The Alamo
The Alamo was the site of one of the most
dramatic battles of the Texas Revolution, which
involved Texans fighting for independence from
Mexico. Although Mexican general Antonio
López de Santa Anna's forces eventually crushed
the defenders at the Alamo, the 13-day siege
quickly became enshrined as one of America's
most heroic moments.
In the early days of the Texas Revolution, a
provisional government had been established to
organize resistance against the Mexicans, and
Sam Houston was named the commander of the
Texan Army. Believing San Antonio to be too
isolated to defend successfully, Houston sent
Jim Bowie to withdraw the garrison stationed
there. Bowie, however, became enamored of an
abandoned mission in the town that had served
for decades as a barracks for Mexican troops:
the mission San Antonio de Valero, better
known as the Alamo. Bowie sent word to
Houston that he would stay and defend the
Alamo. Just more than 150 men, including
legendary frontiersman Davy Crockett, were in
the Alamo when Santa Anna arrived on
February 23, 1836.
Santa Anna quickly ordered his force,
numbering 4,000 to 6,000 men, to surround the
Alamo. He then began a round-the-clock
bombardment to which the defenders were
barely able to respond. They had cannon, but
gunpowder was in painfully short supply. The
walls were not sufficiently stout to withstand
artillery fire for any great length of time.
On the night of March 5, the bombardment
ceased. In the darkness, the Mexican troops
quietly positioned themselves for a dawn attack.
The darkness, coupled with the inexperience of
many of the Mexican troops, combined to make
the opening assault unsuccessful, but the
Mexicans reformed and on their second attempt,
breached the walls. Once inside, they had the
Texans so outnumbered that the conclusion was
foregone.
The men inside the church building held out
the longest but did not have the firepower to
survive. By 8:00 A.M., it was all over. All 187
Texan defenders, including Bowie and Crockett,
were killed. Various estimates put the number of
Mexican Army casualties at anywhere from 600
to 2,000.
Adapted from
"Alamo." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 25 May 2011.
Although the Alamo siege slowed the
Mexican campaign less than two weeks, it
provided the spark that motivated many to join
Houston's motley force. The fall of the Alamo
became a rallying cry ("Remember the Alamo")
for those fighting to secure Texas' independence.
Main Idea
_______1. Mark the main idea.
a. The Alamo marked the beginning of the
end of the Texas Revolution.
b. The Alamo was the final battle needed
for Texas independence.
c. Despite heavy losses by the Texans, the
Alamo served to inspire the Texas Army
in seeking independence.
d. Santa Anna used the Alamo to secure
Mexican victory over the Texans.
Subject Matter
_______2. Another good title for this passage
would be
a. “Alamo defended successfully”
b. “Santa Anna captured in battle”
c. “Mexican Army wins war!”
d. “Alamo deaths motivate Texans”
Supporting Details
______3. Which of the following died at the
Alamo?
a. Jim Bowie
b. Sam Houston
c. Santa Anna
Conclusion
______4. The writer of this passage wants the
reader to reach the conclusion that
a. those defending the Alamo were poor
soldiers
b. the Mexican Army had an easy time
capturing the Alamo
c. the Mexican Army suffered heavy losses
of men at the Alamo
d. Jim Bowie never wanted to defend the
Alamo in the first place.
Clarifying Devices
______5. A reason that the Mexicans were not
successful on their first assault was
a. daylight allowed them to be seen
coming.
b. they were inexperienced soldiers
c. the Texans had a large amount of fire
power
d. the U.S. Army attacked them from the
flank.
Vocabulary in Context
______6. The word motley means
a. depressed
b. fast and powerful
c. rich and successful
d. a diverse collection
Adapted from
"Alamo." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 25 May 2011.