The Alamo, also known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, was built in 1718 by Fray Antonio de Olivares. The present day site of the Alamo, however, was chosen in 1724 and the cornerstone laid in 1744.

Alamo is the Spanish word for cottonwood. It was thought there were cottonwood trees that were adjacent to the mission.

It was originally called Mission San Antonio de Padua.

San Antonio

 Unfortunately, no one from the famous last siege. The bones were shown to be those of Indians who worked and lived at the mission.

 An empresario is a man whom settlers could obtain land from. He brought in the settlers and helped them to become established.

 No, it wasn't.

 There were four other missions...Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion (also known as Concepcion, Texas' oldest unrestored mission); San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo (San Jose which has the famous Rose Window); San Juan Capistrano; and San Francisco de la Espada. Please click HERE for more information on the missions

 The missions with the exception of the Alamo are all parish churches holding regular masses, weddings and other activities.

 The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT)

 The DRT (Daughters of the Republic of Texas) have looked after the Alamo since 1905.

 No, but there are donation boxes at the Alamo which help the DRT preserve this important piece of Texas history as well as donation boxes at all the other missions.

 Thirty-two brave men

 In January 1836 Col. James Neill was in command. He left, leaving James Bowie in charge just as William B. Travis and his regiment arrived. The regular army men wanted Travis in charge, the volunteers wanted Bowie. The two men split the command until Bowie became so sick he had to leave all of it with Travis.

 James Butler Bonham

 No one is sure EXACTLY how many. Reports vary from 182 to 189.

 Tennessee

 His Tennessee Volunteers

 13 days

 90 minutes

 5:00 a.m.

 On or about 3 February 1836

 By the North wall

 Yes, his man-servant, Joe

 No

 His brother Rezin

 Historians say Bowie had either typhoid fever or viral pneumonia

 In front of the Alamo chapel

 Inside the chapel

 He was leading ten defenders, shooting three cannons in three directions from an earthen ramp

 No, the roof was in rubble

 Susannah Dickinson, Travis' manservant Joe, Enrique Esparza and Louis (Moses) Rose

 February 23, 1836

 They ran a red flag from the tower of the San Fernando Cathedral, telling defenders there would be no prisoners taken.

 1,000-1,500

 Goliad and Gonzales

 February 24, 1836

 "To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World - fellow citizens and compatroits"

 Reports varied from 8 to 50.

 None

 La Villita

 Firewood

 The count grew about 3,000

 About three acres

 David Crockett played fiddle and John McGregor played bagpipes

 A fandango

 Capt. Juan Seguin and an aide

 Kentucky long rifles

 Howitzers and cannons

 Thirty-two

 March 1, 1836

 John W. Smith

 Gen. Adrian Woll

 Capt. George Kimball and Capt. Albert Martin

 The flag flown in October...the "Come and Take It." *the famous canon flag*

 Twenty to one

 The General Convention declared Texas free of Mexico's rule.

 One final appeal for help

 John W. Smith

 A line

 For the men to cross if they wanted to stay, knowing the cost was death

 Tarpley Holland

 About one in the morning, March 6

 'Deguello'

 Literally 'throat cutting,' meaning no prisoners would be taken

 Twenty-one cannons loaded with chopped-up horseshoes, nails, and other home-made shrapnel

 A bullet through the head

 The Chapel

 Mostly the women and children of the defenders

 Almeron Dickerson and James Bonham

 Pirates

 Death

 600 Texans, 70 Mexican soldiers with another 300 missing

 William P. Zuber

 Juan de la Pena

 Five days after the battle

Jim Bowie's

 William B. Travis

 James L. Allen

 History depicts him between 16 and 21 years of age.

 Around February 10, 1836

 Col. William B. Travis

 Francisco Ruiz

 No

 One

 Gregorio Esparza

 His brother Francisco

 No, Francisco and other Mexican-Texans were ordered by Santa Anna to hold themselves in case they were needed.

 William Phillip King

 Dr. Amos Pollard

 John W. Baylor who left the Alamo as a courier February 25, 1836.

 James Butler Bonham

 These were citizens of Gonzales who were called into service February 23, 1836. They were the thirty-two defenders who came to the Alamo March 1, 1836.

 Byrd Lockhart

 An irrigation ditch which supplied water to the Alamo

 Santa Anna

William B. Travis

 The Sand Bar Fight

 1828

 The vice-governor's of Coahuila-Texas daughter, Ursula Veramendi

 Dr. John Sutherland

 Susannah Dickinson

 1835

Susannah Dickinson

 

Sam Houston & Davy Crockett were of Scotch-Irish stock, and presumably brought some of that "Luck of the Irish" to the Alamo.

 

 

Texas Quiz

Question 1: All of the above

Question 2: April 21, 1836

Question 3: General George S. Patton

Question 4: Juan N. Seguín

Question 5: Henry McCarty

Question 6: All of the above

Question 7: Joly

Question 8: Katherine Anne Porter - Pale Horse, Pale Rider (1939)

Question 9: Francita Alavez

Question 10: Edmund J. Davis