San Antonio (Tex.)

The city of San Antonio grew out of San Antonio de Béxar Presidio, founded 1718, which included five Spanish missions located along the San Antonio River.

In 1773, San Antonio de Béxar became the capital of Spanish Texas and by 1778 had a population of 2,060. The town supported Mexican independence in 1813 but was recaptured by Royalist forces after the battles of Alazán Creek and Medina. During the Texas Revolution, San Antonio was the site of several battles, including the siege of Bexar (1835) and the battle of the Alamo (1836). After the evacuation of Mexican forces, the Republic of Texas organized Bexar County in December 1836, and San Antonio was chartered as its seat. When Texas entered the Union in 1845, the city grew rapidly, becoming a service and distribution center for the western movement of the United States. By 1860, San Antonio had become the largest town in Texas, with Germans immigrants contributing largely to the population growth. The city served as a Confederate depot during the Civil War, and afterwards prospered as a cattle, distribution, mercantile, and military center for the border region and the Southwest.

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