On March 2, 1836, 59 delegates gathered under the direction of Sam Houston to sever ties with Mexico and to form the Republic of Texas, a “free and sovereign nation”.

It was a short-lived country: a little less than 10 years later Texas joined the Union. But as any Texan will tell you, that streak of independence still runs strong and deep today.

Today would be a great day to head to Washington-on-the-Brazos, the birth place of Texas, to celebrate our state’s storied-history. Or you could head to San Antonio and revisit the Alamo, which fell only 4 days after Texas had declared Independence:

On March 5, day twelve of the siege, Santa Anna announced an assault for the following day. This sudden declaration stunned his officers. The enemy’s walls were crumbling. No Texan relief column had appeared. When the provisions ran out, surrender would remain the rebels’ only option. There was simply no valid military justification for the costly attack on a stronghold bristling with cannons. But ignoring these reasonable objections, Santa Anna stubbornly insisted on storming the Alamo. Around 5:00 A.M. on Sunday, March 6, he hurled his columns at the battered walls from four directions.