San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
The State of Texas has long been associated with military prowess and great victories. Even the loss of the Alamo served to further the legendary acts of Texan fighting men. Two of the greatest reminders of this long-held tradition are found just outside of Houston in the port city of La Porte. La Porte is home to two military monuments. The monuments are from different eras, and memorialize different types of soldiers, but both of them give tribute to the famous Texas fighting spirit.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's 1,200-acre San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site is composed of three different components: the battleground itself, the Battle of San Jacinto monument, and the Battleship Texas. All of these fascinating historical finds are located close to downtown Houston and the sand and sun of Galveston Island.
The Battleship Texas
Texas has long been a state of firsts, and the battleship that bears her name is no different. The Texas was launched in May of 1912, only one month after the Titanic disaster. Over the next few years she was the first U.S. battleship to sport anti-aircraft weapons, the first U.S. battleship to actually launch an airplane, and she participated in World War I.
In World War II the Texas proved to be a nemesis to German submarines. During that conflict the Texas was involved in action in Africa, at Normandy, France on D-Day, and eventually at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. When the ship was decommissioned in 1948 she had earned a total of five battle stars for her service. Today there are few remaining battleships, and of those few, Texas is one of only two to have served in both world wars. She is also the only “dreadnought” style battleship still in existence.
The Battleship Texas is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, and is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The cost of admission is free for children 12 and under, $5 for senior adults (65+), and $10 for adults.
Find more information at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/battleship_texas/
The Battle of San Jacinto Battleground and Monument
The battle of San Jacinto was the culmination of many complicated and intertwined events. Mexican independence from Spain, American settlers moving to the Texas territory, General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s abolishment of the constitution, skirmishes between the settlers, and Mexican troops all played a part in Santa Anna marching into Texas to assert his authority and put down a rebellion. The famous battle of the Alamo was followed by several small battles around the town of Goliad, culminating with the Goliad Massacre, where over 300 prisoners of war were executed on Santa Anna’s orders.
The Texan government, which had declared its independence while the Mexican forces laid siege to the Alamo, looked to be short-lived. General Sam Houston continually retreated from the Mexican forces until he was all but cornered. General Houston responded with a sneak attack in broad daylight over open ground on the afternoon of April 21st. The attack took Santa Anna and his army by surprise, and, in approximately 18 minutes of combat, the Texan army had won. That day they killed about 630 Mexican soldiers, wounded 208 and took 730 prisoners. General Santa Anna managed to escape, but was caught the next day. Texas would be independent.
Today, on the site of that famous battle stands the San Jacinto Monument. The monument itself is a 570-foot column, the largest of its type in the world, even taller than the Washington monument in Washington, D.C. On top of the column is a 34-foot star.
The monument contains eight inscriptions. One of the eight reads, "Measured by its results, San Jacinto was one of the decisive battles of the world. The freedom of Texas from Mexico won here led to annexation and to the Mexican War, resulting in the acquisition by the United States of the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Almost one-third of the present area of the American nation, nearly a million square miles of territory, changed sovereignty."
The San Jacinto Battleground and Monument are open from 9a.m. to 6p.m. daily and are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The entrance fee is $1.
La Porte, Texas
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's 1,200-acre San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site is composed of three different components: the battleground itself, the Battle of San Jacinto monument, and the Battleship Texas. All of these fascinating historical finds are located close to downtown Houston and the sand and sun of Galveston Island.
The Battleship Texas
Texas has long been a state of firsts, and the battleship that bears her name is no different. The Texas was launched in May of 1912, only one month after the Titanic disaster. Over the next few years she was the first U.S. battleship to sport anti-aircraft weapons, the first U.S. battleship to actually launch an airplane, and she participated in World War I.
In World War II the Texas proved to be a nemesis to German submarines. During that conflict the Texas was involved in action in Africa, at Normandy, France on D-Day, and eventually at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. When the ship was decommissioned in 1948 she had earned a total of five battle stars for her service. Today there are few remaining battleships, and of those few, Texas is one of only two to have served in both world wars. She is also the only “dreadnought” style battleship still in existence.
The Battleship Texas is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, and is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The cost of admission is free for children 12 and under, $5 for senior adults (65+), and $10 for adults.
Find more information at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/battleship_texas/
The Battle of San Jacinto Battleground and Monument
The battle of San Jacinto was the culmination of many complicated and intertwined events. Mexican independence from Spain, American settlers moving to the Texas territory, General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s abolishment of the constitution, skirmishes between the settlers, and Mexican troops all played a part in Santa Anna marching into Texas to assert his authority and put down a rebellion. The famous battle of the Alamo was followed by several small battles around the town of Goliad, culminating with the Goliad Massacre, where over 300 prisoners of war were executed on Santa Anna’s orders.
The Texan government, which had declared its independence while the Mexican forces laid siege to the Alamo, looked to be short-lived. General Sam Houston continually retreated from the Mexican forces until he was all but cornered. General Houston responded with a sneak attack in broad daylight over open ground on the afternoon of April 21st. The attack took Santa Anna and his army by surprise, and, in approximately 18 minutes of combat, the Texan army had won. That day they killed about 630 Mexican soldiers, wounded 208 and took 730 prisoners. General Santa Anna managed to escape, but was caught the next day. Texas would be independent.
Today, on the site of that famous battle stands the San Jacinto Monument. The monument itself is a 570-foot column, the largest of its type in the world, even taller than the Washington monument in Washington, D.C. On top of the column is a 34-foot star.
The monument contains eight inscriptions. One of the eight reads, "Measured by its results, San Jacinto was one of the decisive battles of the world. The freedom of Texas from Mexico won here led to annexation and to the Mexican War, resulting in the acquisition by the United States of the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Almost one-third of the present area of the American nation, nearly a million square miles of territory, changed sovereignty."
The San Jacinto Battleground and Monument are open from 9a.m. to 6p.m. daily and are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The entrance fee is $1.
La Porte, Texas
