Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 40: Texas' 4th Of July As we celebrate Independence Day next week in the United States, Texas has a special connection to the 4th Of July. Today we reveal how the path to statehood prompted Texas to have its own 4th Of July, why the young Republic chose to join the United States, and the hidden Texas symbol you can spot in the United States...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 39: The Mission Gate & Lunette A gateway to history: the Alamo's latest outdoor exhibit, the Mission Gate & Lunette, represents the main gate of the historic mission-fort. Today we reveal the history behind the interpretation, the artistic technique used by local artisans to give us a window into the past, and how the exhibit gives...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 38: Camels At The Alamo For a brief time in the 1850s, camels roamed and worked the Alamo grounds. It's a remarkable yet lesser recognized piece of history during the time the Alamo served as a critical supply hub for the United States Army as the country expanded west. Today we reveal why camels were once brought to the Alamo, what was lea...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 37: Preserving Battle Cannons There is a one-of-a-kind battle cannon on display at the Alamo. If you look down its barrel, you can see a layer of a chalky white substance. That substance is actually growing from the metal. Today we reveal why this substance is growing on the cannon, the team of Texas experts putting their minds together to find...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 36: The Donald & Louise Yena Spanish Colonial Collection As we close out Preservation Month, our focus turns to collectors - people who scour the world for artifacts and preserve them for the historical record. Donald Yena is a renowned Western artist. Alongside his wife Louise, he amassed more than 400 artifacts from Spanish Mission life in...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 35: The Road To Alamo Plaza Mission San Antonio de Valero, later known as the Alamo, did its job: it eventually became the center of a bustling city, with Alamo Plaza in the middle of all the action. As we continue to mark Preservation Month, today we reveal the road to Alamo Plaza and the seeds of development - how it became known for stores, b...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 34: The Many Lives Of The Long Barrack Imagine pointing at the Alamo: most people would probably point to the famous Church with the iconic arch. But really, the Alamo was a bustling four-and-a-half acre community anchored by its oldest building, the Long Barrack. Today we reveal the many lives of the Long Barrack, dating back nearly 300 years a...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 33: The Women Who Saved The Alamo History remembers the men who fought in the Battle of the Alamo - looming figures like Crockett, Travis, and Bowie. But we also must shine a light on the women who told their stories and ensured, centuries later, we continue to tell their stories. Today we reveal how Clara Driscoll and Adina De Zavala - two wome...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 32: Preservation Month May marks Preservation Month. Preserving and conserving the Alamo Church and Long Barrack are paramount to the Alamo Plan, as well as safekeeping all the artifacts we continue to uncover that might otherwise be lost to history. Today we reveal the work being done every single day to keep these fragile buildings standing, t...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 31: ¡Viva Fiesta At The Alamo! Every April,  San Antonio celebrates Fiesta, a 10-day citywide “party with a purpose” that benefits charities, both large and small. Fiesta draws in 2.5 million visitors a year with more than 100 events like downtown parades, Mexican-style rodeo demonstrations, and neighborhood street fairs. Today we reveal how thi...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 30: The Battle Of San Jacinto “Remember the Alamo.” That iconic battle cry is now known throughout the world. Borne out of the decisive loss at the Alamo, these stirring words galvanized the decisive victory at San Jacinto that ended the Texas Revolution, for good. Today we reveal what led up to the Battle of San Jacinto, how its 18 minutes of f...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 29: National Volunteer Month April marks National Volunteer Month here in the United States, a time to honor volunteers and encourage people to get involved in their communities. The Alamo is open 364 days a year, welcoming an average of 1.6 million visitors, including 155,000 school-aged children. Today we reveal how volunteers help inform thos...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 28: The Maverick Family Legacy Texas is a state of mind - an independent mind. An attitude that can be traced back to San Antonio’s pioneers, and one man in particular: Samuel Augustus Maverick, a name that today describes that Texas state of mind. Today we reveal Maverick’s deep roots at the Alamo – he was here during the Siege, and he returned...

Battlefields across the United States are forever hallowed ground, where blood was shed in pursuit of competing visions for the future. With each conflict, the people, the reasons, and the backdrops change. But the results - so many lives lost, the shifting balance of power - are the same. Today we reveal how the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of Gettysburg were true turning points in their re...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 26: Bella The Alamo Cat The Alamo is a world-famous battle site and a community gathering space. It’s also home to Bella The Alamo Cat. She’s the latest in a line of Alamo Cats who patrol the complex, defending the Alamo from pesky rodents and greeting visitors. Today we reveal the lighter side of working at the Alamo to show you how this furry...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 25: After The Battle It's March 1836, after the Battle of the Alamo. The Alamo has fallen. Its Defenders, all dead. Just a few survivors remain to share the story. And as the news slowly spreads, the Texas Revolution carries on. Today we reveal the panic that ensued as ordinary citizens heard what happened at the Alamo, the devastating loss...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 24: The Battle Of The Alamo The Battle of the Alamo: the 13-day siege, the urgent calls for reinforcements, and the defiant pledge of “Victory or Death” all come down to this - a cold, dark morning, with the Alamo garrison on the brink of attack. Exactly 188 years since the Battle, we reveal how the Mexican Army overtook the compound, the person...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 23: The Siege Of The Alamo The Siege of the Alamo: Santa Anna and his troops have arrived in San Antonio, with plans to take back the town and end the Texas Revolution, once and for all. But at the Alamo, William Barret Travis has a small band of soldiers and volunteers defending the key stronghold. Today we reveal what happened in between the b...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 22: Before The Siege February 1836, before the Siege of the Alamo. History tells us what’s coming next. But for the people living through these events, information is painstakingly slow, arriving only by letter. Today we reveal the written words that have survived, the repeated, grave concerns that battle will soon break out in San Antonio, why...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 21: Commemoration 2024 We are fast approaching 188 years since the Siege and Battle of the Alamo, pivotal points in the Texas Revolution that are now forever etched in history.  Today we reveal how we continue to Remember The Alamo through a series of Commemoration events meant to honor the fallen heroes of the Alamo and teach new generations ab...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 20: The Travis Letter "Victory or Death" - the only outcomes a Battle of the Alamo could possibly have. History remembers these stirring words, written by William Barret Travis, with the Alamo garrison surrounded and the Texan Army, outnumbered.  Now, for just the second time since it left Travis’ hands, the letter will soon be back at...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 19: Black History Month February marks Black History Month, and we are devoting this episode to the contributions of African Americans to the Alamo’s history.  Today we reveal the real stories behind these figures, who so often are shrouded in myth or forgotten by history. We’ll also tackle the tough truths behind their presence at the Alamo and...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 18: Phil Collins & The Alamo A British rock star became one of the largest collectors of Alamo artifacts in the world. In honor of Phil Collins and his upcoming birthday on January 30th, today we reveal how he became so fascinated by the Alamo, take you behind the scenes of his many visits to the Shrine of Texas Liberty, and the legacy this...

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast Episode 17: Alamo For All The Alamo is for everyone. We are committed to making the historic site accessible, whatever your needs. Today we reveal the steps the Alamo’s taken to provide sensory-friendly experiences, the accessible tours the Alamo can offer as you plan your visit, and the work being done to make an Alamo For All. Featuring the Alamo&apos...

You may not realize the Alamo is an active archaeological site. For the past few months, careful work performed by seasoned experts outside the Long Barrack has yielded a treasure trove of artifacts. Today we reveal the extraordinary archaeological discoveries now uncovered and how, even 300 years since the Mission was founded, we still have so much more to learn about the site. Featuring the Alam...