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Alamo, Battle of the
Alamo, Battle of the. The most famous battle of the Texas Revolution occurred at a Spanish mission compound known as the Alamo in San Antonio. At this site on 6 March 1836 the Mexican army led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna defeated 189 troops inside the compound under Colonel William Barrett Travis; all the Alamo defenders were killed. As the Texas Revolution proceeded, the words “Remember the Alamo” became a battle cry.
Although there were skirmishes in 1835 between the Mexican government and colonists in the Texas province, the battle at the Alamo was the first encounter of the Texas Revolution, coming four days after colonists officially declared independence from Mexico. San Antonio was taken from Mexican troops in December 1835 when colonists stormed the town. In January 1836, General Sam Houston sent James Bowie to destroy the Alamo and move the remaining troops east. Upon arriving in San Antonio, however, Bowie opted to fortify the compound and defend the area. Travis joined him later that month. After the Alamo battle, Santa Anna led his forces east in pursuit of the rest of the Texas army. On 21 April 1836, the Mexican army was defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto by the Texas army under Houston. Texas became independent and later applied to the United States for statehood. As a site commemorating Texas's unique identity and its separation from Mexico, the Alamo is currently the top Texas tourist attraction. It is also a favorite target of groups protesting ethnic and racial discrimination, especially during the annual Fiesta Week. See also Texas Republic and Annexation. Bibliography Stephen L. Hardin , Texian Iliad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution, 1994. Holly Beachley Brear |
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Paul S. Boyer. "Alamo, Battle of the." The Oxford Companion to United States History. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Paul S. Boyer. "Alamo, Battle of the." The Oxford Companion to United States History. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O119-AlamoBattleofthe.html Paul S. Boyer. "Alamo, Battle of the." The Oxford Companion to United States History. 2001. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O119-AlamoBattleofthe.html |
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the Alamo
the Alamo [Span.,=cottonwood], building in San Antonio, Tex., "the cradle of Texas liberty." Built as a chapel after 1744, it is all that remains of the mission of San Antonio de Valero, which was founded in 1718 by Franciscans and later converted into a fortress. In the Texas Revolution, San Antonio was taken by Texas revolutionaries in Dec., 1835, and was lightly garrisoned. When Mexican General Santa Anna approached with an army of several thousand in Feb., 1836, only some 150 men held the Alamo, and confusion, indifference, and bickering among insurgents throughout Texas prevented help from joining them, except for 32 volunteers from Gonzales who slipped through the Mexican siege lines. Defying surrender demands, the Texans in the fort determined to fight. The siege, which began Feb. 24, ended with hand-to-hand fighting within the walls on Mar. 6. William B. Travis , James Bowie , Davy Crockett , and some 180 other defenders died, but the heroic resistance roused fighting anger among Texans, who six weeks later defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto , crying, "Remember the Alamo!" The chapel-fort became a state preserve in 1883. Its surroundings were added in 1905, and the complex, restored in 1936-39, is now a major tourist attraction.
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"the Alamo." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "the Alamo." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Alamo.html "the Alamo." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Alamo.html |
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Alamo, Battle of the
Alamo, Battle of the (1836).In fall 1835, a political revolution broke out among the North American settlers in Mexican Texas. After the colonists ousted the Mexican garrison from San Antonio in December, the Mexican president, Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna, led an army northward to avenge the loss. Texan commander Sam Houston recognized that San Antonio had no strategic value and ordered Texans there to evacuate to the east.
Approximately 150 men decided to stay and fortify the abandoned mission known as the Alamo. By 24 February 1836, Mexican troops initiated a siege. Texas Col. William Barrett Travis sent out messages pleading for reinforcements, but only thirty‐two men responded. On 6 March, Santa Anna launched an overwhelming assault with about 1,800 troops. The defenders fought desperately, killing or wounding some 600 Mexicans, but by sunup, the approximately 180 defenders, including Travis and David Crockett, were dead. Word quickly reached the American settlements of Texas, and the slogan “Remember the Alamo!” helped motivate the remainder of the Texas army. On 21 April Sam Houston led his men to victory over Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto—thus guaranteeing Texas independence. [See also Texas War of Independence.] Bibliography Walter Lord , A Time to Stand, 1961. James M. McCaffrey |
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John Whiteclay Chambers II. "Alamo, Battle of the." The Oxford Companion to American Military History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. John Whiteclay Chambers II. "Alamo, Battle of the." The Oxford Companion to American Military History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O126-AlamoBattleofthe.html John Whiteclay Chambers II. "Alamo, Battle of the." The Oxford Companion to American Military History. 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O126-AlamoBattleofthe.html |
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Alamo, Battle of the
Alamo, Battle of the (February 23– March 6, 1836) a siege during the Texas War of Independence. Despite orders to withdraw from San Antonio, a group of 187 Texans vainly attempted to hold a small fortified mission there against an army of 4,000 under Mexican Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna. Texans who died there included Davy Crockett, James Bowie, and William Travis. News of Santa Anna's “no prisoners” order and the burning of the dead Texans' bodies, along with reports of the tremendous casualties inflicted upon the Mexican army, rallied the Texans fighting to secede from Mexico.
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"Alamo, Battle of the." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Alamo, Battle of the." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-AlamoBattleofthe.html "Alamo, Battle of the." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-AlamoBattleofthe.html |
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Alamo, the
Alamo, the A mission fort in San Antonio, Texas, and scene of a siege during the Texas Revolution against Mexico of 1836. A Mexican army of 3,000 led by Santa Anna besieged the fort held by fewer than 200 men, under the joint command of William B. Travis and James Bowie. The siege lasted from 24 February to 6 March, when the Mexicans finally breached the walls. Travis, Bowie, Davy CROCKETT, and all their men were killed. The defence of the Alamo became the symbol of Texan resistance.
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"Alamo, the." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Alamo, the." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-Alamothe.html "Alamo, the." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-Alamothe.html |
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Alamo
Alamo the Franciscan mission which was the site of a desperate and ultimately unsuccessful defence against Santa Ana in the Texan War of Independence; on 6 March 1836, it was captured by Mexican troops, and all the defenders were killed.
In the battle of San Jacinto, 21 April 1836, where the Texans defeated the Mexican forces and captured Santa Ana, troops used the battle-cry (attributed to Colonel Sidney Sherman) ‘Remember the Alamo!’ |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Alamo." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Alamo." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Alamo.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Alamo." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Alamo.html |
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Alamo, the
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Cite this article
"Alamo, the." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Alamo, the." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Alamothe.html "Alamo, the." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Alamothe.html |
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Alamo
Alamo, Mexico, USA Cities and rivers in both countries with a Spanish name meaning ‘Cottonwood’ or ‘Poplar’ tree.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Alamo." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Alamo." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Alamo.html JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Alamo." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Alamo.html |
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