Battle of the Alamo

Quick Facts: Who was Battle of the Alamo?

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Battle of the Alamo

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A pivotal battle during the Texas Revolution that marked a turning point in Anglo-Mexican conflict.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event and military engagement in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar (now San Antonio). About one hundred Texians had been garrisoned at the mission, and they were supplemented by around one hundred subsequent reinforcements, led by eventual Alamo co-commanders James Bowie and William B. Travis. On February 23, approximately 1,500 Mexicans marched into San Antonio de Béxar as the first step in a campaign to retake Texas. In the early morning hours of March 6, the Mexican Army advanced on the Alamo.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

After repelling two attacks, the Texians were unable to fend off a third attack. As Mexican soldiers scaled the walls, most of the Texian fighters withdrew into interior buildings. On the basis of "perhaps" ten sources, William C. Davis posits three separate escapes of Texian combatants from the Alamo, consisting of perhaps 80 men. Phillip Thomas Tucker also sees three discrete Texian escapes, totaling as many as 120 men. Nearly all Texian combatants were killed.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Those who fled outside the walls were dispatched by Mexican lancers, who had been positioned for that purpose. Several noncombatants were sent to Gonzales to spread word of the Texian defeat. The news sparked a scramble to join the Texian army and a panic, known as "The Runaway Scrape", in which the Texian army, most settlers, and the government of the new, self-proclaimed, but officially unrecognized Republic of Texas fled eastward toward the U.S. ahead of the advancing Mexican Army. Santa Anna's execution of surrendering soldiers during the battle inspired many Texians and Tejanos to join the Texian Army. The Texians defeated the portion of the Mexican Army led by Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1836: 1836 Milestone — The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event and military engagement in the Texas Revolution.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Battle of the Alamo

True or False: “The Battle of the Alamo was fought entirely by professional, state-sanctioned armies from both sides.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Many Texian fighters were recent arrivals and illegal immigrants who participated in the revolt, rather than solely being part of a formal standing army.

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