Second chance in texas. He had a colorful past figure he lived with the cherokee, had a cherokee wife, the governor of tennessee, he had a political life. Hes got military expanse with the u. S. Army, as an officer. After the losses, he wanted to preserve himself for a better day, to find a way the enemy would be at a disadvantage, which culminated in the battle. Which sam houston honorably led and began the process. Welcome to san antonio, texas. Behind me, a pretty famous building. That is the Church Inside the alamo where the famous battle took place. Well talk about this battle in a way you probably before. Before we do that, i want to flashback, flashback to what texas was like back in 1820 when moses austin started bringing americans right here. What brought americans to texas in 1820 . What was the attraction . Its a time when people were on the move. Because theres opportunity and theres also hardships to escape. What texas offers is both of those. Ca so you come to texas because the opportunity is land, and at that time, land is livelihood. So if you dont have land, you cant make a living. Many people think of texas as west texas. Where its rough terrain. But east texas wasnt part of hardwood forest and great easy plowing. But they didnt have a lot of mexicans wanting to move that far north. They became free lotteries. Moses austin had this idea to start bringing americans this way and deal with the spanish. What hes offering the spanish, the opportunity is, we can bring you the people that will turn this from the wilderness into a productive area, no longer a frontier. Theres not a lot here. And the spanish have been trying for years to establish community. Mexicans didnt want to move to texas because of the apaches. So they said, look, we got to h have somebody in mexico live there. So they did this deal to bring in the americans. Then come down to texas, well give you free land, no taxes for 10 years. But you have to turn catholic. A lot of people started migranting to texas. People were calling it a new eat in. You maybe coming to the united states, but youre going to become spanish. And when transition comes to mexico, youre going to be good mexicans. O youre going to obey the law. Youre going to support the government. Youre not going to cause trouble. Many people drifted in from tennessee and kentucky. It seemed like a thoroughfare. It started getting its own identity. Most never made it to texas, they died. They start moving hundreds, thousands of settlers into the state of texas. The first 300 families werest given property. And what happens here . Colonization changes texas. It changes it physically, you have crops grown that werent grown before. You have plantation and farming. Youre dealing with the first generation texans of the Steven Austin group that had to protect their homestead. They had to be very worried about comanche attacks and marauders and slaughtering, and so they formed a fierce identity, and a sense of community in texas that started growing. Culturally, it begins to change. And especially in east texas because there hadnt been very many spaniards or mexicans there. Y by 1830, four out of every five People Living in texas were from america. It was becoming less and less a mexican stronghold. They were happy being an independent state and later become mexico. They were happy because they were on their own. Led by general Antonio Lopez de santa ana, mexico gained independence from spain. F santa ana who fought for mexican independence now sought to destroy texass quest to find independence themselves. These guys were on their own and ready to fight. The idea of liberty is very important. And what they mean by liberty is what had come out of the American Revolution. Liberty to have input in our government, consent of the governed, and what they are saying is, were no longer given our consent for what the changes that are happening. Getting rid of the constitution of 1824, they are abolishing statehood. So texas, which wanted to be a state, there are no mistakes anymore. Officials will be appointed from mexico city. Thats happening to all mexican. Mexican states. Steven austin went to mexico city and pleaded for independence short of war and they put him in jail. Because they intercepted a letter he wrote talking about independence. They released Steven Austin, but he became one of number of texas patriots demanding independence. There were a series of revolts, and the ruthless santa ana repress them brutally. His goal . To destroy the uprising. To get to texas, he slowly, creatively built his army using state troops. Santa ana was marking himself as the napoleon in the west. He was murderous. He encouraged troops, often, to commit rape. He didnt have a great code of honor about him. But he was a ruthless, dictatorial leader. He decided im not going to be known for giving away territory in northern mexico. So id rather defeat the texans and claim modernday texas and then make them negotiate a settlement. When we come back, why this group of texans led that included Davy Crockett, felt they had no choice but to fight, literally to the death, for the independence, and how the mexican army led by santa ana responded. Some things are too important to do yourself. Get customized security with 24 7 monitoring from xfinity home. Awarded the best professionally installed system by cnet. Simple. Easy. Awesome. Call, click or visit a store today. The fight begins. You know, up until the early 1830s, texas was happy to be an independent state of mexico. That all changed when general Antonio Lopez santa ana took power. He