The Alamo is NOT an "Over-Rated Tourist Attraction"

I signed onto Yahoo a bit ago to check my email and the first thing that greated my eyes was a photograph of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, beneath a banner headline that read, "U.S.'s Most Over-Rated Tourist Attractions."

Apparently the writer, Andew Harper, feels that the Alamo (along with seven other famous American points of interest) is not worth the time of day. He basically described it as a "few small stone buildings and some neatly trimmed lawns."

Andrew Harper, by the way, is not even his real name. Its the fake identity for a writer who describes himself as a "gentleman traveler."

I am not a Texan but I have a few words for Mr. Harper: Don't mess with Texas!

Insulting the memory of the men who fought and died at the Alamo is not the act of a real gentleman.

Tourists visit the Alamo, but it is not a "tourist attraction." The Alamo is a shrine, preserved to remind us all of the heroism that took place in and around those "few small stone buildings." It is a place where men gave their lives for what they believed. It is a place where Anglo, Tejano and African-American Texans fought side by side against what they considered a tyrannical government and where Mexican soldiers, many of them from the poorest villages in Mexico, fought bravely and died in the service of their country.

To call the Alamo an "over-rated tourist attraction" is an insult not just to the men of both sides who fought and died there, it is an insult to all people of any generation who fought for their countries. The places where men spilled their blood are sacred. It is a shame that too many Americans - Mr. Harper, for example - no longer appreciate that fact.

While it is often crowded and only a few of its blood-stained buildings remain, the Alamo is a place to pay tribute to those who came before us, those who gave their lives in the service of greater causes. We can never honor them enough. The words of critics like Andrew Harper will come and go, but the memory of the deeds performed by the men who fought at the Alamo will last forever.

You can learn more about what happened and why the Alamo is such a special place in Texas and American history by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/alamo1.

San Antonio, Texas - Part Five

San Antonio's most famous landmark, of course, is the Alamo. The scene of an epic battle in 1836, the old mission actually has a long and multi-cultural history.

Authorized in 1716, the mission of San Antonio de Valero (today's Alamo) slowly became a reality over the next three decades. The present site was selected in 1724 and the cornerstone of the current structure was laid in 1744.

The oldest of five missions built to serve the Native American population of the San Antonio area, Mission San Antonio de Valero was the center of a large an active community. The friars provided religious instruction to their converts, but also supervised large farming operations and other aspects of community life.

After nearly 50 years of service, the old mission was abandoned by the Church in 1793. Ten years later it was occupied by the Spanish military. Among the units assigned there was the Second Flying Company of Alamo de Parras and many believe it was from this company that the name "Alamo" originated. Others believe it was adapted from the Spanish name for a grove of cottonwood trees that grew near the old structure.

In 1835 the converted mission was occupied by revolutionary forces from Texas and in 1836, of course, it was the scene of the monumental 13-day Battle of the Alamo when General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna attacked the small garrison there.

Today, the Alamo is the centerpiece of San Antonio and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. To learn more about San Antonio and the Alamo, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sanantonio.

San Antonio, Texas - Part Four

One of the most beautiful urban settings in the world, the San Antonio River Walk has delighted millions of visitors to the beautiful old Texas city.

For hundreds of years the San Antonio River was a vital water source for the community of San Antonio and the Indian villages that existed at the site before the arrival of the Spanish soldiers and missionaries. Not only did the river provide drinking water, it was also a source for irrigation of fields planed along its banks.

Over the years, though, the river also brought its share of misery to San Antonio. Annual floods caused great hardships and at times left death and destruction in their wake. In 1921, for example, a horrible flood killed more than 50 people in San Antonio and left millions of dollars of damage in its wake. The flood also left behind a desire on the part of the people of San Antonio to do something about the remarkable, but deadly, natural resource that flowed through their city.

After much debate, the dream of architect Robert H.H. Hugman to create a waterfront that he thought could rival the beauty of the Italian city of Venice became the driving force behind the San Antonio River Walk project.

The River Walk now encompasses 13 miles of land on both sides of the river, right through the heart of downtown San Antonio. Not only does it link numerous historic sites, it also provides a center for entertainment, art, dining, shopping and more.

To learn more about this remarkable free attraction in the heart of historic San Antonio, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sariverwalk.

San Antonio, Texas - Part Three

The beautiful old "Spanish Governor's Palace" in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the most striking buildings of Spanish architecture in the South.

Begun during the 1720s and probably completed in 1749, the building was actually the residence and office of the commandant of the Spanish garrison in San Antonio. In 1772, the captain of the San Antonio garrison also became the governor of Texas, and it is likely that the name "Spanish Governor's Palace" dates from that time.

