An Educational Guide for Grade 7
AN EDUCATIONAL GUIDE FOR GRADE 7
LEGENDS, HEROES & LEGACY
To Teachers and Students
In the history of Texas, there have never been 13 days as
significant as the Battle of the Alamo.
That is because the Battle of the Alamo was not just an
event that helped put Texans on the path to independence.
It was an event that became a symbol of what it means to be
a Texan.
Every student in the state learns early on to “Remember
the Alamo.”
But what needs to be remembered is more than the
individual names, actions and reactions of the people
involved. Just as important are the motivations of the
Mexican forces led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna,
who sought to preserve the unity of their nation; the conflicts
over land in the history of early Texas; and the commitment
and beliefs of the Alamo defenders who took a stand for
independence.
Most important of all are the spirit and character demonstrated by the Alamo defenders, because those qualities have
come to represent the qualities that Texans take pride in and
seek to live by.
These are the qualities that have made Texans successful
from frontier days to the present.
The courage and determination demonstrated
by those defenders, for example, were the same
that were needed to settle Texas when it was still
undeveloped territory.
The willpower they showed in the face of long
odds was the same willpower needed to become
an independent Republic.
The commitment to their cause — and to each
other — was the same as the commitment needed
to organize and become a state of the United
States.
And the unity and pride they demonstrated
were the same Texas has demonstrated over and
over in efforts to become an economically strong
and successful state.
The spirit of the Alamo lives on because it is the
spirit that Texans LIVE BY.
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The Alamo is not just a landmark in Texas
history. It is a symbol of qualities Texans
seek to live by.
Goals of This Learning Guide.
This Learning Guide has been created to introduce
students to the educational attraction Battle for Texas:
The Experience and to give them greater appreciation
and understanding of what they will see, feel and learn
by visiting.
Battle for Texas: The Experience brings history to life by
taking students inside the Battle of the Alamo to experience
it as the defenders experienced it. It is an immersive
approach in which students will gain greater understanding
not only of WHAT the defenders went through, but HOW they
would have felt going through it.
As students advance through the re-created rooms of the
Alamo, and feel the tensions of the battle rise, they will gain
greater understanding of the hardships the defenders had to
deal with.
They will gain greater understanding of the desperation
that mounted with each passing day.
And by the end of Battle for Texas: The Experience,
students will have gained greater appreciation of the
character and courage of the defenders — and why the spirit
of the Alamo lives on.
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
This guide has been crafted to support the Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards in Social Studies and
English Language Arts and Reading for Grade 7 — one of the two
grades in which Texas students deeply explore Texas history. The
guide contains self-contained learning units that may be
presented as single lessons or as a series of lessons, before,
during or after a visit to Battle for Texas: The Experience. Each
unit contains interpretive text highlighting an aspect of the
attraction. This text may be read by students on their own, read
as a class or presented by the teacher. Each unit also contains
Social Studies and English Language Arts/Reading activities that
will further students’ understanding of the Battle of the Alamo
and the nature of historical and archaeological study through the
artifacts and presentations of Battle for Texas: The Experience.
This Learning Guide is designed to help students understand the role land issues played leading up to the Battle of the Alamo.
§113.19. Social Studies Standards, Grade 7
(a)(1) In Grade 7, students study the history of Texas from early times to the present.
Content is presented with more depth and breadth than in Grade 4. Students
examine the full scope of Texas history, including Natural Texas and its People; Age
of Contact; Spanish Colonial; Mexican National; Revolution and Republic; Early
Statehood; Texas in the Civil War and Reconstruction; Cotton, Cattle, and
Railroads; Age of Oil; Texas in the Great Depression and World War II; Civil Rights
and Conservatism; and Contemporary Texas eras. The focus in each era is on key
individuals, events, and issues and their impact. …
(a)(2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a
variety of rich primary and secondary source material such as biographies, autobiographies, novels, speeches, letters, diaries, poetry, songs, and images is
encouraged. Motivating resources are available from museums, historical sites,
presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.
