They ran out into the open where they were unceremoniously run down and killed by Mexican cavalry. What we now know is because Mexican accounts - accounts from Mexican officers and soldiers - a number of them, a dozen of them have come to light over the last 50 years, show that between a third and a half the Texas defenders actually broke and ran. And when you look at the facts, they never made a conscious decision to fight to the death. And of course, this leads to one of the great myths, which is the bravery of the Alamo defenders, how they fought to their death and everything. I mean, the idea that Mexican soldiers would show up and kill them all just seems like a notion that he never really accepted, that somehow something would happen to spirit them all the way to safety. You get a sense that Travis never really believes something bad can happen to him.
It makes absolutely no sense of why they stayed there, except for the fact that these are men who, by and large, have never been in war. They know they're coming and yet still they stay there. Every other day they send off these plaintive, dramatic letters asking for reinforcement that, by and large, never came.īut the truly perplexing thing is that in the two weeks leading up to the arrival of Santa Anna's forces in San Antonio, Travis and Bowie are getting almost daily warnings of the progress.
There has always been this great mystery of why on earth Travis and Bowie stay, and the best argument there is probably because they believe reinforcements would be forthcoming. maybe 200 guys at essentially an indefensible open-air Spanish mission. Santa Anna is coming north with 6,000 troops. "Most academics now believe, based on Mexican accounts and contemporary accounts, that, in fact, did surrender and was executed," Burrough says.Īuthor Interviews 'Born On A Mountaintop' Or Not, Davy Crockett's Legend Lives On In their new book, Forget the Alamo, Burrough and co-writers Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford challenge common misconceptions surrounding the conflict - including the notion that Davy Crockett was a martyr who fought to the death rather than surrender. And yet it still surprises me that slavery went unexamined for so long." "It was the thing that the two sides had been arguing about and shooting about for going on 15 years. "Slavery was the undeniable linchpin of all of this," author Bryan Burrough says. But three writers, all Texans, say the common narrative of the Texas revolt overlooks the fact that it was waged in part to ensure slavery would be preserved.
The siege of the Alamo was memorably depicted in a Walt Disney series and in a 1960 movie starring John Wayne. Remember the Alamo? According to Texas lore, it's the site in San Antonio where, in 1836, about 180 Texan rebels died defending the state during Texas' war for independence from Mexico.
Frankly, it’s a little disquieting you would let your ideals blind you to reality Hamilton Sir Draft a statement of neutrality Did you forget Lafayette? What? Have you an ounce of regret? You accumulate debt, you accumulate power Yet in their hour of need, you forget Lafayette’s a smart man, he’ll be fine And before he was your friend, he was mine If we try to fight in every revolution in the world, we never stop Where do we draw the line? So quick-witted Alas, I admit it I bet you were quite a lawyer My defendants got acquitted Yeah.Visitors walk around the outside of the Alamo in San Antonio. But sir, do we not fight for freedom? Sure, when the French figure out who’s gonna lead ‘em The people are leading- The people are rioting There’s a difference. The issue on the table: France is on the verge of war with England And do we provide aid and our troops to our French allies or do we stay out of it? Remember, my decision on this matter is not subject to congressional approval The only person you have to convince is me Secretary Jefferson, you have the floor, sir When we were on death’s door, when we were needy We made a promise, we signed a treaty We needed money and guns and half a chance Who provided those funds? France In return, they didn’t ask for land Only a promise that we’d lend a hand And stand with them if they fought against oppressors And revolution is messy but now is the time to stand Stand with our brothers as they fight against tyranny I know that Alexander Hamilton is here and he Would rather not have this debate I’ll remind you that he is not Secretary of State He knows nothing of loyalty Smells like new money, dresses like fake royalty Desperate to rise above his station Everything he does betrays the ideals of our nation