The Alamo at 189: Remembering, Re-examining, and Re-envisioning Texas History
Thursday marks the 189th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo, a pivotal moment in Texas history that continues to shape the state’s identity and spark ongoing debates about how its narrative is told. The siege and ultimate rout of Texan revolutionaries by the Mexican army served as a catalyst for the Texas Revolution, fueling the "Remember the Alamo" battle cry that propelled Sam Houston’s forces to victory at San Jacinto just six weeks later. The Spanish mission-turned-battleground remains one of Texas’s most iconic locations, a powerful symbol of state pride and independence, drawing 1.6 million tourists annually.
Originally established in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo was one of five Spanish missions strategically built along the San Antonio River. These missions were intended to both convert indigenous populations and solidify Spain’s claim to the territory. By 1836, however, the Alamo had transformed into a military outpost, a strategic point in the burgeoning conflict between Texan settlers and the Mexican government.
Kolby Lanham, the Alamo’s senior researcher and historian, emphasizes the Alamo’s enduring significance: "The Alamo battle is part of the fabric of who we are as Texans." However, he also acknowledges the complex and often contested nature of its history, highlighting that it remains "a source of debate over how history is recalled and by whom, as some strive to offer perspectives that counter the mythology surrounding the event."
The seeds of the Texas Revolution were sown after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. Texas became a contested territory, attracting Anglo-American settlers who increasingly clashed with Mexican authorities over issues like slavery and political representation. By February 1836, tensions had reached a boiling point.
Within the walls of the Alamo, 189 Texan soldiers, commanded by James Bowie and William Travis, braced for the arrival of Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s formidable Mexican army. This diverse group included not only Anglo settlers but also Tejanos, Texans of Mexican descent who also sought independence from Mexico. Among those defending the Alamo was the legendary Davy Crockett, a former Tennessee congressman who had sought adventure in the West.
As the Mexican army, estimated to number nearly 5,000, encircled the Alamo, Travis penned a desperate plea for reinforcements. His now-famous missive, addressed "to the people of Texas and all Americans in the world," declared, "I shall never surrender or retreat…. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country." He signed off with the defiant words, "Victory or Death."
On the morning of March 6, Santa Anna’s forces launched a predawn assault. Overwhelming the defenders, they breached the mission’s north walls and, after fierce hand-to-hand combat, killed nearly all of the Texan soldiers. The Alamo fell, but its story was far from over.
"It becomes a rallying call for the Texas Revolution," explains Lanham. "Many people who maybe weren’t involved or who had sat on the fence joined the cause." Six weeks later, on April 21, Sam Houston’s army, fueled by the cry of "Remember the Alamo," decisively defeated Santa Anna’s forces at the Battle of San Jacinto. The victory secured Texas independence, marking a crucial turning point in the region’s history.
Texas remained an independent republic until 1845, when it voted to join the United States. “When it joined the union, Texas already had this big, bold identity that came along with it, and people haven’t lost sight of that," said Lanham. Three years later, following the Mexican-American War, the U.S. acquired a vast expanse of territory, including much of the present-day American Southwest, through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
The Battle of the Alamo has been repeatedly immortalized in film, literature, and popular culture, most famously in the 1960 John Wayne film, "The Alamo." However, these depictions have often been criticized for perpetuating a simplistic and biased narrative, romanticizing the Anglo defenders while marginalizing the perspectives of Tejanos and portraying the Mexican army in a negative light. These portrayals contribute to a mythology of martyred white heroes that overlooks the complexities of the historical context.
Sarah Zenaida Gould, executive director of San Antonio’s Mexican American Civil Rights Institute, points out the Alamo’s complex legacy for Mexican Americans. "The Mexican army won the battle of the Alamo, so you would think that would make it a point of pride for people of Mexican descent, but that’s not the case," she explains. "Instead, over time the Alamo becomes this symbol of Texas greatness. … Many Mexican Americans have stories of growing up in Texas and feeling shame about the Alamo and their ancestors defending their own country."
Scholars like Richard Flores, an anthropology professor at the University of Texas, have examined how characterizations of the Alamo have reflected the state’s ongoing struggle with its Anglo and Mexican identity, often distorting the true historical events. These re-examinations, however, have often faced backlash amid ongoing culture wars, highlighting the deeply entrenched and often polarized perspectives on Texas history.
Lanham acknowledges the evolving nature of historical understanding. “History changes and adapts over time,” he says. “Some people don’t really want the story to change. They love the way the story was told, and as things are added to the story they get uncomfortable."
The debate surrounding the Alamo’s narrative reached a fever pitch in 2021 with the publication of "Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth," by Bryan Burrough, Jason Stanford, and Chris Tomlinson. The book explores how racism and the desire to expand slavery played a significant role in the Texas Revolution. The book’s premise is that the Anglo settlers were looking to expand slavery which was illegal in Mexico at the time.
The controversy surrounding the book underscores the sensitivity surrounding the Alamo’s history and the ongoing struggle to reconcile different interpretations of the past.
Following the Texan victory, the Alamo mission was abandoned. According to Gould, San Antonio experienced a power shift in the aftermath of the battle, with the site roughly marking an east-west divide between white residents and those of Mexican descent, who had become marginalized as the city grew.
"Until 1836, every mayor of San Antonio had a Spanish surname," she says. "Not until 1980 would there be another."
Today, only the chapel and long barrack remain of the original Alamo compound, preserved thanks to the efforts of early 20th-century preservationists who fought to save them from development.
On Thursday, the Alamo will host its annual ceremony commemorating those who lost their lives in the historic battle. This year’s 189th anniversary is particularly poignant, mirroring the number of soldiers who defended the site in 1836.
Looking to the future, the Alamo is undergoing a major revitalization project, including the recent opening of the Ralston Family Collections Center, showcasing Alamo artifacts, and plans for a new visitor center and museum slated to open in 2027. These new facilities aim to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the Alamo’s history, encompassing the perspectives of Indigenous inhabitants, Spanish missionaries, Texan revolutionaries, and Mexican soldiers.
The future museum will feature eight galleries chronicling the 300 years of history encompassing the Alamo and the surrounding area.
Gould emphasizes that the understanding of the Alamo has evolved, particularly among Texans of Mexican descent. The former "shame" felt by many has given way to a critical awareness that "the myth of the Alamo as a cradle of liberty was created for particular ideological purposes, and we shouldn’t just accept it at face value." She concludes, "These days people are more attuned to the idea that history has multiple perspectives and that it’s not a single narrative." As the Alamo approaches its bicentennial, the ongoing dialogue and re-examination of its history promise to continue shaping our understanding of Texas’s complex past and its place in the American narrative.
