Chapter 8 On The Border By Char Miller

The Battle of the Alamo is probably the most famous battle to take place in the history of, and in the state of, Texas. The battle has given Texans the will to persevere against tough odds and the courage to endure through seemingly impossible situations for many generations. Many a Texan would draw inspiration during the fights following the defeat at the Alamo. This inspiration eventually led them to victory during the Texas Revolution following the Battle of San Jacinto. Had the Texas military correctly utilized their intelligence and combat assets available to them at the time, they would have been able to properly reinforce the Alamo. This would have allowed Texan leadership to develop an effective strategy to defeat the Mexican army

Did you know that Texas was actually once Mexican territory? You may wonder why Texas is one of the 50 states in America today, and what were the events leading up to the Mexican American war. But why does a simple mission church relate to all of it? The battle of the Alamo was one of the most gruesome battles in American history. Today the Alamo Cenotaph stands 60 feet tall in the heart of San Antonio to honor all of the brave men and women who lost their lives for the freedom of Texas. Today America would be very different if the Mexican American war had not occurred.

The battle at the Alamo is one of the most significant events in the Texas Revolution, as well as in both Mexican and American history. For Mexican President and General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, it was a tale of determination and holding to the principles of a strong, central government. For Americans living in Texas, the Alamo was a venture of small scale Revolutionary ideals; a people should be able to democratically express how they feel their homeland to be governed. As we know, both countries experienced the extreme opposites of their desired outcomes, if only initially. The tales of this specific point in time are many, though some certainly contain many varying details from the next. However, most can hardly be proven, as

     In times before the confrontation at the Alamo, the Mexican government welcomed settlers into Texas. The motive behind Mexico’s act was to create a buffer zone between Mexican settlements and the Indians. Settlers were able to come to Texas as long as they promised to convert to Catholicism and become Mexican citizens among other

“Borders”, by Thomas King, takes place at the Canadian - American border. The main character is a mother who is Blackfoot. The mother refuses to identify herself as either Canadian or American; instead, the mother insists that she is Blackfoot, and because of this she and her twelve-year-old son have to stay in amidst the border offices of Canada and the United States. The title of this short story, “Borders” indicates two borders; one is the physical border amid Canada and the United States and the other is a metaphorical border between someone’s identity and citizenship. In Thomas King’s “Borders” The story shows proudness of citizenship and it portrays where you are from is a huge part of who you are. The three arguments that I will argue to prove this thesis is that the mother is proud that she is a Blackfoot, It is rare and improbable for a young women to leave the reserve, and that the mother dislikes the Americans because she was proud of her own people.

Mexican ranchers known as Tejanos fought to keep their land after the Mexican American War. Some examples of Mexicans farmers in the towns of Camargo and Reynosa owned about thirty-six thousand head of cattle, horses and sheep. Trade between those towns along the Nueces River and the countryside was very successful. Across the towns of Brownsville, McAllen and Edinburg after Texas became a state, Anglo merchants marry prominent Mexican land-grant families to gain control of acres of land. Subsequently, to make a contribution to the trade between

“The dam and reservoir required the purchase of about 22,000 acres of land” 1-1 . This is the number that lies at the heart of a wound and a controversy that is deeply rooted in Eastern Tennessee. While the number is large and significant, it is not the amount of land that was lost to the Tellico Dam project that caused the people of that area such grief. Rather, it was the meaning of the land that once intertwined irreplaceable history, livelihoods, sport and the like of a community for centuries. At a time in the nation's history where just the pitch for job growth and intercommunication between urban and countryside peaked the interest of hurting rural communities, TVA was met with harsh opposition from

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see (Edgar Degas).” Art can range from paintings, photos, metal working, abstracts and much more. It can take you places where you’re not and it allows you to interpret things differently from other people. There are many pieces of art that are placed throughout Iowa State campus, from the art inside of the many halls to the sculptures and even the buildings that fill campus. These are all just a few pieces of art that have their own meaning and interpretation. The sculpture Border Crossing, located near MacKay Hall, is just one of many located throughout campus. This sculpture represents pushing towards a goal and not giving up no matter the obstacles and that overcoming an obstacle is possible, it also shows the acceptance of culture. Each piece of art has its own emotions attached to it, the sculpture Border Crossing is just one of many that helps support the students of Iowa State.

