Nickelodeon slavery claim outrages Alamo keepers

[IX_Equilibrium]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/life_alamo_dc

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - 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.

"We recognize that there were several key issues in the Battle of the Alamo and one of them was slavery," said Mark Lyons, a senior producer for Nick News at Lucky Duck Productions in New York, which contracts for the Viacom Inc.-owned network.

Texas declared independence in 1836 when Mexico's leader, Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, revoked the existing constitution that allowed white settlement of the nation's northernmost province.

"The slavery issue was a factor but not the main one," Winders wrote Nickelodeon prior to the piece airing. "The revolt in Texas started as an effort to restore the Federal Republic under the (Mexican) constitution of 1824, but quickly evolved into a separatist movement."

About 200 Texan fighters held off thousands of Mexico troops for 13 days until Santa Anna finally crushed them on March 6, 1836. However, the siege gave other Texas units a chance to move east and gather for an ultimately pivotal battle near Houston in April 1836 that secured Texas independence.

Now the Alamo is Texas' top tourist attraction and one of the most recognizable U.S. landmarks.

The piece ran for about two weeks on Nickelodeon and is not expected to be aired again, Lyons said.

[Gatita]

Mexicans, Tejanos, Texas Mexicans....we all get the shaft when it came to history being written or told. When I took history in college my teacher had to assign a seperate book that taught us about our history here in Texas. The required book for the course didn't touch the subject. I found it to be down right shameful.

[johnny00]

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

"We recognize that there were several key issues in the Battle of the Alamo and one of them was slavery," said Mark Lyons, a senior producer for Nick News at Lucky Duck Productions in New York, which contracts for the Viacom Inc.-owned network.

Texas declared independence in 1836 when Mexico's leader, Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, revoked the existing constitution that allowed white settlement of the nation's northernmost province.

"The slavery issue was a factor but not the main one," Winders wrote Nickelodeon prior to the piece airing. "The revolt in Texas started as an effort to restore the Federal Republic under the (Mexican) constitution of 1824, but quickly evolved into a separatist movement."

About 200 Texan fighters held off thousands of Mexico troops for 13 days until Santa Anna finally crushed them on March 6, 1836. However, the siege gave other Texas units a chance to move east and gather for an ultimately pivotal battle near Houston in April 1836 that secured Texas independence.


I heard this piece on WOAI yesterday and I was like Whaaa????

Just another example of people and especially media underestimating the intelligence of our children.

Lets throw this kind of information out at them, true a lot of them won't care
but what about the few that do???

It'll set the wheels in motion. Maybe get them off thier asses from thier Playstation 2.

Maybe even ceate someone who can bring intelligent conversation to a dinner table.

Oh heavens! Not that.

Don't ask that,because Joe and Jane America can't show they don't know themselves and are too busy to help thier kids get more educated then them.

Yeah lets just say it was a slavery issue ....it's easier that way.

[MannyIsGod]

Ah yes, lets not have anything that makes the fight for Texas independence less than another manfistation of the most noble of the causes since the Crusades.

Manifest Destiney. Isn't that what Kingdom of Heaven 2 is going to be about?

[travis2]

Oh give me a break.

Provide evidence that slavery was the overriding reason for the Texas revolution.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I like Mexicans. One comes over to clean my house and she's very nice. Last week I tipped her with a big shiny quarter.

[MannyIsGod]

Oh give me a break.

Provide evidence that slavery was the overriding reason for the Texas revolution.
I'm not saying it is. I've not seen the program in question, so I can't comment on it. Have you?

No, my post was directed at the general reaction of people in this country to their history. They like it one way, and thats about it.

[travis2]

I'm not saying it is. I've not seen the program in question, so I can't comment on it. Have you?

No, my post was directed at the general reaction of people in this country to their history. They like it one way, and thats about it.

Seen, no. Read the transcript of, yes. And it does present the Texas revolution as a battle over slavery.

[MannyIsGod]

Fair enough, then it's inaccurate. But how many people would protest and be in a huge uproar when the material is inaccurate in the way it paints the Mexican forces and what they were doing?

[travis2]

Here's the transcript, BTW...

A teenage Hispanic girl provides the voice over as she walks in front of the Alamo:

My name is Salviola. I'm from San Antonio, Texas, and the Alamo is in my backyard.

In 1718, the mission of San Antonio de la Valero was established. The church structure is still standing today and it is known as the Alamo.

The battle for the Alamo is often remembered as a rebellion of a small group of brave Texas farmers fighting against the Mexican army. What you may not know is that at the time, Texas was part of Mexico.

By the early 1800s, a lot of people living in San Antonio were farmers who brought their slaves with them. In 1829, Mexico abolished slavery and what followed was years of conflict between farmers who wanted to keep their slaves and Mexican authorities. This conflict led up to the battle for the Alamo.

In the end, Gen. Santa Ana and 5,000 Mexican soldiers surrounded the Alamo and all the defenders of the mission were killed.

So, when you remember the Alamo, think about the soldiers, the battle and the true story behind it.

[travis2]

Fair enough, then it's inaccurate. But how many people would protest and be in a huge uproar when the material is inaccurate in the way it paints the Mexican forces and what they were doing?