(b)(1)(A) The student understands traditional historical points of reference in
Texas history. The student is expected to identify the major eras in Texas history,
describe their defining characteristics, and explain why historians divide the past
into eras, including Natural Texas and its People; Age of Contact; Spanish Colonial;
Mexican National; Revolution and Republic; Early Statehood; Texas in the Civil
War and Reconstruction; Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads; Age of Oil; Texas in the
Great Depression and World War II; Civil Rights and Conservatism; and
Contemporary Texas;
(b)(2)(D) The student is expected to identify the individuals, issues, and events
related to Mexico becoming an independent nation and its impact on Texas,
including Texas involvement in the fight for independence, José Gutiérrez de Lara,
the Battle of Medina, the Mexican federal Constitution of 1824, the merger of
Texas and Coahuila as a state, the State Colonization Law of 1825, and slavery;
(b)(2)(E) The student is expected to identify the contributions of significant
individuals, including Moses Austin, Stephen F. Austin, Erasmo Seguín, Martín De
León, and Green DeWitt, during the Mexican settlement of Texas; and
(b)(3)(B) The student is expected to explain the roles played by significant
individuals during the Texas Revolution, including George Childress, Lorenzo de
Zavala, James Fannin, Sam Houston, Antonio López de Santa Anna, Juan N. Seguín,
and William B. Travis;
(b)(3)(C) The student is expected explain the issues surrounding significant
events of the Texas Revolution, including the Battle of Gonzales, William B. Travis’s
letter “To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World,” the siege of the
Alamo and all the heroic defenders who gave their lives there, the Constitutional
Convention of 1836, Fannin’s surrender at Goliad, and the Battle of San Jacinto;
and
(b)(21)(A) The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use
information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety
of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to
differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such
as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies,
interviews, and artifacts to acquire information about Texas;
(b)(21)(D) The student is expected to identify points of view from the historical
context surrounding an event and the frame of reference that influenced the
participants;
(b)(22)(A) The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The
student is expected to use social studies terminology correctly.
(b)(22)(D) The student is expected to create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.
§110.19. English Language Arts and Reading Standards, Grade 7
(b)(10)(A) Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository
text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are
expected to evaluate a summary of the original text for accuracy of the main ideas,
supporting details, and overall meaning.
(b)(10)( (B) Students are expected to distinguish factual claims from commonplace assertions and opinions.
(b)(10)(D) Students are expected to synthesize and make logical connections
between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or
different genres, and support those findings with textual evidence.
(b)(13)(A) Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images,
graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students
will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more
complex texts. Students are expected to interpret both explicit and implicit
messages in various forms of media.
(b)(13)(B) Students are expected to interpret how visual and sound techniques
(e.g., special effects, camera angles, lighting, music) influence the message.
(b)(13)(C) Students are expected to evaluate various ways media influences and
informs audiences.
(b)(15)(B)(i)(ii) Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings
about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to write a
poem using poetic techniques and figurative language.
(b)(16) Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to
write a personal narrative that has a clearly defined focus and communicates the
importance of or reasons for actions and/or consequences.
(b)(17)(A) Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to
communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes.
Students are expected to write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information
about a topic.
(b)(17)(C) Students are expected to write responses to literary or expository
texts that demonstrate the writing skills for multi-paragraph essays and provide
sustained evidence from the text using quotations when appropriate; and
(b)(17)(D) Students are expected produce a multimedia presentation involving
text and graphics using available technology.
(b)(23)(A) Students determine, locate and explore the full range of relevant
sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information
they gather. Students are expected to follow the research plan to gather
information from a range of relevant print and electronic sources using advanced
search strategies.
3
LESSON
ONE
THE POWERFUL
APPEAL
OF LAND
The Texas we know today only became part of the United
States in 1845. How it became the state it is involves the
stories of many people.
For thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, the
land of Texas was the home of Native Americans. At first they
were mostly hunter-gatherers, but about 4,000 years ago
they learned to plant corn, beans and squash and were able
to settle in more permanent communities. When explorers
from the European nation of Spain introduced horses to the
Americas, more warlike tribes like Apaches and Comanches
began to control the western parts of Texas.
