The Alamo often conjures up images of rugged frontiersmen, the likes of Davy Crockett and James Bowie, shoring up the defenses of the fort against the forces of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. These events did take place, but The Alamo was a small flashpoint in a wider struggle for control of a strategically vital region known as Texas. Seen as a bulwark against the French and British empires to the north, the newly independent nation of Mexico had to secure the territory or risk encroachment on its northern border. This compelling volume examines The Alamo within the wider context of the struggle for control of Texas. Chapters explain the events that led to the battle, provide a gripping description of the siege itself with detailed discussions of the primary figures involved, and describe the legacy of this lost battle to American politics and culture.