The Alamo, where Texas history brought to life | a global cultural icon | San Antonio

History Happens Here: Uncover 300 years of history at the Alamo, an awe-inspiring story that’s more intriguing than you might imagine. Established in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero, the former mission now known as the Alamo has been a crossroads of history. Having existed under five flags of independent nations and served as a garrison for five different armies, the Alamo has a rich history and a heritage to inspire. Best known as the site of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, the rest of the 300 year history is vital to understanding why the Battle happened and its importance. Spain Begins to Explore Texas In 1519, Spanish explorer and map-maker Alonso Álvarez de Pineda led an Spanish expedition that, for the first time, mapped the coast of Texas along the Gulf of Mexico. From this expedition and the ones that followed, Spain claimed the area of present-day Texas as part of their territory. However, this was borderlands country, far from the large cities the Spanish controlled in central Mexico. Establishing a foothold hundreds of miles from military protection and European supply systems would be difficult. Life on the Frontier Frontier life could be harsh. Early colonists to a new territory would have to contend with being allies and enemies of the varying bands and tribes of indigenous people. Until supply routes were established, these colonists would not be able to rely on a steady supply of goods or support from their government. However, the Spanish government needed to place Spanish towns with Spanish citizens in their territories to ensure other European powers did not try to infringe on Spanish land claims. Territory Claims Threatened and French Incursions Over the next 160 years, the Spanish took steps to establish their claims through colonizing the territory. This increased as soon as Spain began to feel threatened by French incursions in the late 1680s. France had already claimed the Louisiana area on the border of Texas, and Spain worried that the French would encroach into Spanish territory. Texas served as a buffer between other European countries’ North American lands and Spain’s established colony to the south in present-day Mexico, and so it was vital that Spain keep these lands under their control. Early Catholic Missions in Texas Life on the edges of Spanish territory was filled with perils, including disease, attack from hostile indigenous groups, and limited supplies. Support from established Spanish colonies would take a long time to arrive if any dangers were faced – if help ever arrived. Few Spanish settlers were willing to be the first to establish a foothold in this territory in which there was little potential for personal profit. Spain’s solution to this problem was to set up Catholic missions, which would convert the indigenous people to Catholicism and teach them the skills that Spain believed were important to being a Spanish citizen. The Spanish government believed this would only take ten years. According to their plans, the missions would then be disbanded, the indigenous people would be citizens of Spain, and their communities would be self-sustaining. In 1680-1690, Spain established missions in the far eastern and western reaches of Texas, near the present-day towns of El Paso, Presidio, and Nacogdoches. Mission San Francisco de Solano One of the missions set up during this period was Mission San Francisco de Solano, which was established in 1700 in northern Mexico, just a few miles from the Rio Grande. The missionaries who presided there were Fray Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares and Fray Francisco Hidalgo. This mission struggled to sustain itself from the start, and Olivares soon decided to begin looking for other locations better suited for the mission. Foundation of San Antonio After Olivares visited the San Antonio area during an expedition in 1709, he asked that the mission be moved to what he felt was an ideal location. San Antonio could serve as a bridge to the missions Spain had established in east Texas. The area was perfectly situated on a river. The indigenous people seemed receptive to the benefits a mission could provide, including protection from attack by other indigenous groups and stable food sources during lean hunting and foraging times of the year. The new mission, which Olivares established in San Antonio in 1718, was Mission San Antonio de Valero, which would later become the Alamo.