Fragile Freedom

Even before he had sent out the letter not even ten days prior Lieutenant Colonel William Barret Travis knew that the cause had been lost. Even as the 187 volunteers who stood guard within the mission walls looked out on the sea of 3,000 Mexican soldiers under the command of the Napoleon of the West, General Antioni López de Santa Anna, they knew how outnumbered they truly were. In their minds this was not how it was meant to be, and there was little doubt they had wondered how it had carried this far. Mexico was supposed to be a land of opportunity for them. It had only declared its independence from Spain 4 years prior when Americans began to immigrate. The Panic of 1819 had led to financial disaster as depression gripped the economy and land prices soared. The Second Bank of the United States, and, in turn, the government had failed the people as the inflationary bubble ballooned out of control, until it finally burst. Mexico, despite the political instability, seemed like it was the new frontier with its