Alamo history and Texas history are tied together like peanut butter and jelly

Emiliano Zapata, the furry little cowboy Chihuahua, taught Mimi and McAveler some Alamo history and Texas history. Here are some of the things he taught them:

Origin of the name "Texas"

The name Texas comes from the Caddo Indian word "teysha" meaning "hello friend".

Spanish explorers and settlers used this word to refer to the friendly tribes throughout Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

They couldn't pronounced the word "teysha" very well so they just said "tejas".

The Spanish word has nothing to do with the the name of Texas even though lots of structures in Texas and Mexico have tile roofs and floors.

Many Texans in Alamo history first called themselves Texians. A few called themselves Texicans. Others called themselves

The Alamo Mission

(Alamo is the wood of the Poplar or Cottonwood tree)

The Alamo, originally known as Mision San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission/fortress, now a museum, in San Antonio, Texas.

The compound was built by the Spanish in the 18th century for the education of local Native Americans after their conversion to Christianity.

Mexican soldiers held the mission until December 1835 when a relatively small number of Texian soldiers occupied the compound.

Texian General Sam Houston believed the Texians did not have the manpower to hold the fort and ordered to destroy it.

Bowie, a very strong willed man, chose to disregard those orders and instead began to fortify the mission.

Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna led a large force of Mexican soldiers into San Antonio de Bexar and attacked the Alamo. By the end of the Battle of the Alamo all or almost all of the Texian defenders were killed.

When the Mexican army retreated from Texas at the end of the Texas Revolution, they tore down many of the Alamo walls and burned some of the buildings.

From Alamo History page back to Texas Bluebonnets page

From Texas History page back to Kids Crafts page