Now there's an idea for my next hot flash! lol.
Okay, so here's some trivial things about the Texas Revolution that folks outside Texas may not know about:
Please forgive me - cause I don't have all the facts perfect on the top of my head and I'm not a great history writer. I just love the topic.
The Mexican General Cos moved over into the San Antonio de Bexar area in the fall of 1835 trying to fortify the area about us rebelling peasants and such. General Cos was representative of the new Centralist Mexican government which was at odds with the Mexican Federalists (I think) who had first encouraged settlement from the United States into Texas.
It was this change in government which caused Texans both Mexican and Anglo to revolt against Mexico. Texas had been settled by both Mexicans and Americans because of (A) lower land prices than the U.S. and (B) no taxation. The Centralist government came into power in 1834 (I think). The Centralists abolished representation within the nation government from the territories AND they imposed a land tax on the lands in the territories.
Bingo - we have taxation without representation.
Lots of folks think of the Texas Revolution as a battle between Americans and Mexicans. But, in reality there were many many Mexican settlers here too. THEY didn't like taxation without representation any more than the American settlers did.
So, General Cos moved into San Antonio in October of 1835 and he chose the Mission San Antonio de Valero aka THE ALAMO as his fortification. He defended the Alamo before the Texans.
Texans began to gather about San Antonio throughout the next month to try and defeat General Cos and take San Antonio. On December 4 and 5 the Battle of Bexar was fought where the Texas revolutionaries defeated General Cos and TOOK the Alamo from the Mexican army.
The Texans then began to fortify the Alamo expecting Santa Anna to send up another army in late spring. The Texans never expected Santa Anna to leave Mexico City himself and they never expected him to retaliate swiftly.
But, we wounded his pride I suppose. And thence, Santa Anna the president of Mexico left Mexico City himself at the head of an army of 6000 to bring vengence upon the upstarts who'd defeated his General Cos.
The Texan defenders never expected Santa Anna to send that large of an army nor did they expect him to involve himself personally in the battle. But it is from this defeat of the Mexican army in the Battle of Bexar that such a large Mexican force was at the Alamo.
Forgive me if the Foxhole has already covered this topic and please forgive my own words and faulty memory over little stuff. But, ya know, we did just celebrate Independance Day here and it's on my mind.