NAME ________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS ______ The Alamo and Goliad Lesson 2: Victory or Death ESSENTIAL QUESTION Why does conflict develop? Terms to Know fortify to strengthen defenses apparent readily known; obvious bombard to attack continuously with cannon fire compound a walled-in area containing one or more buildings When did it happen? The Battle of the Alamo, 1836 February March April February 23 Mexican cannons start bombarding the Alamo. March 3 Travis writes General Santa Anna demands his last appeal for help. the Texans’ surrender. March 5 Travis meets with his men February 24 Colonel William Travis to discuss their certain defeat. writes a message “to the people of March 6 Mexican troops launch a Texas & all Americans in the world.” full-scale attack on the Alamo. Defending the Alamo Guiding Question How well were the Texans prepared to defend Interpreting the Alamo? 1. Santa Anna demanded The Texan commanders at the Alamo realized that they had too the Texans’ surrender. few soldiers to hold off a large Mexican attack. Both Bowie and What does Travis’s Travis believed, however, that holding the Alamo was very response tell you about important to the fate of Texas. They made clear to Santa Anna this Texan leader? from the start that they were determined to hold the old mission. On February 23, Santa Anna sent a message to the defenders of the Alamo. It demanded the Texans’ surrender. In response, Travis ordered a single cannon ball shot. Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use. classroom for reproduce to is granted Permission Education. © McGraw-Hill Copyright Reading Essentials and Study Guide 145 NAME ________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS ______ The Alamo and Goliad Lesson 2: Victory or Death, continued The Texans had some advantages but also some serious Predicting weaknesses. 2. Use the chart to predict Texans’ Advantages Texans’ Weaknesses what will happen if The Alamo’s surrounding The surrounding wall had a Santa Anna’s army wall was thick and tall. gap in one place and was attacks the Alamo. crumbling elsewhere. Twenty-one cannons helped They had to defend a huge fortify, or strengthen, the area within the walls, about defenses. 460 feet (140 m) long and 160 feet (49 m) wide. Defining They were determined to Their force consisted of only win. about 200 men. 3. What is the definition of fortify? Despite their weaknesses, Travis and his men were determined to hold the Alamo. To many of them, the mission was a symbol. It showed what the Texas Revolution had already achieved. The Texans also saw their defense of the Alamo as a key to the Explaining continued success of the revolution. They were blocking Santa 4. Why would the Anna’s access to other Texas settlements. successful arrival of Travis wrote several messages seeking help. His letter of Fannin have improved February 24, 1836, is one of the finest statements of courage in the Texans’ defenses? American history. In it he explained that he was determined never to give up. He ended the letter with the words “Victory or Death.” Colonel James Fannin wanted to help. He set out for San use. classroom for reproduce to is granted Permission Education. © McGraw-Hill Copyright Antonio from Goliad with more than 300 men. His relief effort ran into problems, and he had to return to Goliad. Some help did arrive. Lt. George C. Kimbell brought 32 men from Gonzales. With them was Albert Martin, who had delivered Travis’s “Victory or Using Prior Death” letter in Gonzales. He came back to the Alamo, despite Knowledge facing certain death. Santa Anna intended to show the defenders no mercy. He 5. What was the ordered a red flag flown. This was a signal that he did not plan to Convention of 1836? take any prisoners. All the Texan defenders would be killed if the Mexicans took the Alamo. On March 3, Travis wrote his last appeal for help. James Bonham delivered the letter to the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on- the-Brazos. Travis ended it by restating his intention to fight. Like Martin, Bonham returned to the embattled mission after delivering the message. He, too, knew that he would likely die. 146 Reading Essentials and Study Guide NAME ________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS ______ The Alamo and Goliad Lesson 2: Victory or Death, continued As more Mexican troops arrived, it became apparent, or clear, to all inside the Alamo that they had no chance for victory. Since Defining February 23, Mexican cannons had been bombarding, or firing upon, the Alamo. The Texans had cannons and long-range 6. What is the definition Kentucky rifles. They shot back at the Mexican troops, but they of bombard? were seriously outnumbered. On the evening of March 5, Travis met with his men. He directly addressed the matter of their certain defeat. The 200 men— Reading mostly volunteers—were free to leave the Alamo at any time. Yet Progress Check nearly all decided to stay and fight. 7. What were the main weaknesses of the Texan The Fall of the Alamo defenses of the Alamo? Guiding Question What was the importance of the battle at the Alamo? By March 5, 1836, the siege had lasted 12 days. Santa Anna was growing impatient. He knew that Texans were meeting at Washington-on-the-Brazos. He suspected they could be discussing independence. He also knew that further delay meant more time for Texas to gather fighters. It was time to take the Alamo and move on. He ordered a full-scale attack for the next day. Marking the At about 5 o’clock on the morning of March 6, the battle Text began. The sheer size of the Mexican force—as many as 1,800 men—was too much for the brave, but few, defenders. They 8. Highlight the size of turned back the first two waves of Mexican troops. The third the Mexican force. wave stormed over the walls. The Texans were forced to pull back into the compound, or walled-in area of the fort. Men from both Marking the sides used rifles, knives, and clubs in the desperate fighting. Text About 90 minutes after the attack began, it was over. 9. Circle the numbers of Santa Anna reported 600 Texan defenders killed at the Battle of the killed and wounded the Alamo. Historians think the true figure is about 190. Among at the Alamo. Label the dead were Travis, Bowie, and Crockett. Only one Alamo them “Texans killed” defender survived, by claiming to have been a prisoner of the and “Mexicans killed Texans. Santa Anna paid a heavy price for the capture of the and wounded.” Alamo. About 600 Mexicans were killed or wounded. Texan survivors of the battle were nearly all women and children. Santa Anna released them. Among these was Susanna Dickinson, wife of an officer. Dickinson, her daughter, and other survivors traveled to Gonzales. There they delivered the solemn news of the battle. Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use. classroom for reproduce to is granted Permission Education. © McGraw-Hill Copyright Reading Essentials and Study Guide 147 NAME ________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS ______ The Alamo and Goliad Lesson 2: Victory or Death, continued Some historians think the defense of the Alamo ensured that Marking the Texas would win its independence. Text 10. Underline the battle cry Battle of the of Houston’s army. Why Alamo do you think this phrase helped Texan soldiers? Encouraged Gave Texan citizens of the leaders time to Slowed and United States to declare weakened Santa help Texans in independence Anna's army Reading their struggle for and form a Progress Check freedom government 11. Why did Santa Anna and More importantly, perhaps, the courage, determination, and the Mexican army win heroism of those in the Alamo inspired other Texans to carry on the Battle of the Alamo? the struggle. The battle cry of General Sam Houston’s army became “Remember the Alamo!” Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use. classroom for reproduce to is granted Permission Education. © McGraw-Hill Copyright Writing Check for Understanding 1. Expository Summarize the battle at the Alamo. 2. Persuasive Should Travis and the other Texans at the Alamo have surrendered to Santa Anna? Why or why not? 148 Reading Essentials and Study Guide .