06/03/2026
After 13 days of besieging by the Mexican army, the Alamo fell on this day in 1836.
The Alamo ’s history began in 1718, when it was established as Mission San Antonio de Valero. Construction at its present location was complete in 1724.
The complex’s use as a fortress began in 1803, a decade after the mission was secularized. At that time, a company of Spanish soldiers, known as Álamo de Parras, used the old mission as a barracks. Over the following years, Spanish and Mexican forces fought to control what by this point was called the Alamo.
By 1836, the Texas Revolution was underway. Mexican Gen. Santa Anna and his army entered San Antonio on February 23, and surrounded the Alamo, where commanders James Bowie and William B. Travis were stationed with about 150 men, along with some women and children who went to the fort for safety. Additional soldiers from Gonzales arrived days later, bringing the number of Alamo defenders to just under 200. The Mexican forces numbered about 1,800.
The final battle, begun on the morning of March 6, lasted about an hour and a half. The last fighting took place in the old mission chapel, the building which is now recognized worldwide as The Alamo.
Walk through the Texas Revolution and experience the Republic era of Texas through these famous sites: https://texastimetravel.com/experience-the-republic-era-of-texas/
📸: UTSA Special Collections