After the Spanish conquest of the native Aztec people in
Mexico during the 16th century, Spanish-speaking settlers
called Tejanos began moving northward into the Texas
territory. At first the new settlers were welcomed by the
Native Americans — in fact, the word “Texas” comes from a
native word meaning “friend.” Over time, however, tensions
developed between them.
In an effort to “civilize” the natives, the Spanish established
missions of the Catholic Church. The purpose of the missions
was to convert the Native Americans to Christianity and get
them to adapt to a more European way of life.
One such mission was San Antonio de Valero in Béxar
(pronounced “BAY-har”), which would play a significant role
in the Texas Revolution after being turned into a fort. The
fort got its name from a company of Spanish soldiers
stationed there from the town of Alamo de Parras in Mexico.
They named the mission the Alamo.
Struggles for Settlers
The early Spanish settlers struggled to make a meager
living by growing crops, raising cattle or capturing and
trading wild horses. They lived in simple
houses called “jacales” made of tree
trunks and grasses, or later out of adobe
brick. They often had to fight off attacks
by the tribes of Native Americans, who
increasingly resented their settlement on
tribal hunting lands.
When Mexico won its independence
from Spain in 1821, the new government
began offering large tracts of land in
Texas to “empresarios” — men who
would recruit new settlers by offering
them land at cheap prices. One of the
Early settlers traveling in horse-drawn
covered wagons could only cover
12 to 20 miles per day.
4
first of these empresarios was Stephen F. Austin, who
recruited hundreds of English-speaking Anglo settlers to
move to Texas. These settlers later became known as Texians.
Austin, who is often called the “Father of Texas,” got into
the land business through his father, Moses. His father had
won early approval to be an empresario but died before he
could recruit settlers.
Austin took over the plan started by his father, and
organized a group of 297 families to create the Austin Colony
in East Texas in 1823-24. The success of this group — known
as “the Old Three Hundred” — led Austin to bring 900 more
families to Texas in 1825 and another 800 in 1831.
Austin was a creative salesman with a knack for promotion
that made Texas sound like the greatest opportunity ever. He
knew how to get people to come to Texas and he took steps
to protect them when they arrived. He formed militias to
guard his settlements, which were known as “Ranging
Parties” at first and later as the Texas Rangers.
Conditions for Settlement
The new settlers had to provide letters showing them to be
people of good character. They also had to become Mexican
citizens and convert to the Catholic faith. They came from all
over the United States, sometimes traveling months with
only a few possessions.
In horse-, mule- or ox-drawn wagons, they could only travel
about 2 miles per hour. At that rate, the 80-mile trip from
today’s Austin to San Antonio — which can be covered by car
in just over an hour — would have taken four days or more.
The 275 miles between Dallas and San Antonio would have
taken at least 14 days.
As word spread of the rich, fertile farmland in east Texas,
many Anglo settlers moved to Texas. There they found the
climate and soil ideal for growing cotton. This meant the
introduction of plantations and slavery, which was forbidden
by the Mexican Constitution.
The new Anglo citizens of the Texas territory lived side by
side with the Tejanos. With success of empresarios like
Stephen F. Austin, however, Texians soon outnumbered the
Tejanos. By 1830, there were more than 30,000 Anglo
settlers to only about 4,000 Tejanos.
PROMOTING THE LAND OF TEXAS
The educational attraction Battle for Texas: The Experience
takes visitors inside the Battle of the Alamo. But before that, it
explores the importance of land in the history of Texas. The
activities on this page look at the appeal of owning land in Texas,
and the efforts of empresarios like Stephen F. Austin to recruit
settlers in the years leading up to the Battle of the Alamo.
Objective: To examine marketing, advertising and promotion
techniques in land sales and assess what makes them effective.
TEKS Standards: Social Studies (a)(1); (b)(2)(E); (b)(21)(A);
(b)(22)(A). ELA (b)(10)(B); (b)(10)(D); (b)(13)(A); (b)(13)(C).
