Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast
Episode 63: Plaza De Valero

As we close out a year of unprecedented growth at the Alamo, we are celebrating a major milestone in the Alamo Plan: this week, the pedestrian-friendly Plaza De Valero will be open for the community and visitors to enjoy.

We reveal what you’ll see at Plaza De Valero, why this community space is so vital, and how it will become the premiere gathering space in the heart of downtown San Antonio. Featuring Alamo Trust, Inc., Executive Director Dr. Kate Rogers.

More on Plaza De Valero: https://www.thealamo.org/visit/whats-at-the-alamo/plaza-de-valero
More on the Mission Gate & Lunette Exhibit: https://www.thealamo.org/visit/whats-at-the-alamo/mission-gate-and-lunette

Send the Alamo Podcast a Text Message! (Please include name and contact information so we can respond.)

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast
Episode 62: Hurricane Recovery - David Crockett Birthplace State Park

In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene bore up the United States eastern seaboard. As the deadly storm moved inland, devastating rain stalled over Tennessee, washing away much of the state park that marks the birthplace of David Crockett.

We reveal the extent of damage at David Crockett Birthplace State Park, the powerful parallel it draws to Crockett’s own life, and how you can help recover and preserve this foundational piece of Alamo history. Featuring Thomas Batchelor and Fred Bloom, interpretative rangers at David Crockett Birthplace State Park in Limestone, Tennessee.

David Crockett Birthplace State Park website: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/david-crockett-birthplace
David Crockett Birthplace State Park on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@DavidCrockettBirthplaceStatePark/
Friends of David Crockett Birthplace State Park: https://www.facebook.com/groups/479055350053156

Send the Alamo Podcast a Text Message! (Please include name and contact information so we can respond.)

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast!
Episode 61: The Storming Of Bexar

The Storming Of Bexar is a shorthand description of the first major campaign of the Texas Revolution, with street-to-street and even house-to-house fighting just footsteps from the Alamo.

We reveal the central figure of this conflict, how he sacrificed his life to help ensure Texans won control of the Alamo, and the piece of his personal history now back home at the Shrine of Texas Liberty. Featuring the Alamo's Senior Curator, Historian & Lecturer Ernesto Rodriguez; Main Plaza Conservancy's Executive Director Molly Hall-Villarreal; and the Alamo's Collections Manager Misty Lanham.

Read former Alamo Curator Dr. Bruce Winder's essay on the Battle of Bexar: https://officialalamo.medium.com/san-antonio-de-b%C3%A9xar-texas-december-1835-122b93fcc9ca
Main Plaza Conservancy website: https://www.mainplaza.org/
Watch as the Alamo unveils portrait of Benjamin Rush Milam: https://youtu.be/hZmCwMosHyk
Photos from Benjamin Rush Milam portrait unveiling: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAlamo/posts/pfbid04PWLfKE1A6f5Mu7V1WZq97PYdB9EgbuzmTMnXn5URcyc87vraQsXd4nUmvY8Jcvfl

Send the Alamo Podcast a Text Message! (Please include name and contact information so we can respond.)

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast
Episode 60: The Grass Fight

In late November 1835, a Texas Revolution skirmish took place that history remembers as “most unusual.”

We reveal how The Grass Fight happened, the impact it had on control of San Antonio, and how it helped bring Revolution closer to the Alamo. Featuring the Alamo's Senior Curator, Historian & Lecturer Ernesto Rodriguez.

Read more on The Grass Fight and view historical marker: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/grass-fight

Send the Alamo Podcast a Text Message! (Please include name and contact information so we can respond.)

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast
Episode 59: Mexican Politics & The Texas Revolution

In November 1835, 189 years ago this month, the Texas Revolution is in full swing. It’s not an isolated event – rather, one link in a chain of events that had been unfolding for several years in greater Mexico.

We reveal what caused political turmoil in Mexico, the power struggle that brought a general named Santa Anna to power, and the political pendulum swing that forever changed the course of Texas history. Featuring the Alamo's former curator Dr. Bruce Winders.

Read Dr. Winders' essay on Anahuac Disturbance: https://www.thealamo.org/remember/birth-of-a-fortress/anahuac-june-1832

Send the Alamo Podcast a Text Message! (Please include name and contact information so we can respond.)

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast
Episode 58: Canary Island Descendants

More than 290 years ago, 16 families from the Spanish Canary Islands, off the coast of Northwest Africa, embarked on a yearlong journey through sea and land. They settled just footsteps from the Alamo near modern-day Main Plaza, where they began to lay out a village.