Give me an example of what you mean...

[MannyIsGod]

Actually, I'll get Jess to do that. She's the history major and she'll make this point much better than I will.


BTW, it was good to finaly put a face to the name Travis.

[travis2]

Likewise, Manny...:)

[samikeyp]

The thing that I learned after high school and that pissed me off I didn't learn earlier was the role tejanos played in the battle and the fight for Texas independence. We were all told that it was 183 white guys getting their asses kicked by Mexicans. Guys like Juan Seguin and Gregorio Esparza were basically left out.

[Gatita]

I bet they didn't mention that there were mexicans http://www.improvingsex.com/smileys/jose.gif who signed the document for independence as well.

[CosmicCowboy]

In 1829, Mexico abolished slavery and what followed was years of conflict between farmers who wanted to keep their slaves and Mexican authorities. This conflict led up to the battle for the Alamo.

Existing slaves were exempted from the act so this was 100% wrong. The revolution was taking place all across northern Mexico to protest Santa Anna overthrowing the democratic government and making himself emperor...not just in San Antonio or what is now known as Texas...it just gradually evolved into a war for independence...approximately 20% of the defenders of the Alamo were hispanic...I don't know about you guys but my 7th grade Texas history teacher didn't try to keep this a secet at all...

Nickelodeon shot the piece completely before doing any fact checking...when they did check their facts with Winder and were informed that the spot was historically inaccurate they chose to run it anyway as fact...

[CosmicCowboy]

I bet they didn't mention that there were mexicans http://www.improvingsex.com/smileys/jose.gif who signed the document for independence as well.

maybe I was lucky but my teacher ( a gringa) made it clear that hispanics were very active in the formation of Texas...it was also in the textbook we used...

[violentkitten]

kill whitey

[Useruser666]

The number of Mexican troops is also totally off. I think they got their facts from a Taco Bell menu.

[Gatita]

maybe I was lucky but my teacher ( a gringa) made it clear that hispanics were very active in the formation of Texas...it was also in the textbook we used...

Quite frankly, I don't remember learning jack in school regarding history. Only thing they ever drove into our brains was that damn song regarding Christopher Columbus so we could remember the date! Bastards! http://www.improvingsex.com/smileys/nasty.gif

Thank God for education past High School.

[travis2]

I remember tejanos in my TX history class as well. Maybe not highlighted...but they weren't hidden, either.

School was different back then, I guess...

[mookie2001]

viacom

[Useruser666]

I thought the Mexican army was lead by Sponge Bob?

[CosmicCowboy]

Quite frankly, I don't remember learning jack in school regarding history. Only thing they ever drove into our brains was that damn song regarding Christopher Columbus so we could remember the date! Bastards! http://www.improvingsex.com/smileys/nasty.gif

Thank God for education past High School.

:lmao

strangely enough I remember quite a bit from school from back before I discovered women, drugs, and alcohol...:lol

[samikeyp]

Well I got Texas History in middle school in the early 80's and the teacher taught right out of the book and it sucked. The only cool thing was a film about Juan Seguin we saw.

[Gatita]

strangely enough I remember quite a bit from school from back before I discovered women, drugs, and alcohol...:lol

That's funny. Now that I have discovered men and alcohol http://www.improvingsex.com/smileys/drink.gifI do well and remember more about what I am learning in school.

[travis2]

well, I went through middle school 10 years earlier...and CC went through...ummmm...an indeterminately longer time than that...:lol

[CosmicCowboy]

Well I got Texas History in middle school in the early 80's and the teacher taught right out of the book and it sucked. The only cool thing was a film about Juan Seguin we saw.

I was absolutely appalled at my sons Texas history class...the whole year the teacher used the class period to have the kids who knew how to read just read the textbook out loud to the rest of the class...

[Experiment2100]

My Texas history class sucked so much I don't remember it.

[Gatita]

My Texas history class sucked so much I don't remember it.

Same here. :depressed

[CosmicCowboy]

My Texas history teacher was one mean battle axe...Texas history was the only subject she taught and she knew her shit...her husband was the (winning) high school football coach at the time and she had "can't be fired" stamped on her personnel file...I hated it at the time but you were NOT getting out of her class if you didn't know the subject inside and out and there were a lot of 8th graders taking the class again that didn't believe it the first time...

[JoeChalupa]

maybe I was lucky but my teacher ( a gringa) made it clear that hispanics were very active in the formation of Texas...it was also in the textbook we used...

Those damn liberals! :lol

[T Park]

what does liberal have anything to do with that?

[JsnSA]

My Texas History teacher taught us about Mexican participation at the Alamo (other than Santa Anna's troops).

Perhaps it just depends on the teacher. I don't remember if it was in the text book...I do know it was discussed.

[johnny00]

One afternoon, my youngest was trying to read my replica of the famous Victory or Death! letter by Travis, I read it to both my daughters (one in 6th the other in 8th) and gave a short 10-15 minute history of the Alamo.

After I finished I asked them if they had covered any of this in thier current or past history classes they nodded no and told me this was the first they had heard of the battle.

Amazing that basic San Antonio history isn't covered by some of our schools.