Spanish Origins
In 1724, Spanish priests built the Mission San Antonio de Valero, now called the Alamo, on a riverbank in what is now downtown San Antonio.
Secularization
In 1793, the Spanish secularized the missions, turning the farms over to the local population and converting the buildings to barracks. A Spanish cavalry unit from Alamo de Parras in the Mexican state of Coahuila dubbed their quarters the "Alamo," which means cottonwood tree in Spanish.
Mexican Independence
From 1811 to 1813, control of the Alamo bounced back and forth between Mexican rebels and the Spanish, the fighting ending with Mexican independence.
Texians and Tejanos
In 1835, Anglo Texians and Mexican Tejanos occupied the Alamo in their fight for independence for the state then called Tejas from Mexico. General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna marched north to wrest control back for the Mexican government.
Line in the Sand
Texian leader Col. William B. Travis drew his line in the sand and told his men to step over it if they wanted to fight with him. Only one stayed back. Just before sunrise on March 6, 1836, Santa Anna attacked the Alamo, killing most of the occupants, including famous frontiersmen Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.
The Shrine
The Catholic Church sold the property to the city of San Antonio in the 18th century, but it took 100 years of political wrangling and fundraising before the modern-day Alamo museum opened under the auspices of the Daughters of the Texas Republic.
Article Written By Robin Thornley
Robin Thornley has been a successful writer for more than 25 years, penning articles for national magazines, newspapers and websites. She specializes in a variety of topics, including business, politics, lifestyle trends, travel and cuisine. She also is the author of two guidebooks.
