Show us with your support. There were 41 Europeans, two African Americans, and the rest were Americans from states in the United States. Some Texians and Tejanos wanted the federalist constitution back, some wanted centralist control to be based in Mexico: That was the main basis for the turmoil in Texas, not independence. It was really the thing that more than anything, caused the Alamo to become the international icon that it's become. In their fascinating new book, "Joe: The Slave Who Became an Alamo Legend," Ron L. Jackson Jr. and Lee Spencer White fill in the biographical details of a man who deserves credit for . To an amazing degree, maybe because the Texas media [are] still dominated by Anglos as well as the Texas government, that viewpoint has just never really gotten into the mainstream. Part of the narrative of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo is that the defenders were there to liberate Texas from the tyranny of Mexico. And of course, it doesn't happen. Spanish settlers built the Mission San Antonio de Valero, named for St. Anthony of Padua, on the banks of the San Antonio River around 1718. In a remarkable feat of historical detective work, authors Ron J. Jackson, Jr., and Lee Spencer White have fully restored this pivotal yet elusive figure to his place in the American story. https://www.tshaonline.org, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/joe. Remember the Alamo? And while the entire defending force was annihilated in the final assault and its aftermath, Joe survived, and his accounts of the siege and final battle form the basis of much of what we know about the Alamo from inside the fort. Seeing the massive Mexican army on their doorstep, the Texan defenders hastily retreated to the well-fortified Alamo. On the eve of the Civil War, which Texas would enter as a part of the Confederacy, there were 182,566 slaves, nearly one-third of the states population. Furthermore, the brave defense of the Alamo caused many more rebels to join the Texan army. But he adds it's past time to look critically at the "heroic Anglo narrative" associated with the site. 4. explicitly said they were fighting for slavery. Per The New Yorker, we know Davy Crockett owned slaves back home in Tennessee, though there's no record of his slaves accompanying him to Texas. But three writers, all Texans, say the common narrative of the Texas revolt. When the din of the fighting died down and the Mexicans firmly controlled the fort, Joe was shot and bayoneted, only to be saved by a Mexican field officer. Joe did so and was struck by a pistol shot and bayonet thrust before a Mexican captain intervened. William F. Gray reported that Joe impressed those present with the modesty, candor, and clarity of his account. Disclosure: Texas Historical Commission has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Still, many of his officers believed he had paid too high a price. The plan itself is much more than a single monument, Nirenberg said in an interview. Mexico abolished slavery in 1829, as History tells us, but made some exceptions in Texas for instance, slaves whose master had died with no heirs would be freed (providing they hadn't actually killed their masters, though who could blame them?). As a part of that debate, which has been ongoing since the publication of the 1619 Project, the nation's founding has come under the most scrutiny. The basic story of the Alamo is that rebellious Texans captured the city of San Antonio de Bxar (modern-day San Antonio, Texas) in a battle in December 1835. A woman named Andrea Castan Villanueva, better known as Madam Candelaria, later made a career of claiming to be a survivor of the Alamo, but many historians doubt her story. Lieutenant Travis sent repeated requests to Col. James Fannin in Goliad (about 90 miles to the east) for reinforcements, and he had no reason to suspect that Fannin would not come. None of the defenders survived. Though Sam Houston, the newly appointed commander-in-chief of the Texan forces, argued that San Antonio should be abandoned due to insufficient troop numbers, the Alamos defendersled by Bowie and Travisdug in nonetheless, prepared to defend the fort to the last. Julin Castro and Jorge Ramos Team Up to Destroy Joe Biden on Immigration, Oh My Lord What a Shockingly Ruthless Attack on Joe Biden, Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine, Trump Pulls a Charlottesville and Says He Hates All Kinds of 'Supremacy'. and slaves. It was finished when Spanish troops arrived in 1805 but it was used as a hospital. In 1845, the United States annexed Texas. It's generally believed that Joe left Texas to return to Travis's family in Alabama and lived with them for many years. But Texans are deeply divided over how, exactly, to remember the Alamo. Joe claimed that when Gen. Antonio Lpez deSanta Anna's troops stormed the Alamo on March 6, 1836, he armed himself and followed Travis from his quarters into the battle, fired his gun, then retreated into a building from which he fired several more times. But conservative groups rallied in armed protest and turned up at public meetings chanting Not one inch!, State leaders took up the cause, including Lt. Gov. Click on the photo for complete transcription. 