Alamo

Originally, the Alamo was the church of the Mission of San Antonio de Valero, a fortied settlement established by the Spaniards on the outskirts of the Presidio of San Antonio de Bexar. The mission covered about three acres and the protecting wall and all the buildings were made of stone. The whole fortress was built as an industrial school for the Indians, and they were taught weaving, building, and stock raising with its walls. The building of the church commenced in 1744 and it was completed in 1757. By 1805, a company of soldiers who had been detailed to protect the mission found themselves obliged to take refugee inside the fortress. It was around this time that the mission lost its high sounding title and was merely referred to as "the Alamo." During this period, internal troubles shook New Spain, and by the time the colonists separated from their European motherland in 1821, numerous Americans had settled on the Spanish land north of the Rio Grande. Clashes between the two sets of nationals were frequent, and on October 28, 1835, a detachment of Americans under the join commands of Colonels Bowie and Fannin raised their colors over Bexar. It was a short lived triumph, for in feburary 1836 an army of 5,000 Mexican troops under the command of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was sighted, and the Americans, with their women and children, retired to the Alamo. The defends-approximately 180 men-withstood the siege and bombardment for twelve days, but at dawn on March 6th, Santa Anna mounted his final attack and by nightfall, the fortress was his. None of the women and children was harmed and Santa Anna allowed them safe conduct, but little quarter was given to the men; they were killed to the last man.