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Who saved the Alamo?

Adina De Zavala was a preservationist whose best known contribution was saving the Alamo as a historic site.



The preservation of the Alamo as a historic site is primarily credited to the "Daughters of the Republic of Texas" (DRT), and specifically two women: Adina De Zavala and Clara Driscoll. In the late 19th century, the Alamo was in a state of disrepair, with part of it being used as a grocery warehouse. Adina De Zavala formed a chapter of the DRT to advocate for its protection, but it was Clara Driscoll who provided the significant financial backing, using her family's wealth to purchase the long barracks to prevent them from being demolished or sold to a hotel developer. This act in 1905 earned Driscoll the title "Savior of the Alamo." For over a century, the DRT managed the site until the state of Texas took over primary management in 2011. While the 1836 battle gave the Alamo its legendary status, it was these dedicated conservationists who ensured the physical structure remained standing for future generations to visit. Without their intervention during a period of rapid urban development in San Antonio, the chapel and barracks might have been lost to commercial interests, leaving only a commemorative plaque where the historic mission once stood.

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David Crockett died violently March 6, 1836, at the Alamo after thousands of Mexican soldiers stormed the lightly defended fortress in San Antonio, Texas.

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About the Alamo The Alamo belongs to the people of Texas. In 2011, the Texas Legislature and Gov. Rick Perry designated the Texas General Land Office (GLO) the custodian of the Alamo on behalf of the people of Texas.

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Every day during the siege, the defenders of the Alamo looked for Fannin and his men but they never arrived. Fannin had decided that the logistics of reaching the Alamo in time were impossible and, in any event, his 300 or so men would not make a difference against the Mexican army and its 2,000 soldiers.

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Several notable individuals of African descent participated in the battles at the Alamo and San Jacinto in 1836. Joe, slave of William B. Travis, fought at the Alamo and survived. His account of the fighting is one of the most important Alamo narratives.

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After regaining honor at the more famous fall of the Alamo in 1836, Santa Anna felt his job in Texas was done. But under counsel, he decided to take one final swipe at the Texas rebels by dividing his army and sweeping the land. The resulting campaign led to the Battle of San Jacinto.

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Sam was spared because he was a slave. Historian Walter Lord believed that Sam did not exist and that contemporaries actually meant Ben, a former slave who served as Mexican Colonel Juan Almonte's cook and later guided Susanna Dickinson from San Antonio.

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Factual errors Colonel Travis was shot in his forehead, not in his chest as portrayed in the film, and died on the north wall early during the final battle. The opening scene of the movie shows Sam Houston giving orders to William Barrett Travis to hold off the Mexican army until he could build an army.

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The majority of the Alamo's 1836 Battlefield has been lost in the nearly two centuries since that dramatic battle. The Mexican Army tore down the compound's outer walls in May of 1836. This left just two structures, the Alamo Church and Long Barrack.

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Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar (modern-day San Antonio, Texas, United States), killing most of the occupants.

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