immediately shelved liberty. Which was a queue for stephen f. Austin and company to break away. Annexation to the u. S. Was not in the cards. Even though now president Andrew Jackson and former president Thomas Jefferson were convinced that texas came along with the louisiana purchase. These guys were on their own. And they were ready to fight. Early on, too, they had nothing but success. What do you think the truth is . Was texas in the louisana purchase . . Its a great question. The argument is, it could have been part of the louisana purchase. It became debated, but what is clear is anybody who served under Andrew Jackson, looked up to jackson, and even people that challenged him and criticized jackson. They all felt that texas eventually would belong to the united states, and many of them felt that it already should be part of the u. S. Because of the purchase. Why didnt america just take it . Mexico was just getting on their feet. Americans didnt want to fight another war . America was trying not to fight another war. We did win the war of 1812 and the jackson of the hero of battle of new orleans. There was a feeling of take care of america, and nation build. We were looking to go westward in the sense of the w manifestation on steroids like it would later become. Right around the time of the 1830s, that western movement was starting to kick in, and even early people then moved to tennessee, and are moving further west. A this was before the gold rush in californian in 1849. In the 1830s, getting to texas and raising cattle and having a farm, this was a great move. This was considered a great move to make. Dont forget come along on the border in texas, some of the great timberland in north america. In that industry, you can make a fortune on just raw, Natural Resources down there. Soap started becoming very attractive. When steve austin gets out of prison, he realizes the best thing he can do is to fight and become independent from mexico. Santa ana had put down a rebellion not many months before he came to the alamo. Brutally suppressed this rebellion. They were in rebellion at the same t time. How does the Mexican Government become aware that this state was beginning toou break away . The big moment was in san san antonio, when you start getting the texans taking over the mission of the alamo. That now they are fortifying it. Surrounding san antonio was lot of fresh water systems. It was not bad living around ths hill country of texas and san antonio. The idea of who controlled san antonio was who would control the whole part of texas. Santa ana thought they could control the area around modernday houston and galveston. But they had to make inroad in san antonio. Once you started having colonel travis and james buie, running the volunteers, people who want to stay there. Colonel travis, the regulars. Santa ana thought this was a fight for who owns texas. And he thought it was an easy one. He was focused on san antonio. He wanted restore his w brotherinlaw was the commander when the texans captured the fort. It was a little bit of retribution and pride, coming this way, instead the other road where he would have been able to bypass the alamo, reinforce and resupply san jacinto. Santa ana moved north. But the texas rebellion had lot of previous success. Sometimes success is your undoing. Because we won, and many of the colonists started leaving, because we won the war. And they hadnt. Plus, you had different people sam houston is one of them and this is what we should do. We should take our troops, and this is my plan. And there is so much infighting that nothing is getting done. After the alamo is taken and general coast is ousted, he eventually is released with the promise to not fight again. But that promise is ignored. With forces on the horizon, sam houston gives orders to no longer hold the alamo. Recognize and it wouldnt be wise. S, but travis, but we, and otherwise. Th they are holding it because of the town, and that is the part that often gets left out, the alamo is important, but it is important because of where it is. The town of behar has two battle spots there. One that is a december of 1835, where the texans capture it, and then it sets up sort of a logic where, if rebels have captured something, the government has to recapture it. The story goes, theres many stories, if bowie was giving orders, they go in until these guys guys to move out. William Barrett Travis and Davy Crockett and others have fortified what we are standing income of the alamo. They feel pretty good about it. They feel pretty safe. And when bowie gets there, they look around and say, this place is pretty secure. I think i will stay. I will fight with you guys. What he says, we would rather die in these ditches than give them up to the enemy. The reason we fought was to end tyranny by a tyrant who really wasnt representative of the mexican people. He was a tyrant. Santa anas philosophy was we kill everybody. If you want to rise up, this is what will happen, under carnage. To the surprise of many, the texas army, outnumbered and pretty much unorganized, would take over alamo mission. Unbelievable, right . But bad news was coming. G. Up north, general santa ana and 2,000 troops, he wanted to stomp out this revolution before it could take root. His first stop was the alamo. Well pick up the fight when we come back. This is sam houston and the texas fight for freedom. You ever wish you werent a motaur . Sure. Sometimes i wish i had legs like you. Yeah, like a regular person. No. Still half bike half man, just the opposite. Oh, so the legs on the bottom and motorcycle