Nickelodeon Claims The Battle of the Alamo was fought so "white farmers could keep their slaves."

If the title is not bad enough just read this quote with empahasis on the last paragraph

The latest shots in the Battle of the Alamo are being aimed at an unlikely target -- the children's cable TV network Nickelodeon.

Keepers of the Texas independence shrine in downtown San Antonio are outraged by a Nickelodeon short that said the 1836 battle there was fought so "white farmers could keep their slaves."

"I think it's a shame that anybody would take that approach," said David Stewart, director of the Alamo. "I think it's an insult to the Mexicans, the Tejanos, who fought for freedom and liberty in the Alamo as part of the defenders. It kind of slaps them in the face to claim that was the reason the battle took place."

The 50-second-long piece, part of a running series of Nickelodeon shorts called "My Back Yard," says the dispute over slavery between white settlers and the Mexican government "led up" to the battle.

Despite being warned by respected historian R. Bruce Winders that the description was simplistic and inaccurate, the network ran the piece.

Why would Nickelodeon attempt to influence children with these lies? This just makes me sick.



news.yahoo.com...

So what was the battle of the alamo fought for?

I guess I fail to understand how Mexico would care about the Texan stand on slavery in the US.

Here's a version of why the battle happened, boogy:
Siege and Battle of the Alamo

and, wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org...

[edit on 10-5-2005 by DontTreadOnMe]

Slavery was one of the many reasons behind the Texan-Mexican war. Nickelodeon should have mentioned that it wasn't the only reason.

Many Mexicans didn't like the Texians bringing slavery into Mexico (Texas). Texas didn't want the Mexican government telling them that they couldn't keep other human beings a property. This added to the tensions that led up to the rebellion.

Growing up in Houston, I was bombarded with innaccurate nonsense about the brave Texians fighting for freedom and justice against the evil tyrant Santa Anna. The reality was much more complex, as usual. The Texians were anything but saints...same with Santa Anna.

If I had to pick a side, I would have sided with the Mexicans. But that's because I despise slavery. Santa Anna may have been a arrogant dictator, but at least he wasn't a slaver. *shrugs*

I could understand stating that its a lie if mexico had slavery, or texas didn't, but, well, that isn't the case. The invaders in texas kept slaves, becomming part of mexico would result in them loosing that ability.

The texans wanted their independence, and fought aginst mexico to preserve it. Ironically, they used their freedom to take liberty away from other men. Nickelodeon is being simplistic and silly if it says thats all there was to it, but its not a lie to note it.

It's a kid's network for crying out loud. How would you explain the US Civil War? Talk about the complex socio and economical issues? Or do you just say it was about slavery? They're kids, so the US Civil War was about slavery. When they get into jr high or middle school, then you can start to add some layers to the subject.

Just be happy Nick erred on the side of history, and didn't just say a bunch of gallant white people fought against a bunch of evil brown people. Some people need to grow up. Columbus didn't discover the United States, and the Americans at the Alamo weren't the 'good guys' you thought them to be.

Curme, you say you are grateful Nick erred on the side of history.

I say Nick is possibly rewriting history.
Why shouldn't kids be given the opportunity to learn the truth? Why not give them credit for wanting the truth? I think kids today are a lot more savvy than the previous generations.
There's a LOT more to the "civil war" than slavery. States rights comes to mind, to name one other reason.

What makes you think they are getting the truth in school, anyway?
I know I didn't get much truth in school, history wise.

[edit on 11-5-2005 by DontTreadOnMe]

Indeed, the civil war was about a lot more than slavery, tho I suspect if there was no slavery it'd've never happened.

Its understandable that a person can say that hte Civil war was about slavery, to a first approximation anyway. The idea that the fighters at the alamo had being able to be slavers high on thier list is, imo, rather unusual. Regardless, there's a truth in it, had santana won, there'd've been no slavery in the Imperial state of Texas. The people at the alamo were probably more concerned with not living under a dictatorship than being able to have slaves, whereas the Confederacy was staunchly opposed to giving up slavery, an act that would've almost certianly prevented that war, but not the other.

I can see what people are reacting against here tho, 'why are whites allways made out to be the bad guys', and here there's a point. Santa Anna was not the good guy, and the fighters at the alamo were no angels.

No matter how you slice it the birth of Texas was not the finest hour for America.
If these people were so unhappy with the thought of living under a dictatorship why did they voluntarily take mexican citizenship and move there? In fact its arguable that the crackdown on dissent organized by the Mexican government was a legitimate reaction to a percieved plot to infiltrate and secede from Mexico.

Originally posted by BlackJackal

Why would Nickelodeon attempt to influence children with these lies? This just makes me sick.

news.yahoo.com...

Being a Native Texan I am pissed, but I think you already know the answer to that question. If you don't like history rewrite it.

I seem to remember seeing that in Florida there will be no more grades A, B, C etc but 1, 2, 3....



Same thing, different bat channel...


PS. Santa Anna WON at the Alamo.

It was later that he lost the war...


Bit of history, Did you know that Texas has the right to split into 5 states as part of the end to the civil war?

Why you ask?


That would be 5 Senators! Which would get the Alamo?

[edit on 11-5-2005 by edsinger]