Honoring the states we serve · Texas

The Alamo: From Spanish Mission to the Shrine of Texas Liberty

In the heart of downtown San Antonio stands a weathered limestone church with a curved stone front known around the world. Built as a Spanish mission in the 1700s, it became the site of the 1836 battle whose memory helped win Texas its independence. "Remember the Alamo" still carries meaning almost two centuries later.

The limestone front of the Alamo church in San Antonio, with its curved top and carved doorway, under a clear blue sky — The Alamo · San Antonio, Texas. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress (public domain).

A mission before it was a fortress

The Alamo began in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero, founded by Spanish Franciscans on the San Antonio River. For about seventy years it was home to missionaries and the Native American families who lived and worked there. Its stone church was begun in the mid-1700s, and in 1793 the mission was secularized and its lands divided.

In the early 1800s a Spanish cavalry company from Álamo de Parras, in Coahuila, was stationed in the old mission. The soldiers' hometown gave the place the name it has carried ever since: the Alamo.

Thirteen days in 1836

By 1835 Texas was in open revolt against Mexico's central government. In February 1836, General Antonio López de Santa Anna arrived in San Antonio with a large army. Inside the Alamo, fewer than two hundred defenders, under Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis and Colonel James Bowie, prepared to hold the old mission. Among them was the famous frontiersman and former congressman David Crockett, along with Tejano volunteers who fought for Texas.

The siege began on February 23, 1836. The next day Travis wrote his famous letter "To the People of Texas and all Americans in the World," asking for help and signing it "Victory or Death." On March 2, while the siege went on, delegates at Washington-on-the-Brazos declared Texas independent. Before dawn on March 6, after thirteen days, Santa Anna's army stormed the walls, and nearly all of the defenders were killed.

Six weeks later, on April 21, 1836, Sam Houston's army attacked Santa Anna at San Jacinto with the cry "Remember the Alamo!" The Texan victory there secured independence and gave birth to the Republic of Texas.

The Alamo today

The church and Long Barrack are what remain of the mission and the battle. Today the Alamo belongs to the State of Texas and is cared for by the Texas General Land Office. In 2015 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with the four other Spanish missions of San Antonio.

Planning your visit

Address: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205.
Hours, tours and reservations: check thealamo.org before you go.
Nearby: the River Walk is a few blocks away, and the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park protects the city's other four missions along the river.

Making a home in Texas

San Antonio blends three centuries of history with fast-growing neighborhoods, from historic districts near downtown to newer communities across Bexar County and the Hill Country. Beyond Financing, Inc. is licensed in Texas as a mortgage broker and correspondent lender. Whether you are buying your first home, are self-employed, or file taxes with an ITIN, our team will compare programs from several lenders and explain every step in English, Português or Español.

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Sources

American Battlefield Trust, "Siege of the Alamo"
The Alamo (Texas General Land Office), thealamo.org
HISTORY.com, "The Alamo"
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, San Antonio Missions

Part of our series honoring the communities in the nine states where Beyond Financing, Inc. is licensed. Beyond Financing, Inc., NMLS #2394496. Equal Housing Opportunity. This is not a commitment to lend; all loans are subject to credit approval and program guidelines. Not affiliated with the Alamo, the Texas General Land Office, or Beyond Finance, LLC.