Settlers’ Reasons
When You Visit
Stephen F. Austin was a great promoter for the
settlement of Texas. He crafted his appeals, letters and
advertising broadsides to make Texas sound as
desirable as possible. When you visit Battle for
Texas: The Experience, you will hear a recording
showing how Austin might have promoted settling in
Texas, and see broadside advertisements that would
Before You Visit
From frontier times through today, owning land has had great
appeal for Texans. Stephen F. Austin recognized that appeal from
the time he started recruiting settlers to come to the Texas
frontier. Before attending Battle for Texas: The Experience, use
the Internet and other resources to research Austin’s efforts to
recruit settlers and promote ownership of Texas land titles. In
the spaces below, list reasons settlers would have wanted to
come to Texas in Austin’s time. Then use the Internet, newspapers and other resources to research how land and property
sales are promoted today. In the spaces below, list reasons
people would want to own property today. Compare lists and
discuss or write about the biggest differences and similarities.
Reasons Today
be hung in public places to promote settlements. In
the spaces below write down words in the recording
or broadsides that make Texas sound attractive. With
classmates, discuss how the words that were chosen
make being a settler sound appealing. Then discuss
how Austin’s approach compares to the way people
promote ownership of land and property today.
Stephen F. Austin
5
LESSON
TWO
THE ROAD
TO WAR
In U.S. history, the Battle of Lexington launched the
American Revolution when colonial and British forces
exchanged gunfire in the first conflict of the colonies’ War
for Independence.
In Texas history, the Battle of Gonzales holds the same
significance as the trigger of the Texas Revolution.
The events that started there in 1835 would lead to the
Battle of the Alamo less than a year later.
Tensions had been building between Texian and Tejano
settlers and the Mexican government that controlled the
frontier from the moment Mexico became an independent
nation in 1821.
When the Mexican leader, General Antonio López de Santa
Anna became president in 1833, he moved to make a central
government the center of power. In doing this, he suspended
Mexico’s constitution, limited rights of settlers and, most
significant of all, attempted to restrict the size of local
militias that had been set up to protect settlers.
When opponents rebelled in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, Santa Anna’s forces responded brutally, killing rebels
who stood in opposition and ransacking the state capital.
Fearing similar opposition in the Texas frontier, Santa
Anna moved to disarm the Texian settlers and re-establish
a military presence.
He started his campaign by sending Mexican
soldiers to the settlement of Gonzales to retrieve
a cannon that had been given colonists to protect
themselves against Indians.
The Texians, however, refused to give it up, forcing
Santa Anna’s army to send reinforcements. The
settlers responded by putting out a call for volunteers
to oppose the Mexican forces and unfurled a makeshift
flag daring the Mexicans to “Come and Take It.”
On October 2, 1835, a force of 160 Texians attacked
the Mexican forces, and local leader James Clinton Neill
defied the Mexicans by firing at them with the very
cannon they had sought to retrieve. His defiant cannon
shot touched off the Texas Revolution.
The Siege at Béxar
6
Following the victory at Gonzales, Texian men continued to
assemble there and formed the Texian Army. Despite a lack
of military training, the respected Stephen F. Austin was
elected commander.
Stung by the events at Gonzales, Santa Anna sent reinforcements commanded by General Martin Perfecto de Cos to the
Béxar community near the Alamo. Austin led his forces to
confront them there less than two weeks after the conflict
at Gonzales. The Texians were outnumbered, so rather than
engage Mexican troops directly in combat, Austin decided to
cut them off in a siege of the city.
The siege continued from mid-October to December, with
neither side gaining an advantage in scattered fighting.
Austin resigned as commander and Edward Burleson was
Mexican soldiers at the time of the Alamo wore brightly
colored uniforms and hats. Above is a Mexican helmet with
gold-colored trim. At left is a Mexican Infantry shako hat.
elected by the Texians to replace him.
As the siege continued, Texian leaders met in November in
a gathering known as the Consultation at San Felipe and
adopted the “Declaration of the People of Texas.” The
“Declaration” declared that “Texas is no longer morally or
civilly bound by the compact of Union” because Santa Anna
had “overthrown the Federal Institutions of Mexico,”
including the Constitution.
