Prof. Boerner's Explorations

Commentary:

Yesterday we explored the circumstances under which the Battle of the Alamo was fought. It was the opening skirmish in the war for an independent Republic of Texas. After Mexico became an independent country and free fron the Spanish new world empire, it defined new state boundaries; Tejas was combined with the territory of Coahuila. The capitol of this state was located in Saltillo, about 500 miles from the center of Texas decision-making, San Antonio. This made Texas essentially the “step-sister” of Coahuila.

The Mexican assault against the rebellious Texians was led by Mexico’s President – Dictator, Santa Anna. The Texians were led by Sam Houston who sent William Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett to lead the resistance in the Alamo Mission on the outskirts of San Antonio. Most of the troops assigned to protect the mission were lost in that 13 day battle. But Houston would rally another force that defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto.

What can we learn from these brave frontiersmen who tamed the wilds of Texas, won its independence from Mexico, formed the Republic of Texas before becoming part of the the United States? We learn that men with a quest for freedom can tame a wild land and create a civil society, consistent with John Locke and our Founding Fathers. We need to study the passions upon which our country was founded and apply them to our political polarities that are crippling our government today.

Let’s proceed in our exploration of the combatants involved in the Battle of the Alamo…  GLB

These Introductory Comments are copyrighted:
Copyright©2011 — Gerald Boerner — All Rights Reserved

[ 4234 Words ]

Commentary:

In 1836, less than 200 settlers from the U. S. in the Mexican area of Texas faced a force of 1500 soldiers under the direction of President Santa Anna. This stand took place in the Alamo Mission outside of today’s San Antonio. over a thirteen day period, the brave American expatriates held off the larger force of soldiers valiantly before being overrun and going down to defeat; all but a small group of women and children were killed, including Jim Bowie, Davy Crocket, and William Travis.

Santa Anna’s forces were eventually defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto. Sam Houston and the Texans rallied to the battle cry we remember so well: “Remember the Alamo…”. Texas won their independence from Mexico and created the separate country of the Republic of Texas. It would eventually become a state as part of the great United States of America!

What can we learn from this series of events? The main lesson is that a dedicated, brave group of patriots can stand successfully against a larger, well-armed opponent. We saw this repeatedly during World War II, and we remember the names of these brave men when we read the names of soldiers who earned the Congressional Metal of Honor. I feel this every time that I visit the Metal of Honor at our local Riverside National Cemetery. These names represent men who gave their all, often including their own lives, during their defense of our freedom.

We have rallied to many battle cries during the life of our country. These include: “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death…”, “Remember the Alamo…”, “Remember the Maine…”, and “Remember Pearl Harbor…”. May we always stand together to defend our liberties!

So let’s explore the Battle of the Alamo…  GLB

These Introductory Comments are copyrighted:
Copyright©2011 — Gerald Boerner — All Rights Reserved

[ 4645 Words ]