Each time I participate in History Day, I get excited and begin evaluating topics that characterize the theme. This year was no different,
and I reviewed several captivating topics including the Missouri Compromise, The Compromise of 1850, Apollo 13, and Women’s civil rights.
I decided none of these topics truly reflected my interests; therefore, after much consideration I chose the Battle of the Alamo: Gaining
Liberty and Freedom.
Due to the complexity and significance of the Alamo, numerous local resources were available. I began my research at the public library
where I located books and videos involving the Texas Revolution and the Alamo. After exhausting these resources, I turned to my school
library for supplementary information. The final place I searched for information pertaining to the Alamo was the Internet where I found
some extremely useful resources. The websites guided me through the events that led up to Alamo as well as the events that gave the Texans
their independence. My resources also had pictures of the Alamo accompanied with biographies of the heroes of the Alamo.
After gathering information, I set about selecting a presentation category. In previous years, I had prepared documentaries and even a
website and was excited about the opportunity to once again submit an electronic presentation reflecting my research. Without hesitation
I decided to enter the senior historical website competition, which would also allow me to interactively connect my reader with my research.
My project relates to the National History Day theme since the conflict of the Alamo was an event that forever changed United States history.
The fight for Texas Independence was a long struggle killing many in battles such as the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of Goliad.
However, these deaths were not in vain because the blood shed may have saved the United States from being taken over by Santa Anna and the
Mexican forces.
The Battle of the Alamo was primarily fought for the Independence of Texas from the oppressive Mexican forces. Santa Anna’s government restricted
the Texans’ rights to worship, live, and speak freely. The Battle of the Alamo occurred when a group of Texans, who were trying to defend their
land, were severely outnumbered by Mexican forces and defeated in the name of independence. The compromise in the Battle of the Alamo was the lives
that were sacrificed for freedom. Hundreds of men fearlessly died trying to gain liberty and freedom and in the end gave the ultimate compromise.
As I researched the history of the Alamo, I studied the struggles, loses, and the conflict that allowed Texas to later become a part of the United
States. The Alamo was a history-changing event that depicted an inevitable clash between two cultures dividing nation against nation. After researching
this subject, I have a greater respect for Davy Crockett, James “Jim” Bowie, William B. Travis, and of course all of the others who bravely gave their
lives in the name of freedom.
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