America 250: Presidential Message on the Anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo
On this day 190 years ago, a small band of patriots defiantly stood against the Mexican Army at the Battle of the Alamo—one of the most legendary displays of American courage, resilience, and devotion to liberty in the history of our country.
Following years of authoritarian abuses and repression under the tyrannical rule of Mexican President Santa Anna, growing outrage among Texan settlers erupted into the Texas Revolution in the fall of 1835. Seeking to stop the rebellion and strengthen his grip on power, in February of 1836, Santa Anna marched his troops north to reclaim San Antonio de Béxar from Texan control. At the heart of the city stood the Alamo, a former Mexican mission turned fortress, defended by just over 200 Texan settlers. On February 23, as Mexican forces closed in, the Alamo became their last line of defense.
On that fateful day, more than 1,800 Mexican forces unleashed a bombardment of cannon and musket fire against the defenders of the Alamo. With immortal heroes like William Travis of South Carolina, Kentucky-born Jim Bowie, and Tennessee’s Davy Crockett, settlers from Texas and across the United States stood firm for an extraordinary 13 days, severely depleting the Mexican army. Legend holds that these 13 days also bought crucial time for Sam Houston, Commander in Chief of the Texas Army, to build the rest of the forces that would later win Texas’ independence.
Though the Alamo fell and almost every defender was killed, their sacrifice was not in vain. The martyrs of the Alamo ignited a flame that could not be extinguished, rallying Texan forces under the immortal battle cry: “Remember the Alamo.” Just weeks later, that cry thundered across the fields of San Jacinto, where Texan forces defeated Santa Anna and the Mexican Army and secured the long-awaited glory of independence. A decade later, Texas officially joined the United States, forever enshrining its legacy of courage and sacrifice into the American story.
On the 190th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo, we remember the legion of heroes who stood up to tyranny and evil in the face of certain death. Their story is a testament to the immense cost of securing liberty and reminds us that history is shaped by those willing to stand firm when all hope seems lost. Guided by their spirit, particularly as we celebrate 250 glorious years of American independence, my Administration will continue to defend our homeland against foreign invaders and enemies who seek to destroy our country—and we will never waver in protecting the sacred rights that make America the greatest bastion of freedom in the world.