In Béxar, however, both morale and supplies were declining
among the Texians, and with winter approaching Burleson
considered pulling back to the town of Goliad.
Undaunted by the situation, Colonel “Old Ben” Milam
rallied the troops with a call to take the battle to the
Mexicans. Burleson agreed, and on December 5 a surprise
attack was launched by Milam and Colonel Francis Johnson
against targets in the city. The Texians captured and fortified
two houses in the Military Plaza and in the next several days
expanded their positions with hand-to-hand fighting.
Sensing he was losing, General Cos withdrew into the
Alamo complex just outside Béxar.
Cos planned a counterattack but a misunderstanding in
orders prompted his cavalry officers to ride away from the
Alamo to reorganize. That left the Mexican force severely
weakened at the Alamo, and Cos concluded he had no choice
but to surrender.
The decision would have significant consequences.
Santa Anna was outraged that Cos had surrendered,
leaving all of Texas under Texian control.
He immediately began organizing his army to move north
to deal with the rebellious Texians once and for all.
Two months later, Santa Anna’s forces would battle the
Texians again at the Alamo — with a far different outcome.
HOW THEY CAME TO WAR
The educational attraction Battle for Texas: The Experience
takes visitors inside the Battle of the Alamo. It also explains the
events that led up to the battle so that visitors will understand
what motivated both the Texians and Mexicans to act as they did.
The activities on this page track the events that led up to the
Battle of the Alamo and explore the motivations and commitments of Texians supporting the cause of independence.
Objective: To examine how the primary sources of documents
and artifacts express the commitment and character of the
defenders of the Alamo.
TEKS Standards: Social Studies (a)(1); (a)(2); (b)(2)(D); (b)
(3)(C), (b)(21)(A). ELA (b)(10)(A); (b)(17)(A); (b)(23)(A).
important is the “Declaration of the People of Texas,” which is
displayed outside a re-creation of the command tent of the
Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna. In this re-created
document, the people of Texas “SOLEMNLY DECLARE … that they
have taken up arms in defence of their rights and liberties which
were threatened by the encroachments of military despots…”
Read the Declaration carefully and use the spaces below to
summarize four of the things the Texians publicly declared in it.
Compare lists as a class and discuss why each item you listed
was important to the Texians.
Among the more than 250 rare artifacts on display in Battle
for Texas: The Experience are letters, notes, drawings, posters
and publications that reveal the feelings of the people who
fought at the Alamo and the battles that led up to it. Other
documents have been re-created in the style and format
presented to Texians living at that time. One of the most
2.
When You Visit
1.
3.
4
Did the Texians declare their independence from Mexico in the Declaration?
Yes
No
Why do you think they made that decision?
After You Visit
Original letters, notes, drawings, posters and publications are called “primary sources” because they came directly from the people
who created them. In the displays of Battle for Texas: The Experience find, read or study a primary source item and use the spaces
below to make notes on why it was important. When you return to your classroom, re-read the introduction to this activity and do
additional research to learn more about the person who created or used the item. Use your notes and research to write a paragraph or
short essay discussing what the item reveals about the motivation, feelings and beliefs of the person who created or used it. Illustrate
your essay with drawings or photos from the Internet, if you like.
7
LESSON
THREE
THE
STRATEGIES
OF THE ALAMO
At the time of the Battle of the Alamo, warfare was much
different than it is today. There were no smart bombs, or
drones, or jet fighters that allowed armies to fight each other
from a distance.
The fighting usually was face-to-face, and the outcome
often came down to which side had the most soldiers — and
used them most effectively.
At the Alamo, the Mexican army of General Antonio López
de Santa Anna had a huge advantage in manpower, outnumbering the Texian and Tejano defenders by more than 10 to 1.
And Santa Anna used his more than 2,000 soldiers effectively
as he lay siege to the former religious mission defended by
fewer than 200 volunteers.
From a strategy standpoint, the Alamo was not an easy
place to defend.