on the top . Yeah. Yeah, i could see that. For those who were born to ride, theres progressive. Yeah, i could see that. More . He has asked for. What . Well he did say please all boys thank you, thank you, thank you. Eric a medical chart is not your identity. Marina and vision loss does not define you. Your drive shows who you are. Heather and you are not alone. Eric because we are driven, too. Carolyn to be a beacon of strength, a champion of courage. Heather an advocate for hope. Carolyn you are not alone. Heather because we are stronger together. Eric we drive the research for the cures were finding. Marina were fighting macular degeneration, heather lca, eric retinitis pigmentosa, marina and the entire spectrum of blinding retinal diseases. Eric we fund. Marina we fight. Heather and henry we win. All we. Are the Foundation Fighting blindness. Carolyn together. Eric we are fighting blindness. Carolyn join the fight at fightingblindness. Org. Live from americas news headquarters, im aishah hasnie. Merry christmas to you. Christmas 2019 may be over, but Holiday Shopping is far from over. Retailers are happy about that. They are now preparing to open their doors to post Christmas Day bargain hunters. Analysts say the healthy economy for consumers to spend lots of cash this holiday season, they also spend more online, ecommerce accounted for 14. 5 of total sales, a record high. No alarming activities so far in north korea, despite its promise to deliver an Christmas Gift to the u. S. There is speculation, though, the north might be wanting us about another rocket engine test, or even a missile launch. President trump shrugging off the threat, jokingly gift could just be a nice vase from kim jong un. Im aishah hasnie. Now back to sam houston and the texas fight for freedom. Hi, everybody, i am brian kilmeade. Welcome back to sam houston and the texas fight for freedom. Im inside the barracks, inside the alamo, which so much fighting took place. Invited bowie, respected leader, telling all of them into a bend in. Somewhere between the ingraham angle getting the orders on the arriving here, he changed his mind pick what he thought he would be safe. This is the one time in which bowies instincts abandon him. Lets get one of the finest commanders of this generation, general stanley mcchrystal, who also loves the alamo. Was great to see you. A pleasure to be here. I know you love the alamo camille of the military. What about your connection to the alamo . I was a kid, Davy Crockett, walt disney show came on, john waynes movie came out, but beyond that, the alamo is also something different. Its not just a battle. H. Its a myth. But its a good myth. Brave people making a sacrifice for something they felt was important. Seo two braided commanders, jim bowie and william travis, what were they like . Travis was a young man, had strong, bowie we had more wisdom, he was a slave trader, one of the things he got involved in life, but he also was a charismatic leader. Bowie was famous in his own right, creating the bowie knife in louisiana, known as a tough character of the bayous. Bowie and crockett and travis on the others decided we are going to dig in our heels, and its freedom or death. That we are going to make our stand here. It was like a second American Revolution in their mind, that we now were going to have to beat the dictatorial forces of mexico. Show us what they were up against. He brought an overhead shot of what it looks like today. The first thing is, to think about the alamo, we see the chapel, okay, thats the alamo. Actually, the alamo is a pretty big place, and if you start with where the chapel is, here, the actual alamo went much further. On the way out, and down, and then up like this. Actually, this is even further out. This would have been the north wall, so when we think about walking or standing in the middle of the compound, it actually would be up here a little bit, maybe 50 feet theres would be the geographic center. It was a big fortification, and they only had about 180 people to defend it. How many would you need to fully defend . I think we need 500 or 600 to give a chance to fully defend it. Most of the defenders of the alamo are using rifles, slower a musket. An maybe one or two rounds a minute. If you are standing on a wall and not many people around you, you shoot your around, then theres this period im nothing happening, so the reality is you need more people one the wall to keep up the kind of fire. Like a cascade effect. I understand, as the mexican troops roll up, and they are ins uniform, the texans i have not been trained are not in uniform, what do they have . They have this commitment. And suddenly you put a bunch of peaches together into an ad hoc defense and ask them to defend Something Like a military force, its pretty tough. They really felt good, early on. When they were asked for surrender, how did they respond . Cannon shot. Where was that . It would be the wall here, shooting toward the mexican forces. It was an act of bravado, and it was something that says we are not going to back off, but at that point, they thought they were going to be reinforced. To the idea that if they could be strong enough, they could keep the mexicans from bringing their full force and mass, they would get reinforced and the problem would not be fatal. Where the mexican troops . Are far away are they . Gunshot range, probably a mile away, and close their cannons even closer. Not a great distance. So as more troops come up, and travis writes these wonderful letters that live on forever, and he ends with what . Victory or