Battle of the Alamo
1836 · The Alamo (modern San Antonio, Texas, United States) · World · Modern
After a 13-day siege the Mexican army stormed the fort, and almost the entire garrison was killed
Belligerents
Mexican army
- Commanders
- Santa Anna
- Strength
- c. 1,800 men in the assault
Texian garrison
- Commanders
- Travis, Bowie, Crockett
- Strength
- c. 200 men
Background
American settlers in Texas, along with some Mexicans, opposed Santa Anna's centralizing policies and declared independence. Santa Anna personally led a large army north to crush them.
Course of the battle
- Holding out in the chapelThe defenders fell back to the Alamo, a converted Spanish mission
- Thirteen-day siegeThe Mexican army bombarded the fort while the defenders waited for reinforcements that never came
- Dawn assaultBefore dawn on March 6, the Mexican army attacked in four columns and scaled the walls
- Entire force annihilatedThe defenders were killed, including the frontier legend Davy Crockett
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1836 |
|---|---|
| Place | The Alamo (in present-day San Antonio, Texas, United States) |
| Result | After a 13-day siege the Mexican army stormed the fort, and almost the entire garrison was killed |
| Winner | Mexico |
| Casualties | About 200 Texian defenders killed; Mexican army casualties of several hundred |
| Territorial change | Texians fought on with the rallying cry "Remember the Alamo" |
Impact
In the United States the Alamo became a symbol of heroic sacrifice, while in Mexico it is seen as the prelude to American expansion; the two countries remember it in completely different ways.
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