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. They in turn sent Stephen Austin to Mexico City to complain. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. For Texans, the Battle of the Alamo became an enduring symbol of their resistance to oppression and their struggle for independence, which they won later that year. In the early 20th century, the Alamo was seen as a symbol of Texas pride and Americans fighting for freedom. Under the plan, the Cenotaph would be moved 500 feet south and deposited in front of the historic Menger Hotel. Amelia W. Williams, A Critical Study of the Siege of the Alamo and of the Personnel of Its Defenders (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Texas, 1931; rpt., Southwestern Historical Quarterly 3637 [April 1933-April 1934]). And when you look at the facts, they never made a conscious decision to fight to the death. (Creeks, Choctaws, and . Perhaps the most well known Alamo survivor was Susanna Dickinson, wife of defender Almaron Dickinson, who spent the battle hiding in a small dark room with her infant daughter, Angelina. . Presumably Joe's escape was successful, for the notice ran three months before it was discontinued on August 26, 1837. ThoughtCo. Mexican American kids can grow up in Texas believing they're Americans, with the Statue of Liberty and all that, until seventh grade when you were taught, in essence, that if you're Mexican, your ancestors killed Davy Crockett, that that's kind of the original sin of the Texas creation myth. Until now. Almeron Dickinson and her infant daughter, Angelina: Dickinson later reported the fall of the post to Sam Houston in Gonzales. battle cry while fighting against Mexican forces. In early March, Nirenberg took the unusual step of replacing a city council member, Roberto Trevio, who had been leading two committees coordinating the project and had been staunchly in favor of moving the Cenotaph. The Battle of the Alamo was part of the Texas Revolution, in which American settlers in the Mexican state of Texas fought for secession from the increasingly centralized and autocratic Mexican government. Because Joe could speak Spanish, he was able to be interrogated afterward. 10 Facts About the Independence of Texas From Mexico, The Texas Revolution and the Republic of Texas, The Battle of Concepcion of the Texas Revolution, The Life and Legend of David "Davy" Crockett, The Most Important Inventions of the Industrial Revolution, No One Knows What Happened to Davy Crockett, Who Won the Battle of the Alamo? Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). On April 21, 1837, one year after the battle, Joe escaped from John Rice Jones - the man who obtained ownership of Joe from Travis' estate. The 4.2-acre site includes some original structures dating back to the mission period. Although slavery was part of the Texas revolution, it wasnt one of the main issuesrevolutionaries were fighting for. Today, more than 2.5 million people a year visit the Alamo. The siege of the Alamo was memorably depicted in a Walt Disney series and in a 1960 movie starring John Wayne. The fort was full of women, minorities of many color, and followers of many religions. A 2013 BexarCounty reportpredicted a $100 million benefit to the local economy and more than 1,000 new jobs if the sites receive heritage status. So, he set out to tell the story of the Alamo, a story that, he believes, belongs to all of us through the diversity of its defenders. Someof the men defendingthe Alamo were slaveholders, and manyof them werent even Texans: they were Americans paid by New Orleans merchants who saw the potential for big profits if the state seceded. Joe was the slave of William B. Travis, the commander of the Alamo during Mexican dictator Antonio Lopez de Santa Annas siege of the Texian fort. Key members of the states GOP leadership and some conservative groups are insisting that the renovation stay focused on the battle. