Read this book and learn about the not-so-hidden historical truth of the Alamo. Specifically, in a newly published book titled, “Forget the Alamo: The
Rise and Fall of an American Myth ,” coauthors Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford paint a historically accurate picture of the Alamo story with plans to present their work last Thursday on the online platform of the Bullock Texas History Museum located here in Austin, Texas.
Given that Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dade Phelan are on the museum’s board, they exercised their power
and forced the director to cancel this event. The rub is that the less-than-flattering, albeit factual and credible, interpretation of Texas history that the battle of the Alamo was motivated in great part to preserve the institution of slavery. To understand this part of our history, one has to know that this land, that later became “Texas,” once belonged to Mexico and that Mexico had abolished slavery back in 1829. For greater insight, read this post to my blog back in 2014: Vicente Guerrero, Mexico’s First Afro-Indian President.
The irony is that Texas republicans decry “depl a t f o r m i n g ” which is something they just did with these book authors and scheduled presenters, Burrough and Tomlinson, while promoting legislation that they term, the “social media censorship bill” (Senate Bill 12). SB 12 is one of the governor’s priorities that failed during the regular session, however, it will resurface in the special legislative session that begins this week.
The truth of the matter is that they want to continue whitewashing history with a falsely patriotic and triumphalist view of history that preserves the myth of “Texas exceptionalism,” that either erases or rationalizes the truths of our state and nation’s atrocious history of slavery, conquest, and colonization of which the story of the Alamo is clearly emblematic.
________________________________________________________
Copyright 2021 Angela Valenzuela. Dr. Angela Valenzuela is Professor The University of Texas at Austin and author of the blogspot Educational Equity, Politics and Policy in Texas (https://texasedequity.blogspot.com/) The book referenced “Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth ,” coauthored by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford is available through your local book store or Amazon.