We Were There at the Battle of the Alamo

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Shortly after Mexico won its independence from Spain, it opened up the Mexican State of Texas for colonization.  Originally, three hundred American families came to settle on 200,000 acres of land in this area, but it was later opened up for more settlement.  As the land was offered more cheaply by far than anywhere else in the west at the time, people began to pour into the area.  Mexico had rules set for the colonists, but many of the people who settled during this time of "Texas Fever" chose to ignore these rules.

Santa Ana, a Mexican general, was unhappy that these colonists were not following the rules.  Upon his election as Mexican president, he sent an army to punish those colonists and their rebellion.  In February 1836, Santa Ana took men to attack a small mission in San Antonio de Bexar.  A thirteen-day siege of the mission followed; it ended brutally for the Texan colonists.

There had been small skirmishes before this attack, and the commanders at the Alamo wrote to outside parties asking for armed reinforcements (see primary source document below).  Their requests were largely denied, as only a handful of men came to assistance.  On the morning of March 6th, the final day of the siege, Mexican soldiers scaled the walls of the mission and made their way into the interior of the fort to end the battle.

The battle of the Alamo was one in a series of missions in the area that were attacked, but "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying battle cry for a group of people who wanted independence from Mexico.  The colonists were bolstered and fought harder; the revolution ended when Sam Houston brought his forces to San Jacinto in April 1836 and defeated Santa Ana's army.  Texas won its independence from Mexico, and officially became a US state in 1845.

Our spine novel is We Were There at the Battle of the Alamo

Access the complete unit in the 'We Were There' Novel Studies Bundle!

Includes THIRTY-SIX unit studies covering World & American History. Each unit addresses a new topic, spanning the the ancient world through post-WW2.  Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.

• There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
• After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
• You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
• There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
• Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
• We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.

These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together. Our family has used unit studies as curriculum for many years, and we hope that your family will enjoy these, too!

Product Samples:

• We Were There with Richard the Lionhearted in the Crusades
• We Were There with Byrd at the South Pole
• We Were There at the Opening of the Atomic Era