Do you know why we celebrate San Jacinto Day in Pasadena?🧐
STORY TIME!⬇️
On San Jacinto Day we honor and show respect to the brave men and women who settled in Texas before us. In 1835, both Anglo-American and Tejano Texas settlers were no longer happy being citizens of Mexico. The settlers organized and rebelled with arms against the Mexican Army. President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was a proven dictator, and the settlers wanted their freedom. The Texas settlers took arms and drove the Mexican army from Texas in 1835. In retaliation, General Santa Anna marched 6,000 soldier to reclaim Texas and stop the rebellion. It was brutal and the Alamo fell on March 6th and two weeks later, the soldiers of Goliad, Texas Surrendered.
General Sam Houston led the Texas rebellion and his army retreated, but his troops were eager to continue to fight and win against the Mexican army. Santa Anna made several mistakes. He divided his army to pursue different targets.
Sam Houston saw his chance to take action and setup camp on April 20th on the Buffalo Bayou near Lynch’s ferry. Santa Anna had his smaller army setup camp about ¾ miles away. The next morning, around 500 Mexican troops arrived to help but were given orders to eat and rest. General Sam Houston had a prime opportunity. At 3:30 that afternoon, the General and his troops laid out the battle plan to get their 930 soldiers to take the fight to Santa Anna’s 1250 Mexican soldiers.
At 4:30 General Sam Houston and the Texan army began to attack the Mexican camp while shouting “Remember the Alamo”! The battle lasted 18 minutes and the Texas army killed over 600 Mexican soldiers and captured almost all the remaining army. Nine Texans died in the battle.
General Santa Anna escaped and disguised himself as a private. Texan troops captured him along the Houston Ship Channel in now Pasadena, Texas. The troops brought him to General Houston and Houston forced him to sign a treaty that would recognize Texas as Independent from Mexico. That treaty opened the gate for Texas and the American expansion!
We celebrate San Jacinto Day to honor these brave men and how they fought for our freedom. The battle took place on the land of the now
San Jacinto Monument grounds.
