Texans who are proud of their heritage probably have an Alamo flag somewhere in or around their homes. The Alamo flag is a symbol of the courage of 187 brave men who withstood a thirteen-day assault by the Mexican army's 5,000 troops. In the end, the Texans were defeated at the Alamo, but Texas eventually gained its independence by the efforts of those brave men.

The History and Significance of the Alamo Flag

The Alamo flag is three vertical stripes of green, white and red with the date, 1824 in the center. The Mexican constitution of 1824 gave Texans rights similar to those of the United States, but soon Mexico reneged. Laws were enacted to forbid settling by Americans in Texas, and the Texans revolted. They took the Mexican flag and replaced the coat-of-arms in the center with the date that they believed signified their rights and freedoms.

Delegates from thirteen territories in Texas came together to draw up a list of grievances that they presented to the Mexican government. When the grievances were denied, the Texans created the new flag and began to prepare for war. While Sam Houston was out recruiting an army throughout Texas, 187 men held their position in the Alamo. They were attacked by Santa Anna's most elite troops.

The battle over control of the mission in San Antonio lasted for thirteen days. The Texans fought valiantly, but were eventually overrun. Yet the 187 men of the Alamo were able to inflict serious casualties to the army of Santa Anna. Of the 5,000 that began to attack the Alamo, 2,000 were either killed or seriously wounded. During that time Sam Houston was able to recruit enough men to finish the job and gain Texas' independence as a republic. The Alamo flag is today a reminder of the phrase that Sam Houston used as his rallying cry, "Remember The Alamo!"