Mission San Antonio de Valero
Mission San Antonio de Valero, more commonly known as "The Alamo" was built in 1744 and was
one of several nineteenth century Roman Catholic missions built by the Spanish in northern Mexico
for the purpose serving Spanish missionaries and the Native Americans from the Coahuiltecan Indian
tribe following their conversion to Christianity. The mission's purpose extended beyond religion but
also promoted the Spanish way of life teaching the Native Americans farming skills, blacksmithing,
carpentry, as well as other trades with the hopes for fending off foreign influence from the French. In
addition to providing religions and lifestyle education, the mission also provided the converted Native
Americans protection from the Apache and Comanche Indians. By the late 1793 the mission's
influence dwindled due to reduced Indian converts resulting from increasingly high mortality rates
from new European diseases and the reduced influence of religion in the region and the mission was
eventually secularized and control turned over to the local government.
A company of one hundred Spanish
Colonial mounted lancers arrived at the
Mission San Antonio de Valero in early
1803. They were known as "Alamo de
Parras" giving the new name to the
mission the "Alamo". In 1821 Mexico
gained its independence from Spain. In
December of 1835 a group of soldiers
stationed at the Alamo were sent to
retrieve a cannon where they
encountered Texas colonists who refused
to give it up. The colonists responded
with the phrase "Come and Take it!" and
eventually fired on the Mexican forces
igniting the Texas Revolution.
The Mexican forces abandoned the
Alamo on December 10, 1835 where it
was shortly taken over by 104 of the
Texas colonists. with little offensive
defense capabilities. Sam Houston knew
the capabilities of the Mexican Army and
sent Jim Bowie and a small group of
soldiers to the Alamo to retrieve the
fighters holding it and to destroy it.
However going against Sam Houston,
Bowie decides to stay and defend the
Alamo from the Mexican Military. On
March 6, 1836 after a two week siege,
Santa Anna's Army defeated the Texas
forces at the Alamo.