Converted to a military garrison just 30 years earlier, the
Alamo stretched out over three acres of space and had more
than 1,320 feet of outer walls to defend. For a force of fewer
than 200, that meant there was more than 6 feet of perimeter
for each soldier to defend — and multiple soldiers were
needed to man each of the 18 workable cannons the
volunteers had.
In addition, the Alamo’s outer walls had not been designed
for fighting, and the Texians had to add catwalk platforms to
allow defenders to fire their guns over the top. That unfortunately exposed the defenders to gunfire from the opposition,
a situation that proved deadly to the Texian forces in the
battle.
8
The heroes of the Alamo were forced into close-range fighting.
Need high Res.
The layout of the Alamo posed great challenges for defenders.
The Texians were well aware of the shortcomings of the
Alamo — they had defeated the Mexican forces that had held
the mission just two and a half months earlier to end the
Siege of Béxar.
But leaders like Colonel James C. Neill and commanders
James Bowie and William B. Travis felt the Alamo had
strategic importance for stopping the advance of Mexican
forces.
They vowed to defend it, even though they were painfully
short of both men and supplies. That they managed to do
so for 13 days without reinforcements was a remarkable
achievement.
Santa Anna’s Strategy
Santa Anna, meanwhile, knew he had the advantage
in manpower and methodically planned how to use it.
He also knew that if the Texians got no reinforcements,
time was on his side.
When he arrived at the Alamo on February 23, he had
1,500 soldiers. Within a day more than 600 others arrived,
and more were on the way.
He set up artillery batteries at three positions outside the
Alamo walls and each night moved them closer. He had the
artillery cannons fire through the night, disrupting the sleep
of the Texians. With plenty of soldiers, Santa Anna stationed
troops on the roads to Gonzales and Goliad, blocking
communications and supplies from both communities.
On the night of March 5, Santa Anna informed his men that
they would assault the Alamo early the next day. He also
ordered the artillery shelling to stop. Many of the exhausted
Texians fell asleep, giving Santa Anna’s forces an advantage.
At 5:30 a.m. the next morning Santa Anna’s troops
advanced silently on the Alamo. Many Texians were still
sleeping. The first two assaults against the outer walls were
unsuccessful, but a third found a weakness and the Mexicans
broke through.
With greater numbers, they moved room by room, killing
Texian defenders or forcing them into the Alamo chapel.
They turned the Texians’ own cannon against the chapel
doors, breaking through and ending the battle.
The fighting was over in just 90 minutes.
THE KEYS TO VICTORY
The educational attraction Battle for Texas: The Experience
takes visitors inside the Battle of the Alamo in a way that makes
them feel part of the action. Visitors can explore various rooms
to see the quarters of the Texian defenders, and get an overview
of the layout of the Alamo. The activities on this page challenge
students to think like military strategists and assess the layout of
the Alamo from the perspectives of both defenders and attackers.
Objective: To examine how military strategies affect the
conduct and outcome of conflicts and determine which were
most important at the Alamo.
TEKS Standards: Social Studies (a)(1); (a)(2); (b)(3)(C); (b)
(10)(D); (b)(21)(A); (b)(21)(D); (b)(22)(D). ELA (b)(10)(A); (b)
(17)(D).
When You Visit
What is the first thing you notice
about the layout of the Alamo?
What things would
make it hard to attack?
How could that have
affected the battle there?
If you were defending the Alamo,
what would you focus on, and why?
What things about the Alamo
would help the Texians defend it?
If you were attacking the Alamo,
what would you focus on, and why?
What things would make it hard to defend?
Next study the weapons on display that the defenders and
attackers used. Discuss how the weapons worked and how easy
it was to use or move them. Pick one weapon and answer these
questions:
What things would help
the Mexicans attack the Alamo?
Battle for Texas: The Experience uses maps, diagrams and
illustrations to let visitors see with their own eyes the layout of
the fort, the challenges Texians faced defending it and the
obstacles Mexican forces had to deal with when attacking it.
Think like a military strategist and study the maps, diagrams and
illustrations of the Alamo buildings and grounds. Answer the
questions below while you observe.
