The Alamo
A Mission That Became a Symbol of Texas
Long before the Alamo became one of the most recognized landmarks in Texas, it was a Spanish mission known as Mission San Antonio de Valero. Established in 1718, the mission was created as part of Spain’s effort to establish communities and spread Christianity throughout the region.
The Alamo of the 1700s looked very different from the landmark visitors recognize today. It was a much larger mission complex that included living quarters, workshops, agricultural areas, defensive walls, and the church. The community that developed there helped lay the foundation for what would eventually become the city of San Antonio.
More than a century after its founding, the former mission became the setting for one of the most remembered events in Texas history. In 1836, during the Texas Revolution, a small group of defenders occupied the Alamo during a 13-day siege by the Mexican army under General Antonio López de Santa Anna. The battle ended on March 6, but the sacrifice of the defenders became a rallying cry for the Texas cause.
Today, the Alamo stands in the heart of downtown San Antonio, surrounded by a modern city that grew from the same frontier community the mission helped establish more than three centuries ago.
From Spanish mission to battlefield to historic landmark, the Alamo remains an enduring part of the story of San Antonio.
