Alamo

[hobub]

I'm sitting here catching a small bit of the Alamo starring Billie Bob Thorton.

I must admit, I'm impressed by his performance. That is exactly the way I would expect Crocket to act and talk. His likeness is good too. Looks just like the Mego and the Googled paintings.

Sorry Duke, Billie Bob's gotcha beat on this one, Pilgrim.

[txteach]

Very good movie but filled with inaccuracies. As a Texas history teacher I do think it's the most accurate one out there so that says a lot about the other Alamo movies. Love the fact that San Jacinto battle is in it also. What a Texas victory!!! Guess I'm bias.

[Mikey]

When I imagine Davy Crockett, I always see Fess Parker

[hobub]

When I imagine Davy Crockett, I always see Fess Parker

That's because you sir, are a 1960's child.

[hobub]

Very good movie but filled with inaccuracies. As a Texas history teacher I do think it's the most accurate one out there so that says a lot about the other Alamo movies. Love the fact that San Jacinto battle is in it also. What a Texas victory!!! Guess I'm bias.

Great piece of Texas (let alone American) History. We all should be as bias.

[Mikey]

YouTube - Fess Parker Sings Davy Crockett

m

[hobub]

http://www.fessparker.com/

[bgrimm77]

The best line in that movie is from Billy Bob..."I'm a screamer !!!"

[Hector]

Mmm...better keep my comments to myself.

[txteach]

The reason the Mexicans lost so many men at the Alamo was most of them were conscripted as the army went north. Unfortunately most were farmers and had little training. Also Santa Anna was not big on buying the best weapons and bought muskets from Napoleon that were about 30 years old and outdated compared to the defenders kentucky rifles.Both sides showed tremendous bravery in the battle. It's not easy to run up to a well defended position (the Alamo) while bullets are flying and scale a wall to fight further. No need to say why the Texans were brave. They knew that by staying they faced impending death. A guy by the name of Rose did slip out and get past the Mexican lines to tell a lot of what we know today. Lord I love history!! Crockett was not a young man during the fight. He died at 50 years old. Colonel Travis died defending the west wall. The Mexican soldiers said he fought bravely before taking a bullet to the temple.

[Hector]

Good post, txteach. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

[bgrimm77]

American History....or just History in general is facinating ! It's what we were built on! I never understood...My wife for example HATES History , she say's it was boring and too hard. I dont see the boring , our past is so incredibly colorful as well as the world's history I cant see how one would get bored ! And then the whole History being hard thing....How could one studying History think that it's hard ? HISTORY NEVER CHANGES...THAT'S WHY IT'S HISTORY ! It's not like it's ever-changeing ! Or you have to remember fresh material that is subject to change.......Oh Nevermind I'm just upsetting myself........

[hobub]

That's right. This is all sacred "fought for" land and we just seem to take it for granted. I'm bias to "American" well, duh, because that's my heritage. But everyone should be proud of their own heritage and their ancestry.

Teach's specifics of the Alamo reminded me of what I've recently learned about the Civil War. The reason soo many men (including Generals) were cut down during that event was that they had several (over a hundred) patents in weaponry at that time. The round ball ammo that was used was what the generals based their game plans on. But it wasn't long before they used the "mini bullet" you know, the one that has a coned top with a threaded bottom. It spun as it left the barrel and went way further, thus putting the lines of men in range when previously they were out of range. And these guys were using this types of weaponry at each other thus cutting everyone down and creating the casualties we see in those gory photos. The weaponry outdated the warfare.

[johnnystorm]

American History....or just History in general is facinating ! It's what we were built on! I never understood...My wife for example HATES History , she say's it was boring and too hard. I dont see the boring , our past is so incredibly colorful as well as the world's history I cant see how one would get bored ! And then the whole History being hard thing....How could one studying History think that it's hard ? HISTORY NEVER CHANGES...THAT'S WHY IT'S HISTORY ! It's not like it's ever-changeing ! Or you have to remember fresh material that is subject to change.......Oh Nevermind I'm just upsetting myself........

My daughter had the same problem. I got her to understand it a little better by showing her that history is just STORIES of people's lives, and if you look it on more of an individual level like that, it becomes more than the divided eras you have to study in class. These people all faced the same basic needs we face today- food, housing, war, etc. - only it was a lot harder then to achieve them. How they overcame these things in the time & places they lived is fascinating, and of tremendous value to our lives now.
If anyone hasn't done so, I recommend the book 1776 by David McCullogh. I went to a lecture he gave recently on history and it was facscinating. He brings home that point very well. If he ever tours in your area- go see him by all means! A fascinating man!

[johnnystorm]

Oh, and I would like to point out that The Alamo has no basement.