SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Long before the United States was founded, the story of The Alamo was already taking shape.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking at a history on this site from 1724,\u201d said Kolby Lanham, Senior Researcher and Historian at the Alamo.<\/p>\n
As America approaches its 250th birthday, few places demonstrate the sacrifice that helped shape the nation like The Alamo, which has become a symbol of courage, resilience and the fight for freedom.<\/p>\n
Lanham said The Alamo, which began as a Spanish mission, eventually helped shape not just Texas, but the future of the United States.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat will forever change the course of our nation because when we win our independence as a nation, Texas will eventually join the United States in 1845 as the 28th state,\u201d Lanham said. \u201cIt\u2019ll cause the Mexican-American War.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lanham said the outcome of that war changed the size and direction of the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cMexico will see it over any territory north of the Rio Grande River, which will almost double the size of the current United States,\u201d Lanham said. \u201cWithout the Alamo, you have none of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the Alamo remained a dominant force in Texas history as the state joined the union and the idea of Manifest Destiny took shape.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis idea of manifest destiny, that the United States should go from coast to coast,\u201d Lanham said, \u201cTexas is centralized in all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond the history books, visitors still feel the impact of The Alamo today.<\/p>\n
Arianna Schaeper, a fourth grader from Georgetown, visited the Alamo and said she felt the weight of the site\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do feel honored to be here,\u201d Schaeper said. \u201cYou could think right where we\u2019re standing, people could have died.\u201d<\/p>\n
For many visitors, especially students learning Texas history, The Alamo is a place where history becomes real.<\/p>\n
Nolan George, a fourth grader from Dallas, said the lesson of the Alamo is simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt shows that even though you\u2019re outnumbered,\u201d George said, \u201cbe brave.\u201d<\/p>\n