The Alamo Remembered: Tejano Accounts and Perspectives [Paperback]

Timothy M. Matovina (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1995

As Mexican soldiers fought the mostly Anglo-American colonists and volunteers at the Alamo in 1836, San Antonio's Tejano population was caught in the crossfire, both literally and symbolically. Though their origins were in Mexico, the Tejanos had put down lasting roots in Texas and did not automatically identify with the Mexican cause. Indeed, as the accounts in this new collection demonstrate, their strongest allegiance was to their fellow San Antonians, with whom they shared a common history and a common plight as war raged in their hometown. Timothy M. Matovina here gathers all known Tejano accounts of the Battle of the Alamo. These accounts consist of first reports of the battle, including Juan N. Seguín's funeral oration at the interment ceremony of the Alamo defenders, conversations with local Tejanos, unpublished petitions and depositions, and published accounts from newspapers and other sources. This communal response to the legendary battle deepens our understanding of the formation of Mexican American consciousness and identity. (19960301)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The first full-scale collection offers a rich insight into the formation of Mexican American identity in San Antonio. . . . [The book] speaks eloquently to a general audience trying to gain a more balanced perspective of the storied conflict [at the Alamo]. (Review of Texas Books )

Matovina's message is that historians who concentrate on the question of which side [Tejanos] joined or did not join miss the larger point: for the Tejanos themselves, the choice of sides during the revolt was not the overriding issue of their lives, nor was it the touchstone of their identity. What the Tejano accounts of the Alamo show, Matovina argues, is that the divisions engendered by the revolution failed to destroy what remained 'an amazingly cohesive community' in which families, friends, and neighbors split apart by the war reunited in harmony in its aftermath. (Southwestern Historical Quarterly )

Matovina's collection of Tejano memories of the Alamo not only proves essential in shedding light on the battle and its aftermath but, more importantly, contributes to an understanding of an understudied culture and that culture's effect on the most romanticized story of Texas history. (Journal of the American Studies Association of Texas )

A valuable addition to the already abundant [Alamo] literature. . . . Ordinarily, the battle of the Alamo is considered in a traditional adversarial manner--Santa Anna and his troops against the band of defenders. But there were many other people in the area, primarily Tejano citizens of San Antonio. These accounts both directly and indirectly deal with what was inevitably an ambivalent and uncertain dilemma of these people who were caught in circumstances beyond their control. It is an aspect of the battle of the Alamo too long ignored. (Journal of the West )

Review

A fascinating and much needed anthology of Tejano accounts of America's most storied battle.... There are no books like it in the field, despite considerable publishing on the Alamo and the Texas revolt. (Paul Hutton, Executive Director, Western History Association )

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; First Edition edition (1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292751869
• ISBN-13: 978-0292751866
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #613,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A compilation of Tejano accounts of the Alamo battle, March 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Alamo Remembered: Tejano Accounts and Perspectives (Paperback)

This book provides a detailed look at what the Tejano people experienced and thought of the seige on the Alamo by Santa Anna and the Mexican Army during the Texas Revolution. Matovina takes authenic documents and accounts and arranges them in an unaltered form in this book. His arrangement(chronologically as they were originally recorded) gives you an idea of how feelings and attitudes changed during the years that followed the actual event. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in furthering their knowkledge of what took place during the battle and, especially, its affects on the citizens of San Antonio after the battle.

4.0 out of 5 stars A helpful step toward solving the Alamo mystery, December 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Alamo Remembered: Tejano Accounts and Perspectives (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent reference for those interested in
accounts of the "other side" of the Alamo story. While, as with other books giving accounts of Tejanos who witnessed and/or were
present before, during or shortly after the battle, there are many conflicting versions of what happened that fateful day; most of the mystery surrounding the deaths of Crockett and Bowie remains unsolved. Nevertheless, the author does a great job of presenting the best evidence available through authenticated documents, and affords the inquisitive reader the opportunity to further research those grey areas and, possibly, reach the right conclusion of how the "heroes" died. Because we live in a society where the majority love to view departed combatants in the light of "heroics"-- whether or not deserving thereof--books like this one in particular are crucial for those searching for the truth. This is a definite 4+ for Alamo enthusiasts.