Transcript Remember the Alamo - Murchison Middle School

The Alamo: What were they thinking?
Sam Houston orders Jim Bowie to
destroy the Alamo

Sam Houston
wants the Alamo
destroyed. Why?
Turn and talk to
your neighbor,
write your
response in your
journal and be
prepared to share
it with the class.
Governor Smith orders William B.
Travis to defend the Alamo

Governor Henry Smith
ordered William B.
Travis to San Antonio
to defend the Alamo.
Why? Turn and talk to
your neighbor, write
your response in your
journal and be
prepared to share it
with the class.
The Alamo Battleground
Santa Anna brings a force of 5,000
men

People of San Antonio
warned Travis that he
couldn’t defend the
Alamo against 5,000
Mexican troops, but he
stayed. WHAT WAS HE
THINKING? Turn and talk
to your neighbor, write
your response in your
journal and be prepared
to share it with the class.
Travis’s Letter

I am besieged with a thousand or more of the Mexicans under
Santa Anna. I have sustained a considerable Bombardment and
cannonade for 24 hours and have not lost a man. The enemy has
demanded surrender at discretion, otherwise the garrison is to be
put to the sword, if the fort is taken. I have answered the demand
with a cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the wall. I
shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of
Liberty, of patriotism, and everything dear to the American
character, to come to our aid with all dispatch. The enemy is
receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three or
four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected I am
determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a
soldier who never forgets which is due his honor and that of his
country.
VICTORY OR DEATH.
To the people of Texas and All
Americans in the World -
Travis sends a letter
to the world seeking
help for the men at
the Alamo, signing off
with “Victory or
Death!” What does he
mean by his closing
statement?
The Travis Letter
How does Travis describe his situation?
 Does Travis intend to surrender?
 What is he calling for in his letter?
 What does he mean when he says,
“Victory or Death!”?
 What was Travis thinking? Turn and talk
to your neighbor, record your response in
your journal and be prepared to discuss.

Santa Anna Comes to San Antonio
Santa Anna sets up at
San Fernando Church
where he can watch
the Alamo
 He ordered the red
flag of “no quarter” to
be flown
 What was Santa Anna
thinking?

Myth or Reality?
According to stories, Travis, knowing that
victory was most likely NOT at hand, drew
a line in the sand and told everyone who
was still with him to cross the line. All but
one did.
 What was Travis thinking? What were the
men thinking?

Did Travis Draw a Line in the Sand?
The Fall of the Alamo
At dawn on March 6, 1836, Santa Anna
ordered his troops to attack the Alamo.
 The Mexican Army had to attack three
times before gaining access to the
garrison.
 By 8 am it was over. All of the Texan
fighters were dead. Women, children, and
slaves were allowed to leave the mission.

Col. Francisco Ruiz, Alcalda of San
Antonio
Ruiz wrote a report to
Santa Anna in the
hours after the fall of
the Alamo
 Ruiz wrote about
Travis, Crockett and
Bowie

Analyze the Ruiz Report
Author
 Place and Time
 Prior Knowledge
 Audience
 Reason
 The Main Idea
 Significance

Answer these Questions about the
Ruiz Report
In your own words, describe the charges on the
fortress as told by Ruiz. What happened to the
Mexican soldiers who were making the charges?
Explain why so many of them might have died in
the charge.
 What was Ruiz ordered to do while the battle
was going on?
 What did Santa Anna specifically request of Ruiz
after the battle?

Ruiz Report questions
What happened to Travis, Bowie and
Crockett?
 How did the Mexican army deal with the
bodies of the dead for each side?
 According to Ruiz, how did the Mexican
army view the defenders of the Alamo?

The Mystery of Davy Crockett’s
Death
Ruiz said he died outside of the Alamo
 Myth said he died swinging his rifle at
Mexican Soldiers as they stormed the
Alamo
 Later diaries report he survived the battle,
was taken to Santa Anna, then executed.
 What do YOU think?

How did the Alamo affect the Texas
Revolution?
What impact did the Fall of the Alamo
have on the rest of the Revolution?
 What became the rallying cry of soldiers in
the Revolution after the fall of the Alamo?
 Santa Anna hoped to prove that it was
futile to try to fight him. Did he prove his
point with the Battle of the Alamo?
