $450 million plan to renovate the site has devolved into a five-year brawl over whether to focus narrowly on the 1836 . It was on March 2, 1836, that delegates meeting in Washington-on-the-Brazos formally declared independence from Mexico. The idea was to make the plaza period neutral and help visitors imagine how the Alamo looked as a mission and fort. He reported the events" Historians are doubtful. "Slavery was the undeniable linchpin of all of this," author Bryan Burrough says. Rice had placed a $50 reward for Joe's capture. The story runs, that this one man, Rose by name, who refused to step over the line, did make his escape that night. The report said enslaved people would have done the hard work, like sawing logs and moving stones,. There were four people enslaved at the Alamo where we know their names : Joe and Bettie (enslaved by William Travis); "Tom", who may have been Bowie's servant, and "Charlie", about whom nothing is known. In their new book, Forget the Alamo, Burrough and co-writers Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford challenge common misconceptions surrounding the conflict including the notion that Davy Crockett was a martyr who fought to the death rather than surrender. By 1835, there were 30,000 Anglo-Americans (called Texians) in Texas, and only 7,800 Texas-Mexicans (Tejanos). All Rights Reserved. Legendary frontiersman Jim Bowie, suffering from a debilitating illness, asked to be carried over the line. The official commander of the Alamo was James Neill. A $450 million plan to renovate the site has devolved into a five-year brawl over whether to focus narrowly on the 1836 battle or present a fuller view that delves into the sites Indigenous history and the role of slavery in the Texas Revolution. Thats how we came to know of Joe just Joe, any other names he had are lost to history now. A 2013 BexarCounty reportpredicted a $100 million benefit to the local economy and more than 1,000 new jobs if the sites receive heritage status. As a nation we're finally reexamining that narrative and acknowledging that it's all very well and good, as far as it goes, but for too long it hasn't gone far enough. But no one knows exactly how Joe got there. On March 20 Joe was brought before the Texas Cabinet at Groce's Retreat and questioned about events at the Alamo. And thats whats missing right now in our society, is the nuance.. Minster, Christopher. Every dollar helps. Houston defeated the Mexican army in just 18 minutes. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) Rather, what is surprising is that some men snuck into the Alamo in the days before the fatal attack. Part of the problem with the historical record is that slaves weren't necessarily accounted for by name. Some Texians and Tejanos wanted the federalist constitution back, some wanted centralist control to be based in Mexico: That was the main basis for the turmoil in Texas, not independence. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. Telegraph and Texas Register, March 24, 1836, May 26, August 26, 1837. Their accounts provided much of the backbone of what was known about the Alamo. Pennybacker included a later often-quoted speech by Travis, with a footnote reporting that "Some unknown author has written the following imaginary speech of Travis." https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/joe. As the Texans were facing the whole Mexican army, desertions are not surprising. On April 21, 1836, at the Battle of San . The Alamo remained a symbol of courage, and in the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848, U.S. soldiers revived the "Remember the Alamo!" Texas became an independent republic, and nine years later, it was annexed as an American state. Someof the men defendingthe Alamo were slaveholders, and manyof them werent even Texans: they were Americans paid by New Orleans merchants who saw the potential for big profits if the state seceded. The plan itself is much more than a single monument, Nirenberg said in an interview. (2021, May 22). They used to take us there when we were schoolchildren, she told the New York Times Magazine in 2010. Who survived the Alamo? - HISTORY Because of the wine production in the area, the city of Parras de la read more, San Luis Potos, which has some of the richest silver mines in Mexico, is also where Gonzales Bocanegra wrote the Mexican national anthem in 1854. The early depictions of Texas history was good guys against bad guys, white guys against brown guys, democracy against tyranny, Crisp said. The Alamo (technically, the surviving structure is a former church next to the fort) is the top tourist destination in Texas, and a new museum is under works. 15 Facts About the Battle of the Alamo - ThoughtCo "There is a definite, deliberate attempt in mainstream Texas history to start Texas history in 1836, with the arrival of the anglos," Joe Lopez, a columnist for the Rio Grande Guardian, told Fusion. Although Texas declared itself an independent republic in 1836, the Mexican state did not recognize Texas until the signing of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. Nearly half of the board members of the nonprofit raising funds for the Alamo renovation resigned in protest raising doubts about where the rest of money would come from. Subscribe: This was mirrored very much in the kind of ethnic cleansing that went on after the revolution in which hundreds of Tejanos were pushed out of San Antonio, in Victoria and existing towns, their lands taken, laws passed against their ability to marry white women and hold public office. My view, which is shared by the vast majority of San Antonians and Texans, is that regardless of your feelings on the Cenotaph moving, its not moving. Known simply as Joe, he was sold four times in his life, most notably to his third master, Colonel William Barret Travis. The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all . Mexican general Santa Anna appeared in short order at the head of a massive army and laid siege to the Alamo. All of the leaders of Mexico, in itself only an independent country since 1821, were personally opposed to slavery, in part because of the influence of emissaries from the freed slave republic of Haiti. One of the points that often gets lost amid the flag-waving and coonskin caps is that by the time of the Texas Revolution, Mexico had abolished slavery, and Texas hadn't. The Mission San Antonio de Valero housed missionaries and their Native American converts for some 70 years until 1793, when Spanish authorities secularized the five missions located in San Antonio and distributed their lands among local residents. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-the-battle-of-the-alamo-2136256. The siege of the Alamo was memorably depicted in a Walt Disney series and in a 1960 movie starring John Wayne. A few of the survivors later gave chilling eyewitness accounts of the battle. On February 23, a Mexican force numbering in the thousands and led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna began a siege of the fort. "Remember the Alamo!". In 1619, the first enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia, one of the newly formed 13 American Colonies. The Battle of the Alamo during Texas war for independence from Mexico lasted thirteen days, from February 23, 1836-March 6, 1836. There can be no doubt that the symbolism of the Alamo is at the center of the creation myth of Texas: that the state was forged out of a heroic struggle for freedom against a cruel Mexican dictator, Santa Ana.