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. "International travelers seem to use world heritage as a bucket list item," Richard Oliver, a spokesperson for the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, told Fusion. . About half of the men there were not enlisted soldiers, but volunteers who technically could come, go, and do as they pleased. At the time of Bowie's birth, his father owned eight enslaved African Americans, eleven head of cattle, seven horses, and one stud horse. The movie, most reviewers would tell you, is a mess. But aspects of the plan quickly met with outrage, especially its treatment of the Cenotaph, a 56-foot monument to Alamo defenders erected in the plaza in 1940. Some heroes of the Texas Revolution were enslavers, a neglected piece of history that has helped stall a badly needed overhaul of the revered battle site. These men only listened to Jim Bowie, who disliked Travis and often refused to follow his orders. Visitors walk around the outside of the Alamo in San Antonio. He attacked on March 6, 1836, overrunning the approximately 200 defenders in less than two hours. In May, Mexican troops in San Antonio were ordered to withdraw, and to demolish the Alamos fortifications as they went. Dickinson and Joe were allowed to travel towards the Anglo settlements, escorted by Ben, a former slave from the United States who served as Mexican Colonel Juan Almonte's cook. But they remained, trusting their defenses and their skill with their lethal long rifles. Mexican dictator and general Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna won the Battle of the Alamo, taking back the city of San Antonio and putting the Texans on notice that the war would be one without quarter. Texas became an independent republic, and nine years later, it was annexed as an American state. Although Texas declared itself an independent republic in 1836, the Mexican state did not recognize Texas until the signing of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. Its one of the most famous historic places in the world, he said. Indigenous leaders, for example, want the site to show respect for its ancient role as a burial ground. "Remember the Alamo!". Houston sent Jim Bowie to San Antonio: his orders were to destroy the Alamo and return with all of the men and artillery stationed there. Along the way they crossed paths with another survivor, a man named Joe, who had been William Travis slave. Though vastly outnumbered, the Alamos 200 defenderscommanded by James Bowie and William Travis and including the famed frontiersman Davy Crockettheld out for 13 days before the Mexican forces finally overpowered them. The Alamo (technically, the surviving structure is a former church next to the fort) is the top tourist destination in Texas, and a new museum is under works. Talk free. Joe was last reported in Austin in 1875. In addition to Joe, slaves Bettie, Sam, and Charlie left the Alamo alive. [Wayne] made the movie basically because he wholeheartedly believed that America was falling apart, that it was going to the dogs and that somebody needs to stand up for what are today called "patriotic values," "family values," "American values." Did you know? Do you value our journalism? 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. 15 Facts About the Battle of the Alamo. The Cenotaph at Alamo Plaza in San Antonio. When events become legendary, facts tend to get forgotten. Once he saw the fort's defenses, Bowie decided to ignore Houston's orders, having become convinced of the need to defend the city. Austin was able to wrest from the Mexican authorities an exemption for the department -- Texas was technically a department of the state of Coahuila y Tejas -- that would allow the vile institution to continue. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. Then, there was a counter-story switching good guys and bad guysthe Americans were all racist, taking the Mexicans land. accessed March 04, 2023, He observed a grand review of the Mexican army before being interrogated by Santa Anna about Texas and its army. As more slaves came into the Republic of Texas, more escaped to Mexico. When Mexican troops stormed the former mission known as the Alamo on the morning of March 6, 1836, Mexican General Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna ordered that no prisoners be taken. We know that there were slaves within the Alamo fortress for the 13-day siege that resulted in the death of the entire garrison. This is the most significant piece of land in the entire state of Texas, and it deserves the reverence and dignity of a preservation project that has been a generation in the making.. Did Davy Crockett Die in Battle at the Alamo? In point of fact, there's large disagreement about how many men Travis commanded at the fort, anywhere from 182-250. Casey Tolan is a National News Reporter for Fusion based in New York City. "The Alamo is part of that.". After the Alamo battle, the soldiers under Sam Houston's command were the only obstacle between Santa Anna's attempt to reincorporate Texas into Mexico. They and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas started a movement to rebuild the monument to its 1836 configuration. Joe Travis (c. 1815 - Unknown) was an enslaved man who was one of the only survivors of the Battle of the Alamo. To some, the Alamo, the San Antonio fort where Texans died while fighting off the Mexican army, is a symbol of liberty and Texas pride. One of these was Susannah Dickinson, the wife of Captain Almaron Dickinson (who was killed) and her infant daughter Angelina. The mayor of San Antonio, however, claimed to have seen Crockett dead among the other defenders, and he had met Crockett before the battle. He reported the events" Historians are doubtful. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. If they want to bring up that it was about slavery, or say that the Alamo defenders were racist, or anything like that, they need to take their rear ends over the state border and get the hell out of Texas, said Brandon Burkhart, president of the This is Freedom Texas Force, a conservative group that held an armed protest last year in Alamo Plaza. The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry. Afterward, they fortified the Alamo, a fortress-like former mission in the center of town. The 1793 law enforced Article IV, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution in authorizing any federal district judge or circuit court judge, or any state magistrate . Last year, Patrick threatened to wrest control of the Alamo away from the General Land Office, which is led by George P. Bush, a potential political rival and son of former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Subscribe: The Alamo Battle Was Not About Texan Independence, The Texans Weren't Supposed to Defend the Alamo, Photograph Courtesy of the Library of Congress, The Defenders Experienced Internal Tension, The Defenders Died Believing Reinforcements Were on the Way, There Were Many Mexicans Among the Defenders. There can be no doubt that the symbolism of the Alamo is at the center of the creation myth of Texas: that the state was forged out of a heroic struggle for freedom against a cruel Mexican dictator, Santa Ana. and the Mexican army defended it in the battle of December 1835, when it was further damaged. It was just that the place was overrun. Juana Navarro Alsbury, the adopted sister of Bowies wife and the niece of Texian leader Jos Antonio Navarro, survived the battle with her young son and her sister, Gertrudis. But as the smoke cleared after the bloody battle, around 15 survivors of the battle on the Texan side remained. This entry belongs to the following Handbook Special Projects: We are a community-supported, non-profit organization and we humbly ask for your support because the careful and accurate recording of our history has never been more important. https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-the-battle-of-the-alamo-2136256 (accessed March 4, 2023). Joes Alamo: Unsung, is a fiction-based-on-history account of what came next, after the Alamo, and after Joe escaped. But the heart of their 26 fast-paced chapters is . This was mirrored very much in the kind of ethnic cleansing that went on after the revolution in which hundreds of Tejanos were pushed out of San Antonio, in Victoria and existing towns, their lands taken, laws passed against their ability to marry white women and hold public office. The Alamo remained a symbol of courage, and in the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848, U.S. soldiers revived the "Remember the Alamo!" These defenders, who despite later reinforcements never numbered more than 200, included Davy Crockett, the famous frontiersman and former congressman from Tennessee, who had arrived in early February. Both of those stories are way overly simplistic.. Sam, James Bowie's slave, was also reported to have survived the battle, but no further record of him is known to exist. On how the Anglo-centric narrative of the Alamo history has affected Latino kids. Every other day they send off these plaintive, dramatic letters asking for reinforcement that, by and large, never came. All Rights Reserved. Summary "Among the fifty or so Texan survivors of the siege of the Alamo was Joe, the personal slave of Lt. Col. William Barret Travis. Generations of Texas schoolchildren have been taught to admire the Alamo defenders as revolutionaries slaughtered by the Mexican army in the fight for Texas independence. hide caption. Mexican forces were victorious in . The only person spared in the retaking of the Alamo was Joe, the personal slave of William Travis. Likewise, its victims have come from many different ethnicities and religious groups. The 350-Year Old Alamo Was a Fort for Only a Decade. On March 20 Joe was brought before the Texas Cabinet at Groce's Retreat and questioned about events at the Alamo.