MOVIE

I saw the movie “The Alamo” with Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Quaid. It was made in 2004. I thought it was a good movie. I have not seen the one with John Wayne but would like to compare it. I thought this movie was real telling in how the battle happened. Everything that I have heard about the Alamo was in the movie. I’m sure it did not tell it all but I’m not sure what it is mission.
Location proximity to settlements and perhaps even fate made the Alamo a crossroads for siege and battle. This church became a makeshift fortification against marauding Indians, rebels, and a succession of conquering armies. It was a church but it was never used as a church. The Alamo was founded as a mission 100 years ago. The Bexarenos called it the Alamo after Alamo de Parras, a Spanish Calvary unit that moved in 30 years ago. It was said “as goes the Alamo, so goes Texas”. Texas was a republic before it was a state in the United States of America. The Alamo was established as a Spanish mission in 1718. David Crockett and Sam Houston talk at a party. Sam Houston wants David Crockett to go to Texas and he offers to give him land wherever he wants. In 1824 Texas swore allegiance to Mexico under The Federalist Constitution. Santa Anna tore the document up and named himself Supreme dictator. David Crockett was the congressman. Whenever something goes wrong or there is confrontation everyone runs to the Alamo to hide. Jim Bowie returns to San Antonio, Texas to help the army. The Mexican army soon heads to the Alamo for battle. David Crockett arrives in San Antonio, he tells them he and them are on the same side. David Crockett thought that the fighting with Santa Anna was over. As the Mexican army moves in to Texas, everyone runs to the Alamo to hide. As they are fighting and waiting Santa Anna is standing and David Crockett shoots the arrow and it hits his shoulder. San Houston says he will get an army together and they will relieve the Alamo, after they have declared independence and created a government that will be recognized by all nations in the world. Sam Houston and his men are going to Texas, to help the army fight. In the night as they are eating, David Crockett tells the younger men about when he battled. Jim Bowie takes ill and William Travis goes to talk to him. David Crockett tells William Travis that the rest of the army should know the truth. William Travis tells them that he is not sure if any men are coming to help them. While they are waiting for the Mexican army to attack, the Mexican army plays a song “Deguello” and David Crockett joins in playing the violin in a harmony. Everyone writes letters to send home not knowing if they well make it to the United states. David Crockett laid guns in the hands of Jim Bowie in case of an attack. The Mexican army moves in to attack the Alamo. David Crockett was the last one to survive the battle but was killed by Santa Anna’s men. Sam Houston heads to battle with Santa Anna’s army. They make their army wear cards on their hats so they will know who is their army. The battle begins. Santa Anna’s army was defeated in eighteen minutes. In exchange for his life Santa Anna signed over Mexican rights to Texas. Juan Seguin returned to the Alamo and buried his fellow defenders in San Antonio. After the fall of the Alamo, 9 years later Texas became the 28th state of the United States.

THE ALAMO

On Saturday February 9, we went on a tour of the Alamo, given by John Richardson. He explained about the Alamo , the founders, the people that lived there and how it came about.
It was originally named Mission San Antonio de Valero. For nearly seventy years it was a home to missionaries and their Indian converts. In 1724 they began construction on the mission. Soldiers referred to the old Mission as the Alamo in honor of their home town Alamo de Parras, Coahuila. During Mexico’s ten-year struggle for Independence, it was home to the Revolutionaries and Royalists. The military, Spanish , and Mexican occupied the Alamo until the Texas Revolution.
Most of this I did not know. I never went on a tour of the Alamo, its just always been there. I never thought about how it became. This changes the way I think about the way Tejanos (me) are and about the background of the Alamo and the importance of it. Going on this tour gave me more information, rather then just reading about the Alamo.
In 1835, Ben Milam led Texian and Tejano volunteers against Mexican troops. They forced General Marin Perfecto de Cos to surrender after 5 days. In 1836, the arrival of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s army nearly caught San Antonio by surprise. The Texians and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo. They held out for 13 days against Santa Anna’s army. The Commander of the Alamo sent fourth couriers to get help. Around 32 volunteers from Gonzales arrived. Among the Alamo were Jim Bowie, and David Crockett. The final came before day break on March 6, 1836.

My Mission San Juan Adventure

I recently went to Mission San Juan, to go on the Yanaguana Trail. I had never been to this Mission before, so i printed out a map to take me there. My sister Nicole went with me. It was very interesting. when we got there we saw the paths that lead you through the trail. They all meet in the same place and kind of form a cirlce with a line down the middle. It was a little scary since when we went there was only a few people at the mission and no one else was going on the trail. Along the trail all the trees and land was all dead. The trees look old and were all broken and some of the branches were lying over the trail. As we were walking we would here noises and we kept getting scared. I watch a lot of scary movies so I was expecting something or someone to jump out and run after me, so i was freaked out. As we were walking we saw a few birds, on the map it says that this is a great place for bird watching, im afraid of birds so this worried me. Though I only saw about three or four birds. Out there it is a beautiful place, as I got toward part of the bridge or the part where the trail is made out of wood, we saw the water. The water was barely visible through all the trees at first, but as i walked on it became more visble. The sound of water and the whole place is very nice and calming. It made me feel like my sister and I were the only ones within miles. The one thing that was bad is that in the water if you look at it very close, there are a bunch of mosquitos in the water and all around the water, a lot of them are flying around the path, that bothered me. We saw a squirrel on a tree, it was just sitting there staring at us. We saw a few butterflies and one was flying near me. As we were watching the water, I turned and i heard my sister call me and we both heard a loud flop in the water, that scared us so we started to walk faster. Then we kept hearing noises and getting scared. The path we took led us in a circle around the whole thing. My sister loved it she said it is a nice place to take pictures. The trees and the whole place reminded me of the "Blair Witch". As I got to the end of the path it looks real nice because you can see the buildings of Mission San Juan through all the trees. I really enjoyed it and would like to visit more often. This summer I am going to take my little cousin so she can enjoy the Missions and learn about them.