Fun for Kids: San Antonio and the Alamo

Founded as a Catholic mission (Mission San Antonio de Valero) in the early 1700s, the Alamo, as it was later renamed, means "cottonwood" in Spanish. The mission was secularized by Spanish officials in 1793; the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the old mission site in the early 1800s; and the state's first recorded hospital was established there.

Mexico held authority over the Alamo in 1821, and when Santa Anna embarked on a centralist rule for the country, he created tension between his government and other Texans. Hostilities over his leadership style continued to grow until Texas revolutionaries began to battle Mexican troops. A twelve-day battle ultimately ensued at the Alamo; hundreds were killed. The Alamo's Web site states that the battle still represents "a heroic struggle against impossible odds—a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom." In 1845, the United States annexed Texas. Eventually, the U.S. government purchased the Alamo's chapel and other buildings.

One of the legendary participants in the battle of the Alamo was David "Davy" Crockett, famous for his abilities as an adventurer, bear hunter, and Indian fighter. His life would make him the subject of many a tall tale (but he really did wear a raccoon cap). Crockett's very real role in the Alamo was that of morale booster for the fighters defending the mission. He played his fiddle to encourage the troops and provided advice to military commanders. He died there at the hands of Santa Anna's troops.

The Disney television series, from the early 1950s, about Davy Crockett immortalized him with a popular and catchy tune, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett." You can read the lyrics to the ballad and sing along to a sound clip at the Davy Crockett Craze Web site.

After the Alamo was no longer a working church, its congregation joined the San Fernando Cathedral. Constructed between 1738 and 1749, this cathedral holds the record as the longest continually operating cathedral in the United States. It’s also the oldest building in the state of Texas. Today, the church is kept quite busy; more than 5,000 people a week attend weekend masses. More than 900 baptisms, 110 funerals, and 100 weddings are performed there each year.