death. Which is another sign of commitment. At that point, he knows he is not going to be reinforced, and he decided not to leave. He decided to make what would be a heroic stand. Right. Now come as you talk about time, the texans are here, and if the mexicans arrived from europe 13 days in a standoff. Not a daily fight, not a tax on the walls, but a standoff. During those days, the mexicans are getting stronger, bringing cannons closer, more forces, and the people inside are tired. Courage is something that is different and every person, but most people are not courageous alone. You get courage from the people you are around. If the people around you show optimism, they show steadfastness, its contagious. You dont want to let your comrades down. Bowie had pneumonia. He was in bad shape. But he wanted to be one of the men that stayed. He showed the courage to stay for the volunteers to stay. Even though he has to be in bed a lot, he cant walk him hes dizzy, his fortitude to fightev never left him. This is 180 plus people who were not professional soldiers. Probably a handful had ever been in any kind of fight before. And so now they are here, they are about to face the unknown. They are led to believe that probably they will be killed. They make this extraordinary decision, commitment to each other, to stand, to be courageous. Speak on the 13th day of the siege, the full force of the mexican army attacks the alamo, in the early hours of march 6th. They came at the north wall in force, and there is a belief that is where the first breach was. They also attacked in the rear, and down on the south, as well. Early on in the fight, Lieutenant Colonel william travis, shot in the head and dies. Travis is down. s ands and command is is gone. Bowie is not able to give orde p orders, probably 187 separate battles fought in this. Most people could probably only see or hear the people close to them. The people on the north wall are fighting against this breach they have no idea what is happening at the south wall. The people in long barracks have no idea what is happening. So suddenly each person is finding their own courageou cou. Small groups making their stance. Or long barracks are, finally in the chapel, a series of small engages that add up to the battle of the alamo. The mexican army takes the alamo, executing the capture soldiers, including Davy Crockett. Davy crockett was a very serious person. He had become a folk legend. Some people think he was the original american western hero. Santa and i felt like a peacock who had just put another feather in his back. He misread the victory. The truth is, they i may have gotten slaughtered, but they sent a message. According to santa ana, the slain bodies of the techs and armies are piled up and burned, as a way to intimidate sam houstons forces. It didnt. It backfired completely on santa ana. He had a victory, but the story that trickled out of the alamo, how he showed a cold hardiness. The word that spread out of the alamo wasnt retrieved, it was about buckling down to do what we can to fight for texas and defendantindependence. By showing a bloodthirsty mentality, santa ana had hoped to intimidate the texans to giving up the fight, but that is not what texans do. They fought longer and harder, with more men. When we come back from how sam houston had to overcome being outgunned and outmanned. When we return. When we started our business we were paying an arm and a leg for postage. I remember setting up shipstation. One or two clicks and everything was up and running. I was printing out labels and saving money. Shipstation saves us so much time. It makes it really easy and seamless. Pick an order, print everything you need, slap the label onto the box, and its ready to go. Our costs for shipping were cut in half. Just like that. Shipstation. The 1 choice of online sellers. Go to shipstation. Com tv and get 2 months free. Hi, everyone, and welcome back to sam houston and the texas fight for freedom. 1836, weeks after the alamo massacre, the battle flashes here, to goliad, this fort behind me, were 400 men, led by west point dropout jim fanon, knew they were about to be engaged. In engagement that sam houston never wanted to see happen, but once again, his orders were not heated. Where we stand in . We are standing in the northwest bastion of lafayette. Unlikee alamo, goliad was a fort, built to be a fort. I look around, i feel like im in a fort. It was the only actual, solid fort that existed in texas at that time, the only one being used during the revolution. How many troops are here . Around 400, give or take. When the alamo was under siege from a march 6th, why did they reach the goal goliad for help . The only garrison that exist at besides the alamo. Only 90 miles away, so you can make that distance a couple of days with horses. So they have 200 troops. Theres 400 here. In charge, colonel james fannin. Tell me about fannin. Fannin had a little experience at west point. His real experience was with the georgia militia. He had the actually fought in a couple of battles with bowie and other notables from the Texas Revolution. When travis comes out and says, hey, i want some help, he wants to go. What happens . Ta they start down here with the crossing of the river, and have issues with some of the wagons breaking down, oxen pulling cart, which are notoriously feisty animals, really slow, and they decide its not going to work. They are not going to build a make it in time, so they turn around and come back. The whole time, travis think they are coming. What do sam houston tell jim fannin and company to do . Around