How was it most helpful to
those fighting at the Alamo?
How could it have limited or held
back those fighting at the Alamo?
After You Visit
When you return to class, review your answers to the questions above and think about other things you observed about fighting at
the Alamo. Re-read the introduction to these activities. Then think like a military strategist and prepare a multi-media presentation
using PowerPoint, photos, audio or video to show your “findings” about the strengths and weaknesses of the Alamo for both the
defenders and the attackers.
9
LESSON
FOUR
WHAT IT
FELT LIKE
UNDER SIEGE
In the middle of the siege at the Battle of the Alamo,
commander William B. Travis smuggled out an appeal for
help. It became famous in Texas history for how it showed
the bravery, passion and sense of duty of the defenders of
the Alamo.
Addressing “the People of Texas & all Americans in the
world,” Travis wrote “I call on you in the name of Liberty, of
patriotism, & of everything dear to the American character,
to come to our aid. … If this call is neglected, I am determined
to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who
never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his
country. …”
He signed the letter “Victory or Death … William Barret
Travis.”
Travis’ appeal never attracted the support he needed, even
though Texian leaders declared independence and formed
the provisional Texas government while the Alamo was
under siege. Thirty-two men from the town of Gonzales
joined the defenders, but the new Texas government did not
send reinforcements or supplies. Others who might have
given support didn’t receive the news until after the Alamo
had fallen.
The bravery of the defenders of the Alamo, and their
commitment to the cause of independence, inspired fellow
Texans during the Texas Revolution. And it continues to
inspire Texans today.
What did it feel like to be under siege and face long, long
odds for success?
The Texians at the Alamo were outnumbered more than 10
to 1 by the forces of Mexican General Antonio López de Santa
Anna. From the start of the siege they knew they faced a “do
or die” situation.
Santa Anna’s pistol is on display at Battle for
Texas: The Experience, along with his sword
and scabbard.
10
Alamo defenders used Bowie knives,
such as this one owned by Colonel James C. Neill.
On the first day, Santa Anna raised a blood-red flag
announcing he would grant “no quarter” and kill any Texian
who surrendered or was captured. The Texians defiantly
fired a cannon in response.
The situation grew more difficult by the day.
Though the reinforcements from Gonzales joined the
defenders, other promised reinforcements didn’t show up.
Food supplies ran low, and there was not enough to eat.
There was not enough ammunition and gunpowder. When
temperatures became frigid, the Texians were driven back
by Mexican soldiers when they went out to find firewood to
burn and keep warm.
And no one inside the Alamo could escape the sound of
bombardment from cannons and the crack of gunshots.
Twenty-four-year old Daniel William Cloud knew what was
in store even before the siege began.
“If we fail, death in the cause of liberty and humanity is not
cause for shuddering,” he wrote to his brother. “Our rifles are
by our sides and choice guns they are; we know what awaits
us and are prepared to meet it.”
And yet, the 200 Texians and Tejanos defending the Alamo
remained united. On the day before the final battle, when it
was clear an assault was coming from the Mexicans, Travis
offered the Texians a chance to leave.
Legend has it he drew a line in the sand and asked the
Texian volunteers to step across it if they were committed
to stay and fight. Only one Texian did not.
Before dawn the next morning, the Mexicans attacked
to the sound of bugles and cries of “Viva Santa Anna!”
Travis sprang into position, shouting “Come on boys, the
Mexicans are upon us and we’ll give them HELL!”
Though greatly outnumbered, the Texians fought off two
assaults by the Mexican soldiers. On the third, Santa Anna’s
troops broke through and fought room by room until all
Texian defenders had been killed.
Santa Anna’s victory was short-lived, however.
Less than two months later, Texian forces led by General
Sam Houston cornered Santa Anna’s army at the Battle of
San Jacinto.
Surprised by the Texian attack, Santa Anna’s army was
defeated in 18 minutes and the general himself was captured.
Throughout the battle, the Texians fought fiercely to cries
of “Remember the Alamo!”
