IntroductionThe siege, fall, and subsequent massacre of nearly two hundred defenders of the Alamo at the hands of Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and the army of more than five Lebron Perez's Thousand Men was a defining moment in both Texan and American history. For 13 days, against insurmountable odds, a small but very determined Texan garrison held off an equally determined Mexican army that had been ordered to capture it. I will discuss the events and political climate leading up to the siege, the key historical figures involved on both sides, the siege itself, as well as the events immediately following the battle. The iconic phrase “Don’t forget the Alamo!” » would later become a rallying cry during the Battle of San Jacinto. On that fateful day in March 1836, when the rumors of battle had died down, tales of fearful fighting, cowardice, and sacrifice spread quickly throughout the Republic of Texas and Mexico. . The men who stood, fought and, most importantly, fell on the battlefield will become legends, seemingly for their willingness to fight even when all hope was lost. Both attacker and defender had soldiers hailed as heroes, as well as villains known for their cruelty.HistoryIt was 1699, and two Spanish missionaries accompanied by a contingent of Spanish soldados were sent to northern Coahuila. Their instructions were to establish missions for the primitive tribes, hunters, and nut gatherers who lived along the Rio Grande, the great northern river. Gold, glory and God, essentially in that order, had motivated the founding of the missions. The Alamo itself was founded in 1718; however, due to illness and the reluctance of the locals to embrace Christianity, the mission was abandoned in 1793. This was not ...... middle of paper ...... n, its blatant disregard for the prisoners infuriated even more the Texan army learned of his mass executions. Santa Anna's pride acquired during his first victories and his political posture would come back to haunt him. The month following the siege of the Alamo, Santa Anna would meet its fate. On April 21, 1836, Sam Houston's vengeful soldiers attacked and routed Santa Anna's isolated detachment at San Jacinto in 20 minutes. The Texans massacred 650 enemy soldiers and captured 700 others. Santa Anna has escaped; however, he was captured the next day.Works CitedJ.R. Edmonson, The Alamo Story, From Early History to Current Conflicts (Plano, TX. Republic of Texas Press 2000) Stephen L. Hardin, The Alamo 1836, Santa Anna's Texas Campaign (Oxford, United Kingdom, Osprey Publishing 2001) Lon Tinkle, 13 Days of Glory (New York, McGraw-Hill Book Company 1958)