The Alamo

The trip to the Alamo was very mind refreshing. I remember attending the Alamo when I was very young, and of course then as little children we don’t pay much attention. Although, this time I learned a lot more and found things a lot more interesting. It is pleasing to know about the history of The Texas Revolution and how the battle took place at the Alamo, our hometown of San Antonio. The Alamo was founded in 1724. It is also known as the Mission San Antonio de Valero. The Mission San Antonio de Valero was first located near the headwaters of San Pedro Creek in 1718, where the missions main acequia was built and located. Then The Mission San Antonio de Valero was relocated once again in 1719. After a storm ruined the structures at it’s new location, it was relocated for the third time where it stands at this moment. The Spanish officials secularized all five San Antonio missions and shared their land with the remaining Indians. They converted the Indians into Roman Catholicism and taught them how to farm the fields. The Royals and the Revolutionaries occupied the Alamo during Mexico’s ten year struggle for independence. The military Spanish, Rebel, and the Mexican continued to stay until the Texas Revolution. The Texas Revolution, was a rebellion in late 1835 and early 1836 by residents of Texas, then part of northern Mexico, against the Mexican government and military. The battle was between the Republic of Mexico and the rebel Texian forces, including both anglos and Tejanos, during the Texians’ fight for independence.Ben Miliam led the Tejanos against the Mexican troops quartered in the city which led Cos to surrender and the Tejanos took over the occupancy in the Alamo. That’s when Santa Ana and his army surprisingly showed up and a battle began. The battle was not a scene of victory. It was a scene of defeat for the Texas Revolution. Everyone of the nearly 200 defenders lost their lives against Santa Ana’s Mexican army. The Tejano’s which were not all military, most were volunteers fought enormous odds willing to sacrifice their life rather than surrendering. Santa Ana allowed the slaves, women and children to go free to tell the tale of the battle.

As you walk to the dam you will still see that there is water flowing through. You will also see lots of trees, lots of rocks, and lots of brushes surrounding the dam. Aside from the sacred and unique church’s in the missions, the dams were just as important for the Spaniards and Indians to up keep and maintain. The dam certainly had a huge impact in the missions. It was the missions only source for water supply. The dam supplied the water to help the Spaniards and Indians to irrigate their fields. The initial survival of a new mission depended upon the planting and harvesting of crops. In South Texas, intermittent rainfall and the need for a reliable water source made the design and installation of an acequia system a high priority. Irrigation was very important to the Spaniards that they measured croplands in the amount of land that would be able to be watered in a day. Not only was the acequia used for their fields, but also for their cooking of meals, washing, and cleaning up. The Missions till this day are still important to us. Every day some one will learn about the history of our missions. The water is also still used by residents living on these neighboring lands. These landmarks are still very visible since the days they were built. Espada Dam, built between 1731 and 1740 is the best existing example of the four Franciscan –designed dams placed on the San Antonio River. More so, these structures represent perhaps the best surviving physical assembly of an eighteenth century Spanish irrigation network in the United States. Mission Espada, located in our home town of San Antonio is a National Historic Park where locals, tourists and visitors are more than welcomed to visit and learn more about our history.