1836: Sam Houston Battles Santa Anna

During an extraordinary eighteen minutes on an April afternoon in 1836, the Battle of San Jacinto took place just east of what is today Houston, Texas. With that clash, a crucial phase of the westward expansion of the United States began. That single, swift, and surprising confrontation - amidst the cries of "Remember the Alamo!" – set Texas free from Mexico. It also led, this vivid Snap argues, to the shaping of much of the American West as we know it today. Here's the story of how Sam Houston and his rag-tag army crushed Santa Anna and his far superior force.