Emily Chan
A strange substance has been growing inside an 18th-century bronze cannon that was used in the Battle of the Alamo, and a team of experts has been working diligently to remove it. The preservation effort was led by specialists from Texas A&M University’s anthropology department.
They thought the chalky, white substance could be from chemicals used in previous conservation efforts. It only showed up on the weapon recently and was a rare occurrence. The team applied a special acid solution to the historically significant artifact to eliminate the substance.
“This is a really interesting cannon. It has a long and exciting story, especially from Texas history,” said Kimberly Breyfogle, a Ph.D student in the Texas A&M Nautical Archaeology Program.
Currently, the cannon is housed at the Museum of the Alamo. It is a historic Spanish mission and fortress compound originally established by Roman Catholic missionaries in the 18th century. It is located in present-day San Antonio, Texas.
According to Breyfogle, the Alamo was built as a mission in the 1700s under Spanish colonial rule. It was meant to evangelize local Native Americans. After it stopped functioning as a mission, it was used for medical and military purposes.
The most famous historical event that happened in Texas is the Battle of the Alamo. It lasted from February 23 to March 6, 1836. The battle took place during the Texas Revolution, which spanned from 1835 to 1836. It was a rebellion of U.S. colonists and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Mexican government.
Mexican forces won the Battle of the Alamo, but ultimately, the revolution led to a split from Mexico and the founding of the Republic of Texas in 1836. Later, in 1845, the United States annexed the republic.
As for the cannon, its origin is unclear. Research suggests that it was most likely made in the 1760s in what is now Mexico. Then, it was sent to Los Adaes, the capital of Spanish Texas at the time, which is located in Louisiana today. It was used as needed in several notable battles.
Aside from the Alamo, the cannon is thought to have been used in the Battle of Medina in 1813 during the Mexican War of Independence (1810–1821). The conflict was fought between the Spanish colonial government and the people of Mexico. In addition, the cannon saw the Battle of Concepción in 1835, which is considered the first major fight of the Texas Revolution.
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