The Fall of the Alamo (1836) (San Antonio, Mission: to rent, construction, school)

[Backliteyes]

Originally Posted by SimTek

Perhaps if the Texians had WON the battle of the Alamo, then there would be more for Texans to celebrate. It should be a somber time of remembrance for both sides.

There's plenty to celebrate: the bravery and patriotism that leads people to hold out against overwhelming odds.

Interestingly enough the wikipedia article for Fiesta says that "The festival began as a single event to honor the memory of the battles of The Alamo and San Jacinto." So, why in the world wouldn't you have whatever event celebrating the memory of a battle on the date that battle was won/lost?

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by SimTek

Perhaps if the Texians had WON the battle of the Alamo, then there would be more for Texans to celebrate. It should be a somber time of remembrance for both sides.

Originally Posted by Backliteyes

There's plenty to celebrate: the bravery and patriotism that leads people to hold out against overwhelming odds.

Interestingly enough the wikipedia article for Fiesta says that "The festival began as a single event to honor the memory of the battles of The Alamo and San Jacinto." So, why in the world wouldn't you have whatever event celebrating the memory of a battle on the date that battle was won/lost?

It's not so much about celebrating, SimTek. It's more just acknowledgement. I wonder if it is even discussed in schools anymore.

What's funny to me is, in the almost three years I've lived here, I've never heard Fiesta even associated with EITHER battle! So that's new...and good to know...quite honestly, I though Fiesta was just a big drinking party put on by the city once a year. You know...like Mardi Gras.

So at least, that's good to know...

[Backliteyes]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

What's funny to me is, in the almost three years I've lived here, I've never heard Fiesta even associated with EITHER battle! So that's new...and good to know...quite honestly, I though Fiesta was just a big drinking party put on by the city once a year. You know...like Mardi Gras.

I had to find that fact about Fiesta on wikipedia because I've asked a couple native San Antonians what the point of Fiesta was and they couldn't say. So, regardless of how it started Fiesta is just a big drinking party now.

[majormadmax]

Well, some of us still remember and honor those who gave their lives for Texas! http://www.texasguntalk.com/forums/images/smilies/texas.gif (broken link)

God bless Texas! M2

[txtea]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

Well, some of us still remember and honor those who gave their lives for Texas!

God bless Texas! M2

AMEN!

[Dwangle]

You don't know what Fiesta is. Do you really know what Marde Gras is?

Do you know what Spring Break is??

[Proffer]

I don't understand what patriotism had to do with the fight for the Alamo. I thought that this was Mexican land, and that the Mexicans were defending what was rightfully theirs. The Texan squatters were not obeying the Mexican law prohibiting slavery, and this was not acceptable to the Mexicans. In the rest of the country, school kids learn basically that the fight for the Alamo was the fight for the right to have slaves, but Texans don't see it that way, of course. Isn't this right? What could the Texans have been defending, if what they were "defending" was not theirs?!

[Merovee]

There is no need for us to rehearse the battle here although it should not be forgotten that both sides made sacrifices. Many of the Mexican soldiers were not soldiers but farmers, some armed with only farm implements, and marched a long way. Quite a few Tejanos are still to this day sympathetic to our side so it is nice we can all claim the Texas banner today even if the Alamo defenders never flew the Lone Star Flag but, in response to Proffer, they defended the Mexican Constitution of 1824 and flew the Mexican flag that represented that. Of course most today recognize the Texians had designs for eventual admittance to the US.

[Backliteyes]

Originally Posted by Proffer

I don't understand what patriotism had to do with the fight for the Alamo. I thought that this was Mexican land, and that the Mexicans were defending what was rightfully theirs. The Texan squatters were not obeying the Mexican law prohibiting slavery, and this was not acceptable to the Mexicans. In the rest of the country, school kids learn basically that the fight for the Alamo was the fight for the right to have slaves, but Texans don't see it that way, of course. Isn't this right? What could the Texans have been defending, if what they were "defending" was not theirs?!

Nobody said you can't celebrate the Mexicans winning out at the Alamo if you're so inclined.

Growing up in AZ I don't remember learning much in school either way about what the fight for the Alamo was about. The real truth is what individuals on each side thought they were fighting for...I'd be surprised if that didn't vary from person to person.

[TrapperL]

The Texas Revolution was nothing about slavery. Most of the new immigrants were German and they didn't have the money to spend on slaves. You have to remember that Mexico enticed these people to come and settle the wild lands of Texas with free land. It was mostly still in control of the Indians which the settlers had to fight to get the land. But once the lands were fairly clear and the farming and ranching was in place, Mexico changed the Republic which the settlers had bought into to a more servant style of Government. Mexico demanded that all inhabitants be Catholic and they demanded that the settlers give up all arms, for an example. The Texans wanted the Constitution of 1824 to be held as the charter for them but Mexico didn't want that as the Texans were getting stronger and Mexico was still recovering from their own Independence. If you have the want, you can read an abridged version of Texas history here:
The Alamo

You also need to read the following letters from people that lived here during this time and the troubles as they saw it. You'll find a lot of history, Texas and US, has a major slant to it as the writer, not the people that lived it, sees history. Political gains are made from history and ours is not exempt which is why you need to put more belief into the letters than what is written in history books.
The Alamo