Alamo Timeline

The Alamo

1700 - The Mission San Francisco de Solano was first established near the Rio Grande River

1724 - The San Antonio de Valero mission moved several times and settled at its present location

1793 - The mission was secularized and abandoned.

1803 - The Louisiana Purchase, doubled the size of the United States placing Americans on the borders of Spanish controlled Tejas.

1821 - The Mexican Revolution brought Tejas under the tight control of the Mexicans.

1823 - The town of San Philipe de Austin was established as the headquarters of Stephen F. Austin's colonization effort.

1824 - Mexico established the Federal Republic of Texas, combining the area with Coahuila as Coahuila y Tejas. By this time, the San Antonio de Valero fort was commonly referred to as the Alamo.

1826 - US President John Quincy Adams offered Mexico $1 million for Texas, but was refused.

1829 - President Andrew Jackson made the same offer and was also refused. In July, Yukatan Governor, Santa Anna, repels a Spanish invasion.

1830 - New laws inflicted on Texas include prohibition of immigration from the United States. Jim Bowie arrived in Texas.

1831 - William B Travis arrived in Texas.

1832 - Petitions are drafted at the Congress of 1832 and presented to Mexico.

1833 - April 1, Santa Anna was elected President of Mexico.

1835 - October 2, the first shots of the Texas Revolution were fired at the Battle of Gonzales, when Mexican soldiers tried to retrieve a canon that was given to the town, to protect itself from Indians. The Texans refused to return the canon and cried out "Come and take it!".

1835 - October 9, the first Battle of Goliad occurred when Texans attacked the Presidio La Bahia near Goliad, where the Mexicans surrendered. The Texas troops carried away a vast quantity of provisions.

1835 - December 11, at the Siege of Bexar, Texas troops attacked the Mexican army at Bexar (now called San Antonio). This gave the Texans control of all important areas of Texas.

1836 - January 6, with fewer than 100 soldiers, Colonel Jame C. Neill requested more troops and provisions to defend the fort.

1836 - January 19, Jim Bowie arrived with around 30 men and orders to destroy the building, but Neill persuaded him otherwise.

1836 - February 3, William Travis arrived with 29 men.

1836 - February 8, Davy Crockett arrived with roughly 30 men.

1836 - February 11, Neill left the Alamo to recruit more men and to answer a personal request from his family.

1836 - February 23, Santa Anna arrived with his 1,500 strong army and the siege began.

1836 - March 2, Texans wrote the Constitution of the Republic of Texas and declared independence. Sam Houston was declared the Military Commander.

1836 - March 6, Santa Anna's army mounted an all out attack on the Alamo, taking no prisoners.

1836 - March 27, Santa Anna ordered the slaughter of around 342 Texan soldiers, after they surrendered at the Battle (Massacre) of Goliad. Colonel James W. Fannin was executed along with his men.

1836 - April 21, Sam Houston's Texas army defeated and captured Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, marking the final stage of Texas' fight for independence.

1836 - October 22,the Treaties of Velasco were signed by Sam Houston and Santa Anna, officially recognizing the independent territory of Texas.

1841 - Houston was inaugurated as the first President of Texas.

1845 - December 29, Texas became the 28th state.

1846 - April, 26. The Mexican - American War commenced.

1848 - February, 2. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, so ending the Mexican - American War, with the Mexicans defeated and the United States gaining an extra 500,000 square miles of land.

1861 - The start of the American Civil War saw Houston resign from office as he would not side with the Confederacy.