Mexico history notes

The Mexican Flag.

Dates from 1821 and the central emblem includes an Eagle, snake and Cactus. The flag emblems refer to an ancient Aztec Legend about the founding of their Capital City Tenochtitlan (Present day Mexico City).

The Alamo.

In 1835 a full-scale revolution and civil war took place between Americans living in Texas (who declared independence) and Mexico. Sam Houston a former Tennessee governor headed the Army, navy, and Texas Rangers.

The war ended in 1836 when Houston attacked the Mexican forces on the banks of the San Jacinto River, defeated them, and captured the Mexican Dictator Santa Anna (Who considered himself The Napoleon Of The West) forcing him to acknowledge the independence of Texas State.

The Defining event of this conflict was the siege and capture of the Alamo mission in San Antonio, which fell in March 1836.

Defended by 187 Texans including William B Travis, James Bowie (after whom the Bowie knife was named) and Davy Crockett, the mission was surrounded by 5000 Mexican soldiers. The defenders were asked to surrender but replied with a defiant no, and a single cannon shot.

After 12 days of artillery bombardment the Mexicans attacked the Alamo in a massive frontal assault, which lasted an hour. The 187 defenders inflicted over a thousand casualties on the attackers, but the defenders were all killed, with the exception of around 30 non-combatants.

Santa Anna was determined to destroy The Texas symbol of defiance, but inadvertently made the Alamo Mission a symbol of Texas Liberty, with the phrase "Remember The Alamo" uniting and encouraging the Texan rebellion.

1934 - Lazaro Cardenas (President)

1939 - Avila Camacho (President)

1940 Mexican Revolution End (1910-1940)

Prime Minister Institutional Revolutionary Party

1946 - Miguel Valdes

1952 - Aldolfo Cortines

1958 - Aldolfo Mateos

1964 - Gustavo Ordaz

1970 - Luis Alvarez

1976 - Jose Pacheo

1982 - Miguel Hurtado

1988 - Carlos Gortari