The book, Beyond the Alamo: Forging Mexican Ethnicity in San Antonio, was written by Raul A. Ramos. It was well written and backed up with good research. As I read the book, I realized how history doesn’t have a definitive conclusion; it’s an infinite series of events that have shaped us to where we are today. The book showed how certain factors contributed to the tension between the Tejanos and other groups, which led to certain outcomes. I believe the author did a great job in writing this book with the Tejano perspective of the Anglo intrusion because it well illustrated those who gave up their lives in defense of freedom against an oppressor.

The siege, fall and ensuing massacre of nearly two hundred Alamo defenders at the hands of Mexican General, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna y Perez de Lebron’s army of over five thousand was a defining moment in both Texan, and American history. For 13 days against insurmountable odds, a small, but very determined Texan garrison force fended off an equally determined Mexican Army ordered to capture it. I’ll discuss the events and political climate leading up to the siege, key historic figures involved on both sides, the siege itself, along with events immediately following the battle. The iconic phrase, “Remember the Alamo!” would later go on to become a rallying cry at the Battle of San Jacinto.

In the 1870’s, the Unassigned Lands in the part of the Oklahoma Territory that would become Norman, Oklahoma was a sight to behold. Just north of the North Canadian River, which is the main tributary of the Canadian River, which in turn is the largest tributary of the Arkansas River, Abner Ernest Norman led his federal surveying crew to what would develop into the town bearing his namesake. “Norman, a 23-year-old surveyor from Kentucky, was hired to oversee part of this project. Norman’s work crew set up camp near what is today the corner of Classen and Lindsey streets; it was there that the men, perhaps jokingly, carved a sign on an elm tree that read “Norman’s Camp,” in honor of their young boss.” (Mills)

When looking on these documents, it is obvious to note the similarities with the writing in the early textbooks on the topic of the Alamo and the Mexican-American War. When these events happened, America was still a pretty recent country and was trying it's hardest to make a name for themself amonst the other well known countries. In 1867, when the first passage about the Alamo was written, and in 1840, when the first passage about the Mexican-American War was written, it was quite apparent that the people writing these were not telling the full truth about the two events as it was shown that in the writing of the Alamo, the author only said that David (Davy) Crockette was probably killed. From the 1878 edition to the 1905 one, there was a

Phaedrus once said; “Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.” This is true in life and literature. “Pacific Crossing by Gary Soto.Is a story where a young man tries to travel across the world to learn kempo which is martial arts.Throughout the story Lincoln learned that first impressions were not always accurate; you ne4eded to know people and places to really understand them.

The place in the picture is one of the Unesco World Heritage Site, located in San Antonio, TX. The Place was initially known as the Mission San Antonio de Valero, but it is now called “Alamo Mission in San Antonio” or more commonly, “The Alamo”. In 18th century, The Alamo is founded as a Roman Catholic mission and a fortress, and it was later used as a political prison and SA’s first hospital temporarily. After the Mexican War of Independence, Mexican took control of the building and fortified it with cannons, barracks and walls from 1821 to the surrender of General Martin Perfecto de Cos to texians. However, a Mexican troop led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna took over the Alamo after siege for 13 days that ended in a fierce battle

“Don’t make any noise unless you want to get caught!” whispered El Coyote. We were inside a small van all squished and laid flat so that border patrol won’t see us. I tried not to breathe due to the tension and adrenaline I was feeling at the moment. However, I felt my heart pumping so rapidly and so loud, if I were at a concert right now, my heart would have been louder than the music and the people combined. Suddenly, we were dumped out in a vast field filled with tall dry grass and only a couple of trees. Immediately, we started traveling by foot at around 12 in the morning, looking towards the future and forgetting about the past. Since we are traveling through a tall grassy area, it would be easy to camouflage or hide in between the grass. “We are now in American Territory,” stated El Coyote, but that didn’t seem to soothe anyone since we knew we knew we were in even more risks. After about 30 minutes of walking, everyone was exhausted, even El Coyote, since most of the trail had been constantly up and down, and there was still no sign of a small Pueblo or town or anything. All of a sudden we spotted a light ahead, and as soon as our hopes were started to go up, they quickly plunged to the floor because they were not street lights as we thought; it was the border patrol! As we started to make a run towards some mountain up above, things got worse since we were being followed by a helicopter now, flashing its light directly at us. As we started our way up, the border