In 1709, Valero was built just outside San Antonio and after changing locations several times, Valero eventually moved to its current location in downtown San Antonio in 1724. It was the first of the five missions to be located in the San Antonio area.
The original purpose of Valero was much like the other missions, convert the indigenous population not only to Catholicism but also to the Spanish way of life.
By 1793, Volero was secularized, and with increased pressure from the French and the Americans, the Spanish military moved in and converted it to a frontier outpost and military garrison.
The first soldiers to arrive were a troop of soldiers from Alamo de Parras just south of the Rio Grande. They became know as the Alamo Company, and the compound simply became know as the Alamo.
But the story doesn't end there...
An anti-Spanish revolt began in 1810 spreading across Mexico and into Texas. By 1821 Mexico gained its independence, and with Texas still under its control, the Alamo remained a military outpost and shifted its allegiance to the newly formed nation. For the next few decades, Texas was a hotly contested area, between Mexico, America and the Texan colonists pushing for Texas independence with many battles happening in San Antonio during this Texas Revolution.
In late 1835, a skirmish broke out in Gonzales, Texas between Mexico and the colonists. The battle moved to San Antonio with the rebels gaining control of the city and the Alamo. In 1836, General Antonio López de Santa Anna and his army arrived in San Antonio to put down the rebellion. The colonists retreated to the fort known as The Alamo. They fought valiantly to defend the Alamo but needed to retreat once again. The 200 colonists on the defense turned the tables and staged a surprise attack defeating the advancing, much larger, Mexican army, capturing Santa Anna and achieved independence to the memorable cry 'Remember the Alamo'
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