This beautiful old city has been under the rule of six flags: France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and the United States of America. The many different influences are still felt today. What started as a Native American village grew when Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) was founded by Friar Antonio de San Buenaventura Olivares in May 1718, near the San Antonio River. Four more missions were built along the river during the next 13 years. In 1836, 189 Texans gathered at the Alamo for a 13-day standoff against General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the President of Mexico, and his 5,000 men. Almost all the Texans died, but the battle was a turning point in the Texas Revolution. Today, the city has evolved into a modern, prosperous town that is the eighth largest in Texas.
