Today is San Jacinto Day. On April 21, 1836, in a prairie next to what’s now the Houston Ship Channel, Sam Houston’s troops won the battle that seceded Texas from Mexico. But strangely, the ...

The buildup to the battle. Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. Texas was a contested territory, and by 1836 the Alamo had become a military outpost as Texans fought to win independence ...