the 10th of march or so, they receive a letter from houston as is gather your forces and supplies youve got, and head east come and join with me. By that point, the garrison knows the alamo has fallen. The texans realize it is time to gather up the forces they have and consolidate. Before vacating goliad, fannin receives word that a company of his men are pinned down to mexico. He sends reinforcers to extricate the men. Back to goliad. But the men would not make the return trip. Part of the men that were there were killed. The other part of the men that were there break off across the prairie, headed back toward victoria, and what slows down fannin as he doesnt know what is going on. He doesnt have anywhere to what what is taking place. N so we sense to go continges down. Doesnt find out whats happening. Munication is terrible. Then he finally decides, have an idea. I think im going to i leave. I look around, this is a fortress, it stands hundreds of years later. Im wondering, would you have been better off staying . The problem with any of these fortifications, just like the alamo, is once you dig in and one spot, you can be surrounded fairly easily. Jims 22 jim fannin leaves, and theybegi. Fannin is told by general urea that he can return to goliad, where he and his men will be sa, prisoners of war. But this turned out to be alive. The men are march and executed. If you would escape to tell their story. They dontid just kill the m. They dont let them onto their fate. They are holed up in the church right here, broken up into three groups groups told they are going to bd collecting water, so they can cook and clean with. There marched about a mile out of the fort. They are halted the mexican soldiers turned one way, or fired their muskets. Should them appoint th at pok range come in cold blood. And close here is a memorial. Can we take a look . Shorter. They were burned after they were massacred, just like they had at the alamo, but the alamo had dry wood for the funeral pyre is. They had greenwood here, so fires didnt completely burn the bodies. Vd texas army collected them in one spot and buried them with the monument stands today. As we get close, we see two cannons. Not only symbolic that they are being protected, but they date back to the battle . They were part of the artillery. That is the burial site. Its hard to believe the remains of 400 men are buried beneath there. Its the final resting place for the men here, the story that we tell there at the fort. Its basically there memorial marker. Speak of the state of the Texas Revolution was dire. 400 lost at goliad, weeks earlier 200 lost at the alamo. Sam houston knew, win or lose, his next battle would be his last. Forcing him to make his most controversial decision tode dat. When we come back on sam houston and the texas fight for freedom, that decision and more. More. male announcer make this a christmas to remember at Bass Pro Shops and cabelas with a new boat or atv take advantage of factory direct savings on the new ox400 from tracker off road, a breakthrough American Value at only 5799 plus freight. Or the new bass tracker classic xl, boat, motor and trailer package, at only 10,995. And for a limited time, well qualified buyers can get special financing of 995 down and 99 month. Give adventure from Bass Pro Shops and cabelas. [ electrical buzzing ] [ dramatic music playing ] [ squeaking ] [ screaming ] elliott . [ gasps ] elliott. You came back my son. My, my family. Lots changed since you were here. Its called the internet. Whoa whoa holiday movies. Im dreaming of a White Christmas family. Home. Woo [ gasps ] woohoo woo ill be right here. April 16th, 1836. Sam houston and his texas army were just about right here, in front of that very tree. Famously now known as the witch way tree. You look at the limbs and say, i could go through that and go to the american border, where i could get more troops m and rest my guys, or i could make this decision, follow that limb, and go to san jacinto, he knew santa ana and his mexican army would be waiting for him. After much deliberation, sam houston decided to finally fight. San jacinto, the place of the first and only time that santa ana and sam houston will square off. This is the battlefield, and who better to take me through this battle than stephen ward, the author of texas rising. Maybe the nations foremost expert on the texas independence battle, as well as this battle. 18 minutes, the name of your book. Y18 minutes . That is the amount of time it took them to completely surprise the army. Wait a second, the group that got annihilated at the alamo, got massacred at goliad, takes 18 minutes to defeat santa ana right here . They achieve the ultimate surprise, the most lopsided victory american history. We have a scale model of what we are seeing. The mexicans are over there. They arrive first. Right. They are sitting there, they are kind of undercover, right . Is theres, a wooded area . A lot of big oaks, moss hanging from the trees. 2,000 guys . More than 1500 guys, plus. Than youve sam houstons guys. They are that way. How many do they have . 