The old Mission San Antonio de Valero, also known as the Alamo, was established in San Antonio in 1718 by Catholic Missionaries. Its stated goal was to spread the message of Christ and convert as many people as possible along the way.
Those first missionaries could never have known what fate had in store for this peaceful place of worship.
Join US Ghost Adventures on a tour of the Alamo that you won’t experience anywhere else. You’ll encounter the historical and the haunted on this journey into San Antonio’s bloodstained past.
Fiery Independence
By 1821, Mexico had declared its independence from Spain and was thriving as a brand-new nation.
But just a decade later, in 1832, the Mexican general Santa Anna began to rule with an iron fist. A particularly stubborn part of this country, known as the Texas territory, would not let a dictator control their lives. The Texans angrily declared their independence from Mexico and formed their own nation.
Santa Anna would not stand for this subordination, so he gathered an army of 1,500 soldiers to retake Texas and marched on the Alamo.
The Last Stand
From February 23rd to March 6th, 1836, Mexican troops decimated the meager forces at the Alamo.
Less than 200 Texans stood up to this army for 13 bloody days. When the smoke cleared, over two-thirds of the Texan troops had perished, and over 600 Mexicans lay wasted in the dust.
Santa Anna assumed he could gain control of the Alamo complex in just a few hours. His biggest miscalculation was the pure tenacity of these passionate Texans.
The unprecedented spirit of the Alamo encouraged more Texans to rise in rebellion. Fueled by revenge, the Texans firmly defeated the Mexicans and formally established an independent county just one month later.