Texas History, not a Hollywood's myth

Texas History, not a Hollywood's myth

By Emilio D. Santos

     This is a true Texas History, not a Hollywood's myth of the Alamo. John Wayne in a raccoon-skin cap didn't win the war. This myth has been extremely damaging. This lie has relegated Texicans (Mexican- Americans) to a subservient roll. The Texas history text books ignore or minimize the contributions of Spanish families  who lived before Crockett and Travis.

    The story is about the Esparza brothers , who fought on different sides of the walls of the Alamo. History has recorder that the brother who fought with the Mexican army asked Gen. Santa Anna for the body of his brother Gregorio so he will be interred, not incinerated. Gregorio Esparza was the only Alamo defender buried with dignity - given to him by his , brother the enemy.

    Mexican History say that Texas was stolen  from Mexico.  This is not thru. This is a lie. The defenders at the Alamo were Mexican Citizens. They fought and died under a green white and red flag with the numbers 1824 drawn on it. They were fighting to defend and preserve the freedom Mexico had finally won from Spain in 1821. They died defending the Mexican Republican Constitution. They died as Mexican from Texas, not as Americans.

    The constitution of 1824 guaranteed states' rights , It banned slavery.  Santa Anna established a military dictatorship. At last five states opposed Santa Anna usurpation. Zacatecas Guerrero. Michoacan , Yucatan, and Coahuila y Texas. This was a real civil war. Finally, all of Mexico surrendered -except  Texas- to Santa Anna, The illegitimate dictator who overthrew our constitution.

    Steve Austin  represented Texas in the Coahuila y Texas Legislature. Steve Austin was a man of Honor. He promised he would defend the constitution of 1824.  He kept his word.  Austin was jailed in Mexico city by Santa Anna.

Remember the Alamo.

I remember Gregorio Esparza and Steve Austin.

I remember honor and loyalty.

  This flag was the Mexican tricolor (red, white, and green), with the Mexican coat of arms (eagle holding a serpent and standing on a nopal (cactus)) replaced by the year 1824 to signify allegiance to the 1824 Mexican federal constitution. I don't know the origins of the flag, but it was adopted by the pre-independence, provisional government of Texas in November 1835 as the civil ensign and as the privateer flag. In my opinion, the 1824 civil ensign was replaced by the December 10, 1836 adoption of the first Texas national flag, the David G. Burnet flag (gold star on a blue field), and the 1824 privateer flag was replaced by the April 9, 1836 adoption of the Texas national flag for the naval service (white lone star in a blue union with thirteen red and white stripes).

I don't know to what extent the 1824 flag was used on land. It's pretty clear that the flag disappeared from use once the independence faction won out over the pro-Mexican federalist sympathizers, which was led by Stephen F. Austin, the so-called "Father of Texas."
Charles Spain, 5 June 1996