2. William Travis was born on a farm in South Carolina. In 1818, when he was nine, the family moved to Alabama. Travis read law, became an attorney, published the Claiborne Herald, and volunteered with the Alabama militia. He left his family in 1830-31 and moved to Texas, acquired land from Stephen F. Austin, began a law practice at Anahuac, and participated in the opposition to the Law of April 6, 1830, which increased tensions between the Mexican government and American settlers. In 1836, he arrived at San Antonio with a small force, agreed to share command with James Bowie, and proceeded to prepare the Alamo for the arrival of Santa Anna and the Mexican army. The defenders strengthened the walls, constructed palisades, mounted cannons and stored provisions. On February 24, he wrote a letter “To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World,” which increased U.S. support for the Texas cause, but was too late to help at the Alamo. His death as a defender of the Alamo elevated Travis from a military commander of a small force to a Texas hero.

3. Jim Bowie was born in Logan County, Kentucky in April 1796. He was known as a formidable knife fighter after a violent feud with local sheriff, Norris Wright. On March 6, 1836, Bowie became an American folk hero when he died, along with Davy Crockett, during the defense of Texas fort, the Alamo. The "Bowie Knife" is named for him.

4. Davy Crockett was born on August 17, 1786 in Greene County, Tennessee. In 1813, he participated in a massacre against the Cree at Tallussahatchee. In 1826, he earned a seat in the 21st U.S. Congress. He was re-elected to Congress twice before leaving politics to fight in Texas Revolution. During his political career, Crockett developed a reputation as a frontiersman that, while at times exaggerated, elevated him to folk legend status. While Crockett was indeed a skilled woodsman, his notability as a Herculean, and as a rebellious, sharpshooting, tale-spinning and larger-than-life frontiersman was at least partially a product of his efforts to package himself and win votes during his political campaigns. On March 6, 1836, Crockett was killed at the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. While the exact cause of his Crockett's death is unknown, Peña, a lieutenant on the scene, stated that Crockett and his comrades at arms died "without complaining and without humiliating themselves before their torturers.“

5. (1793-1836) Stephen F. Austin is considered the “Father of Texas” due to his continued efforts to settle the territory. His father Moses Austin contracted with the Spanish government to colonize a portion of northern Mexico. When Moses died in June 1821, the contract transferred to the younger Austin. Stephen selected a site for his colony along the Brazos and Colorado rivers and began recruiting families in 1821. Progress was slow because of difficulty in transporting supplies into the area and because of changing Mexican politics. Austin frequently discussed the future of his colony with Mexican officials and he earned their trust. By 1825, 297 families lived in Austin’s Colony. They were called the “Old Three Hundred.” Austin continued to negotiate with the Mexican government and represent residents. He also secured other land grants. In ten years he helped more than 1,500 families settle in Texas. At first the leadership of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna please Austin, but as Santa Anna assumed more and more control, he limited the freedom of the Texans. Austin supported the organized opposition to the absolute power of Santa Anna. This opposition led to the Texas Revolution. After he was jailed in Mexico City, he became one of the leading proponents of Texas Independence. When he died, President of Texas Sam Houston declared "The father of Texas is no more! The first pioneer of the wilderness has departed!"

6. Sam Houston provided leadership for more than 25 years in Texas, commanding the army, and serving as president of the Republic, U.S. senator, and then governor. He was already a notable American when he came to TX in 1832. Born in Virginia, he lived for several years in Tennessee learning from the Cherokee. He served in the army under the command of General Andrew Jackson. After his military service he was a representative to the Tennessee Congress and served as governor. Because of his knowledge of and appreciation for the Cherokee, he often represented the U.S. in attempts to settle disputes. Upon his arrival in TX, Houston’s experience with federal and state government proved valuable as delegates to the TX Convention of 1836 worked to draft a constitution and declare independence from Mexico. Houston left the convention early to command the TX army against Santa Anna’s advancing Mexican troops. Texans proclaimed Houston the hero of the Battle of San Jacinto during which Santa Anna was captured and his Mexican army routed. The Treaties of Velasco resulted. Afterward, Houston became the first elected president of the Republic of TX in 1836 and was reelected in 1841. Houston struggled to solve the problem of a growing national debt. Eventually the Republic sought support from the U.S. and Houston supported annexation of TX by the U.S. Others wanted TX to remain a republic. TX became the 28 th state in late 1845. Sam Houston served as a U.S. senator from TX and then was elected governor in 1859. He opposed secession from the Union and left the governor’s office after Texans voted overwhelmingly to secede in January 1861.

7. Born in San Antonio into the family of Juan Erasmo Seguin, Juan N. Seguin served as a political and military leader during the TX Revolution and the era of the Republic of TX. Following in his father’s footsteps, he sought greater freedom from the Mexican federal government in colonizing TX. He opposed the restrictions of the Law of April 6, 1830, because he feared the anti-immigration clause limited the options open to businessmen seeking to settle in TX. He also requested additional services from the Mexican government including increased militia protection, tax exemptions, and bilingual administrators. Seguin commanded a militia unit of Mexicans living in TX at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836 in which Santa Anna was defeated and captured. Seguin accepted Mexico’s surrender of San Antonio on June 4, 1836 and commanded the city into late 1837. During this time he supervised the burial of those slain at the Alamo. He served in the Texas Senate from 1837 to 1840 and then served as the mayor of San Antonio from 1840 to 1842. Due to continuing conflict with American settlers and his connections with Mexican business, Seguin resigned as mayor and returned to Mexico in 1842. He fought against the US in the Mexican War but returned to Texas after the war, settling in Wilson County. He spent the last 20 years of his life in Nuevo Laredo, dying there in 1890. His body was reinterred at Seguin, TX, on July 4, 1976.

8. James Fannin came to Texas in 1834 and commanded the Texas army at the Battle of Concepcion in October 1835. In the battle, 90 Texans defeated 400 Mexican soldiers. In early 1836, Fannin was stationed in Goliad with 400 soldiers. Fannin and his troops were captured by Gen. Urrea on March 20. They were executed on the order of Santa Anna on March 27. “Remember Goliad” became a Texas battle cry.