We reveal the remarkable legacy the Canary Island settlers left on San Antonio, how their descendants are keeping their history alive, and why the Alamo is now recording their stories for the historical record. Featuring the Alamo's Vice President of Collections, Curation, Conservation, and Archaeology Dr. Tyler Taylor, Canary Island descendant Anthony Delgado, and Canary Island Descendant Kathleen Betty.

Canary Islands Descendants Association: https://cida-sa.org/
Map of key Canary Island sites in downtown San Antonio: https://www.bexar.org/3673/The-Canary-Islanders
Photo of millstone Canary Islanders brought to San Antonio: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyBaucumSATX/posts/1104728677682880
If you have an artifact the Alamo might be interested in: [email protected]

Send the Alamo Podcast a Text Message! (Please include name and contact information so we can respond.)

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast
Episode 57: Spanish Texas

Mission San Antonio de Valero - the Mission we know today as the Alamo - moved to its current location in 1724, making this year its 300th anniversary.

We reveal the history of Spanish Texas: what Mission life was like, and the artifacts that survived the centuries to tell the story. Plus, we host a conversation with a Spanish visitor who came here to learn more about his country’s past. Featuring the Alamo's Senior Curator, Historian & Lecturer Ernesto Rodriguez and "Atlantic Express" podcast host Paco Reyero.

Watch video about the Mission's founding document: https://youtu.be/dpMXEb4V_j4?si=fBlhxMvYpRO5gUmD
Learn more about Mission San Antonio de Valero: https://www.thealamo.org/remember/mission-valero
Listen to the Atlantic Express podcast: https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/atlantic-express/

Send the Alamo Podcast a Text Message! (Please include name and contact information so we can respond.)

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast
Episode 56: Connecting The San Antonio Missions

San Antonio’s Spanish missions were more than churches. They were communities that planted roots so deep, they grew our city into a place known all over the world. 

We reveal the stories behind each of San Antonio’s missions, show the connections forged over time, and how they’ve remained community foundations through the centuries. Featuring the Alamo's Director of Interpretation Tom Castanos and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park's Chief of Interpretation & Education PT Lathrop.

Plan your visit to San Antonio Missions National Historical Park: https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm
Plan your visit to the Alamo: https://www.thealamo.org/visit/tours-and-experiences

Send the Alamo Podcast a Text Message! (Please include name and contact information so we can respond.)

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast!
Episode 55: Mexican Constitution Of 1824

In October 1824 - 200 years ago this month - the people of Mexico drafted their first Constitution. It’s known today as the Mexican Constitution of 1824.

We reveal why history remembers this document, how it led to the key players in the Alamo’s story making their way to Texas, and why what happened to the Constitution just a decade later helped spark the Texas Revolution. Featuring the Alamo's Senior Curator, Historian & Lecturer Ernesto Rodriguez and Dr. David Carlson from the Spanish Archives of Bexar County.

Photo of Mexican Eagle sculpture at the Alamo: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyBaucumSATX/posts/pfbid02QEDBAERTUcLCagLAqoBF3XUnAH5TFWZdXWSc5NySuRwzGCZnSRLi1TQkZRMgNhjRl
Photo of Mexican Garrison flag at the Alamo: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyBaucumSATX/posts/1105399480949133

Send the Alamo Podcast a Text Message! (Please include name and contact information so we can respond.)

Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast
Episode 54: Celebrating Texas Archaeology Month

This October, the Alamo is celebrating Texas Archaeology Month. Visitors to the Alamo are often astonished to learn our archaeology team is still discovering artifacts that continue to shape our understanding of the site’s history.

We reveal the latest finds from the Battle of the Alamo and even from before, when the place we know as the Alamo was a Spanish Mission. And, we’ll explore the work of a veteran archaeologist who has uncovered stories hidden in the ground of downtown San Antonio and across Texas. Featuring the Alamo's Director of Archaeology Dr. Tiffany Lindley and Dr. Steve Tomka from the Cultural Resources National Practice Lead Program at engineering consulting firm Raba Kistner.

Read the Alamo's weekly archaeology updates: https://www.thealamo.org/support/preservation/updates
Learn more about the Alamo Archaeology Symposium: https://www.thealamo.org/visit/alamo-archaeology-symposium

Send the Alamo Podcast a Text Message! (Please include name and contact information so we can respond.)