The structure served military purposes for almost 100 years, but by 1821 had become the civilian residence of the former captain of the presidio (fort), Ignacio Perez. His family lived in the palace for many years. It later served a variety of roles, ranging from saloon to pawn shop.

Acquired by the city of San Antonio in 1928 and beautifully restored, the "Spanish Governor's Palace" is now a museum. Located at 105 Military Plaza in downtown San Antonio, it is one of the more economical such attractions in the South. The cost to visit is only $2 for adults, $1.50 for senior citizens and children ages 7-13. Children 6 and under are admitted free.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/governorspalace.

San Antonio, Texas - Part Two

The beautiful San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio is one the most beloved structures in Texas.

The cornerstone for the magnificent building was laid in 1738 and the dome of the original church was the point from which all distances were measured during the Spanish occupation of Texas. In 1836, when the church was nearly 100 years old, it played a critical role in the Battle of the Alamo. Mexican commander General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna raised a blood red flag from the original church tower to warn the defenders of the Alamo that they could expect no quarter.

After the battle, the remains of the Alamo defenders were gathered from the ashes of Santa Anna's funeral pyres and buried in the church. They were discovered in 1936 and are now housed in a marble casket on display at San Fernando.

The church was greatly enlarged during the late 19th century, but some of the original walls are still intact. It became a cathedral in 1874. Pope John Paul II visited San Fernando Cathedral in 1987.

To learn more about this beautiful old San Antonio landmark, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sanfernando.

San Antonio, Texas - Part One

This week we'll be looking closer at the magnificent and historic city of San Antonio, Texas.

Founded on the site of earlier Indian villages during the early 1700s, San Antonio holds a special place in both Southern and American history. Established by the Spanish as a mission center and presidio (fort), the city was already over 100 years old by the time of the Texas Revolution in 1835-1836. The remains of five beautiful old Spanish missions can still be seen in San Antonio, as can the historic "Spanish Governor's Palace" which appears to have been completed in 1749.

San Antonio, of course, was the scene of a monumental battle during the Texas Revolution when a small band of heroes defended the Alamo, a fortified old mission, against an also brave but overwhelming Mexican army led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The Alamo fell on March 6, 1836 and the bodies of such noted American frontiersmen as Jim Bowie, David Crockett and William B. Travis were found in the rubble. They chose to go down fighting rather than surrender (Note: Please click here to read more about the true facts of Crockett's death).

The chapel and long barrack of the Alamo still stand in the heart of downtown San Antonio and the remains of the Alamo heroes are enshrined at the nearby San Fernando Cathedral.

There are many other points of historic interest in San Antonio, among them the Alamo Cenotaph and the city's famed River Walk. To learn more about this wonderful city, please check back over the coming days. Until then you can read more by visiting our new San Antonio pages at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sanantonio.

Memorial Day, Part Five - The Alamo, Texas

Continuing our special Memorial Day series, there are few places in the world as recognizable or moving as an old mission chapel in the heart of San Antonio, Texas.

Since it fell to overwhelming odds on a cold March morning in 1836, the Alamo has been a focal point of emotion. And despite revisionist history that often seems pre-determined to tear apart its story rather than interpret it, the Alamo still stands as a dramatic symbol of liberty and a fight for independence.

Originally built during the 1700s as Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo originally served as a place of peace. Resident friars ministered to local Native Americans, working to bring the Indians to Christianity and helping them raise better crops for the support of their community and families. Its Christian purposes fulfilled, the mission was abandoned by the Church in 1793 and for a decade was allowed to crumble.

In 1803, however, it gained new life as a military post. Assigned to the original garrison was the Second Flying Company from the Alamo de Parras area of Mexico. Some believe it was from the presence of this unit that the structure gained its present name, but others believe the name originated from the Spanish name for a grove of cottonwood trees that once grew on the site.

Captured in 1835 by Texas revolutionaries, the old mission soon became the scene of a monumental battle. In February and March of 1836, a small garrison of defenders held the crumbling mission against an overwhelming Mexican army led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. For thirteen days the mission held out against determined and brave attacks by Santa Anna's troops.

On the final day of the battle, Santa Anna attacked the Alamo from all four sides. Mexican soldiers went up and over the walls in a bloody battle to the death. By the time the bloodshed ended, only two men who took up arms in defense of the mission are known to have survived: a Tejano patriot who was confused for a Mexican prisoner of war and Joe, a man who had been a slave of Colonel William B. Travis until the fall of the Alamo. Several women and children also survived. Lying dead at their posts, however, were such men as the famed frontiersman David Crockett, Alamo commander William B. Travis, famed knife inventor Jim Bowie and many others.

The Alamo today is a shrine located in the heart of downtown San Antonio. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/alamo1.

The Alamo - San Antonio, Texas

If you've been watching television today, you have probably seen video of the massive Tea Party at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Thousands of people were on hand but, uniquely, they did not walk on the grass in front of the historic chapel.