937, by my best count. It was here . We are almost in the mid section where it was. This is where you have a slight rise in the hill that help the texans as they were coming across their camp heading to the mexican camp, you also have this would line, some of the other infantrymen are coming through there. How shocked are they, as they get closer and closer, and theyre not being shot at . They are expecting artillery to open up any minute. They assume they are waiting to start firing, and it never where sam houston, do you think . Sam houston is in the midst of it, going across on horseba horseback. A tried and true military leader come hes been in battles,ck bu. Hes been wounded before. He was just blindly showing courage and valor, and he was getting arrows in the leg. He gets a horse shot out from underneath him, then gets shot in the leg. He gets two shot out from under him. He gets shot, gets back on the third one. He doesnt quit until the battle has been decided, before finally allows the medical treatment to happen. 18 minutes its done, and where do the mexican troops go as theyy are running for their lives . They were backed up to a huge body of water back here, doesnt quite look the same today. They were trying to go across the leg and leave that way, swim for their lives. The mentor being clubbed to death with muskets. Outnumbers, no formal training, a few weeks together, the 900 plus army was able to take 1,000 and more in 18 minutes, and then go for complete victory, and then they get the ultimate prize the next day. They capture santa and i. Instead of killing him, they do what . They keep them alive come only because its houston. Most of the men wanted to kill him, wanted to shoot him on the spot. Treat him like they treated herd their brothers. But houston knows this is a pond to keep alive, hes key to securing ultimate freedom for texas. They know their reinforcements coming for houston and revenge on houstons men, but he wants to end now. What does he get general santa ana to decide . He gets a treaty signed to end the war, but also uses an official letter had to write letters to his commanding generals, still in texas, saying we have surrendered the war is over, coming from the commander in chief. He left about 1,000 men, mexican soldiers, turned around and left texas, leaving texas as an independent country. For ten years. Absolutely. When we come back, the modern fight to remember the men who fought so hard for texas w independence, and the men and women of today who are making sure we never forget. I am for s, with zicam zicam is completely different. Unlike most other cold medicines, zicam is clinically proven to shorten colds. I am a zifan for zicam oral or nasal. music and splat sound music oops music music birds chirping uhoh. music music and patter of little shoes music and glass breaking sorry. music swells. music and loud glass breaking get on top of it before they do. About every 30 minutes tipped furniture or a falling tv sends an injured child to the emergency room. Preventing tipover incidents is easy, inexpensive and only takes about 5 minutes. Learn how to secure your furniture and tvs to protect children at anchorit. Gov. For decades, the state of texas has had a thirst to rebuild the alamo, but well meaning people on all sides cannot agree on how exactly to reclaim the foot prohibit. And that issue has fall on the desk o of land commissioner geoe p. Bush right here in aus tib, texas. He has embraced the challenge. George, you became land commissioner, did you have any idea the passion for the alamo to the people of texas and the need to restore it . I did. The reason its at the centerpiece of what being a texan is all about. This is a bloody battle within a bloody war fought for the simple idea of freedom and liberty against a tyrannical government. Theyve been here many jeb ration, they tell me the same thing, we have to do a better job to restore it and preserve it. We seem to be running from our history, the people of texas say save our history. The alamo was falling apart when i showed up for office, and the Archaeological Society saying if the state didnt intervene, it would fall apart. We asked for immediate appropriation to get that done. We were successful. We have a lot of work ahead of us in terms of stroering the church and long barracks and the original revolutionaries not to mention building the visitors centers. How do you show the sanctity of the battle while being culturally sensitive. Tell me the groups that have come at you with your hopes and beliefs at once. They can communicate their concerns, but the reason why millions of people come every year to theat alamo is for the battle of 1836. Describe it as you know it. What does it mean to george p. Bush, restoring the alamo how it ended so horribly. To me, a military veteran shows tremendous pride. These were defenders that knew the consequence of not receiving support from other parts despite the messages for the convoys and support. They knew over time they would not get it. There were multiple opportunities to retreat, to surrender to general santa an fa and they didnt. A rallying cry for the war of independence for the battle of san jacinto which sam houston began the process. Is this an American Store require a texas story . This is a global story. What happened at the battle of the alamo shaped our country and where lines are drawn, but how politics and geopolitics played out throughout the world. We started this story at san antonio, in the alamo. We continued outside of san jacinto and the battle in austin, texas on how to best remember the men who fought here. Regardless of how that turns out, one thing is clear, without sam houstons leadership and the courage of the man who fought under him, texas doesnt get annexed to america years later and americas march west does not take root like it did. Which leads me to why i titled the book sam houston and the avengerso to Texas History that changed american history. Thank you so much for watching. Im brian kilmeade. This is the first ever fox nations history celebrating the unsung