The San Jacinto Monument is located in Houston, Texas, USA and was built on the site of the Battle of San Jacinto where the Texas Army defeated the Mexican Army. The freedom of Texas from Mexico was won in this battle and the battle field site is known as the birthplace of Texas’ independence from Mexico.

The Texas revolution from Mexico started in June of 1832 and numerous battles took place in the southern part of Texas. In November of 1835 the Texans formed and army and a provisional government. On March 6th of 1836, Mexican forces overtook the Alamo but on April 21, 1836 the Texas army of 900 soldiers commanded by General Sam Houston invaded the Mexican army of 1300 soldiers led by General Santa Anna at San Jacinto.

The Battle of San Jacinto lasted for only 18 minutes. When the battle was over 600 Mexican Soldiers were killed and 700 surrendered including General Santa Anna but only Nine (9) Texans were killed. The decisive victory resulted in Texas becoming an independent republic.

The monument commemorating the battle and Texas’ independence is an octagonal column that is 567.31 feet high making it the tallest monument column in the world. For reference, the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. is 555 feet tall. The exterior is faced with Texas limestone and the monument is topped with a 220 ton star.

The monument stands in the middle of a 1,200 acre park providing clear views of the monument from many areas. The two photos below are from the parking lot and from the nature trail that leads to ponds and marsh area.

On the west side of the monument is a reflecting pool that is shown in the two photos below.

Throughout the park are many live oak trees that provide shade that can be used for picnic sites.

A brief story of the Texas fight for independence is carved in to the base of the monument. A portion of the story is written on each side of the monument and it is necessary to walk completely around the monument to read the entire story. The story is shown in the photos below.

At the bottom of the column is a carved pictorial history of the revolution and the beginning days of Texas.

At the top of the monument is a single star that represents the freestanding independence of the Republic of Texas.

Near the top of the column just under the star is an observation deck which provides 360 degree view of the local area. On the west side of the monument is the reflecting pool and the current location of the Battleship Texas however the battleship is scheduled to be moved to a new location in 2020. The majority of the area around the park is industrial but the park is large enough that it feels isolated from any influence of the industrial impact.

In the base of the monument is the San Jacinto Museum of History that contains over 2000 items including uniforms, guns, pottery and personal artifacts. Just outside the museum are painting that portray the events of the battle.

Most people have heard the phrase “six flags over Texas”. Many people think that this is just an amusement park in Dallas but the phrase refers to the flags of the six countries that have occupied the land of Texas.

These six flags are flying in front of the San Jacinto monument and are shown in the next two photos. The years that these countries occupied Texas are listed below.

Spain (left Flag)
1515 to 1685 and 1690 to 1821

France (Center Flag)
1685 to 1690

Mexico (Right Flag)
1821 to 1836

Republic of Texas (Center Flag)
1836 to 1845
Note: The current state flag of Texas is also the same flag as the Republic of Texas

Confederate States of America (Left Flag)
1861 to 1865

United States of America (Right Flag)
1845 to 1861 and 1865 to Present

The final three photos are the Texas and US flags in front of the San Jacinto Monument and the United States flag with a half-moon in the background.

The Dust on My Shoes

I thought that it would be appropriate that my first post on a topic from Texas would be on the site of the birthplace of Texas.

Being at a battlefield site always is a somber time for me. It always makes me reflect on the soldiers that died and were wounded during the fighting.

Typically, I am opposed to wars because I think they should be a last resort to resolving a problem but I have a different feeling towards revolutionary wars. Revolutionary wars are usually an uprising of the people against an oppressive government. Normally, people want to live peaceful lives but there are times in history where people have been pushed to a breaking point and they were willing to risk their life to have their freedom from an oppressive government. These are the circumstance that caused most revolutionary wars.

The state of Texas became an independent country by fighting against an oppressive government and so did the United States of America. I believe that it is our duty to preserve the rights and freedoms that others fought for so that we will always be “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave”.