In Texas, the Alamo is sacred ground. Originally built as the Spanish mission San Antonio de Valero, the complex was later converted into a fortified post by Spanish soldiers. In 1835 it was captured by Texans and in February and march of 1836, because the setting for one of the most dramatic events in American history.

For thirteend days, a force of fewer than 200 volunteers held the Alamo against overwhelming odds as thousands of Mexican troops led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna attacked the crumbling mission. Their stand was among the most heroic in American history and the defenders included Texas-born Tejanos, volunteers from across the South and at least one free African American. Leaders inside the mission included William B. Travis, David Crockett and Jim Bowie.

The defenders held out knowing that they would die if the Alamo fell. Santa Anna had raised a blood red flag of no quarter from a church tower in San Antonio. Instead of slipping away while they still could, however, Travis and his men remained and fought to the death. With the exception of a few noncombatants, a Tejano soldier who was mistaken for a Mexican prisoner of war and possibly one man that went over the wall on the last night, every man in the Alamo died.

In recent decades, revisionists have tried to recast the nature of the fight at the Alamo, even using extremely sketchy evidence to suggest that David Crockett surrendered near the end of the battle. The strongest evidence, however, indicates that Crockett went down fighting and despite such efforts, the story of the Alamo remains one of the most inspiring in American history.

To learn more, please visit our new Alamo pages at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/alamo1.

Spring Travel Part Fourteen: The Alamo

Very few Americans with so much as a passing interest in history do not recognize this structure in downtown San Antonio, Texas on sight.

It is, of course, the historic Alamo chapel. Once part of a much larger mission complex, the chapel is one of the most famous landmarks in the United States.

A small force of Texas revolutionaries held the fortified mission against a much larger Mexican army for nearly two weeks in February and March of 1836. It was one of the most heroic "last stands" in American history.

The battle for the Alamo has been the focus of a great deal of revisionist history over the last couple of decades, but the simple fact remains that on this ground a small group of men held out to the last against overwhelming forces, giving their lives for what they believed. The men of both sides fought bravely in the battle and it did indeed play a large role in determining the future of Texas and the United States.

To read more about the Alamo and see additional photographs, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/alamo1.

Our spring travel series will continue.

Remember the Alamo! - Fall of the Texas shrine took place 172 years ago today

On this date in history, 172 years ago, the Alamo was stormed and captured by Mexican soldiers during the Texas Revolution.

The attack took place before daylight on the morning of March 6, 1836 when General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna sent four columns of troops to attack the old fortified mission. The battle was bloody for both sides, but when the smoke cleared, the defenders of the Alamo had been wiped out. Among the dead were such legendary American heroes as David Crockett, Jim Bowie and William Barret Travis.

To read more about this epic American battle, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/alamo1.

Remembering the Alamo

In the year 1836, this date (March 5th) was the last full day of life for the defenders of the Alamo. By sunrise the next morning, they would fall and begin their journey from revolutionaries and soldiers to legends.

After nearly two weeks of siege, the Mexican army had tightened its ring around the fortified mission in San Antonio, Texas, and on March 5, 1836, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna met with his staff and made his final decision to carry the Alamo by storm. He would attack before dawn the next morning.

To read more about the Alamo and see additional photos of this Texas shrine, please visit our Alamo pages at www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Just follow the link and look for the Alamo picture and heading.

The Alamo - San Antonio, Texas

This week marks the 172nd anniversary of the Siege and Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.

The story is one of the best known in American history. A small band of around 200 soldiers and volunteers, along with a few civilian women and children, held the Alamo for nearly two weeks against the overwhelming force of the Mexican Army. When the smoke finally cleared on March 6, 1836, the defenders lay dead and the armies of both sides had entered the story of one of the most heroic events in American history. David Crockett (who never went by the name "Davy Crockett"), Jim Bowie, William Barret Travis and scores of others were among the killed.

We recently added new Alamo pages at www.exploresouthernhistory.com, so if you would like to read more about this famous battle and see additional photos of the Alamo as it appears today, just click here and look for the Alamo heading.

Alamo pages now online!

Our new section on the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, are now up and online at http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/.

We will expand this section more as the month goes along, but so far we have up the Alamo main page, a page exploring the historical backgrounds of the Alamo, a page on the siege of the Alamo and a page on the evidence surrounding the death of David Crockett.

Be sure to drop in and take a look! Our thanks also to Bruce Schulze of www.civilwaralbum.com for the new photographs of the Alamo included on our pages.

New Home Page is Up

Our new home page is up at www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Drop by and let us know what you think!

We are also in the process of adding a number of new pages to the site. Among them are visits to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, the Corinth and Grand Gulf battlefields in Mississippi and more! These pages will come fully online this week!