Happy Independence Day to the brethren of Texas. Today marks their declaration of independence from Mexico and the beginnings of the Republic of Texas. The declaration was formally read on March 2, 1836 in the little town of Washington. The Battle of the Alamo would start four days later, and last 13 days. The nearly 200 defenders who died at the Alamo at the hands of Mexican president-general Santa Ana included Freemasons James Bowie, David Crockett, James Bonham, William Barrett Travis, and Almaron Dickenson.
It's not known whether Santa Ana himself truly was a Mason. As president, he outlawed the practice of Freemasonry in Mexico, as most dictators do. And at the Alamo, he ordered the bodies of Masons to be hacked into bits. Yet, the story has long been told that, after his capture at the battle of San Jacinto, he prevented his execution at least twice by 'filling the air' with Masonic signs and giving the Masonic grip to Sam Houston. That's the story, anyway.
The Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas was formed April 16, 1838. The Republic of Texas itself lasted less than a decade, when it became a state on December 29, 1845.
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