A BATTLE CLOSING IN
The educational attraction Battle for Texas: The Experience
re-creates what it felt like to be under siege for 13 days. Visitors
hear the sounds of gunfire, smell the smell of gunpowder and
experience how difficult it was to move cannons into place and
reload frontier rifles. They get to experience the cramped
quarters in which the Texians lived and hear the sounds of
Mexican soldiers pounding at the doors. They feel what the
Texians felt as the battle closed in on them day after day. The
activities on this page examine how the sights, sounds and
environment of the Battle of the Alamo affected participants.
Objective: To analyze the experience of the Battle of the Alamo
through personal responses and emotions.
TEKS Standards: Social Studies (a)(1); (a)(2); (b)(2)(D); (b)
(3)(B); (b)(3)(C); (b)(21)(D); (b)(22)(A). ELA (b)(10)(D); (b)
(13)(A); (b)(13)(B).
When You Visit
Battle for Texas: The Experience immerses visitors in
the sights and sounds of the Battle of the Alamo. It has been
designed so that visitors will feel what the Alamo defenders
felt inside the walls. As you travel from room to room and
experience the different phases of the battle, pretend you are a
defender of the Alamo. Use the spaces below to write adjectives
that describe how you feel in each room or situation.
Viewing the layout of the Alamo:
Colonel Travis’s Room:
Jim Bowie’s Room:
Davy Crockett’s Room:
The Barracks:
The Sacristy Chapel:
The Gauntlet:
The Roll Call of the Dead:
Talk with your classmates about how you feel at each stage.
After You Visit
When you return to your classroom, review the adjectives you wrote down at each stage of your visit, and re-read the introduction
to these activities. Think about how you would have felt had you been a defender at the Alamo. Use your adjectives and other feelings
you have to write a letter home to your family, detailing how you would have felt as a defender. Illustrate your letter with drawings, if
you wish.
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LESSON
FIVE
TEXAS PRIDE:
HOPES FOR
THE FUTURE
When You Visit
One-hundred-eighty years after it took place, the Battle
of the Alamo continues to inspire Texans of all ages. The
courage and character and sense of duty demonstrated by
the Texian and Tejano defenders are still models of behavior
that Texans aspire to achieve, now and in the future. For that
reason, Battle for Texas: The Experience does not end with
the closing gunshots of that milestone event in state history.
It ends with a “Texas Pride” display that showcases notable
Texans and achievements that have taken place since the
Alamo. And it challenges visitors to consider how the lessons
of the Alamo can inspire achievements in the future. The
activities on this page examine the challenges and opportunities Texas faces in the future, and how each student can play
a role in meeting them.
Objective: To analyze how the contributions of people in
different career fields have shaped Texas history and how
people of different fields will contribute to future achievements of the state.
TEKS Standards: Social Studies (a)(1); (a)(2); (b)(1)(A);
(b)(21)(A); (b)(22)(A); (b)22)(D). ELA (b)(15)(B)(i); (b)(15)
(B)(ii); (b)(16); (b)(17)(A); (b)(17)(C).
Fields of Achievement
At the “Texas Pride” display, closely study the people,
achievements and career fields that are featured. In the
spaces below, write out different fields of achievement that
are represented and why they are important to Texas history
and success. Write out which field has been most important,
and why. Then write out what field you think will be most
important over the next 20 years of your life.
Most Important Field
Most Important Future Field
After Your Visit
Everyone can play a role shaping the future of Texas. The students of today will be the leaders of tomorrow — in government,
business, technology, the arts and many other fields. When you return to class, think about the achievements showcased in the
“Texas Pride” display of Battle for Texas: The Experience. Then think about your talents and interests and how they could
help shape the future of Texas. Write a life plan detailing what you would like to do to make Texas’ future brighter. If you are
feeling creative, write your life plan in the form of a poem, song, rap or rhyme. Share plans with your classmates and discuss
the opportunities the future will bring.
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This educational guide for Battle for Texas: The Experience was created by www.HollisterCreative.com.
The writers were Peter Landry and David Woods of Hollister Creative.
The education editors were Martin Vasquez and David Cohen of BASE Entertainment.