The Alamo: 2/24/1836

"Remember the Alamo!" The battle began FEBRUARY 24, 1836, when General Santa Anna's 3,000 troops attacked 189 Texans and Tejanos at San Antonio.

In 13 days, all defenders were dead, including William Travis, Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. Only Susanna Dickenson, her baby, and Travis' servant survived.

Fifteen years earlier, Mexico won independence from Spain and set up a democratic Federal Constitution. In 1833, Santa Anna rejected the Constitution, became dictator and suppressed Mexican Federal States which rebelled: San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Durango, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Yucatán and Jalisco. In Zacatecas, Santa Anna defeated Francisco Garcia, took 3,000 prisoners and let his army ransack the city 48 hours.

Mexican Federal General José Antonio Mexía marched from New Orleans to Tampico to fight Santa Anna, but was defeated. Santa Anna executed every prisoner.

The Texas Declaration of Independence stated "General Antonio Lopez Santa Anna...having overturned the constitution of his country, now offers, as the cruel alternative, either abandon our homes...or submit to the most intolerable of all tyranny...He denies us the right of worshipping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience."

American Minute with Bill Federer