On February 23, 1836, general and dictator Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and a Mexican force of more than 2,000 men launched an assault against Colonel William B. Travis of Texas, his army of 155 men, and 15 civilians who were living in the fort known as the Alamo. The Texans, who were reinforced by 32 men by March 1, withstood the Mexican army until March 6. That day, the 187 Texan defenders perished in the hand-to-hand combat, including American frontiersmen Davy Crockett and James Bowie, and 600 from the Mexican army were killed as well. Only the civilians survived. At the last battle of the Texas War, the Battle of San Jacinto, General Santa Anna was defeated, and the battle cry ‘Remember the Alamo!’ could be heard being shouted by the Texan army.
The Alamo
examines this heroic episode in the Texas War of Independence against Mexico.