3523 Independence Parkway South
La Porte, TX 77571
281-479-2431
san-jacinto-battleground@thc.texas.gov
On a chilly April afternoon in 1836, this strip of coastal prairie rang with the boom of cannon, crack of musket fire and shouts of “Remember the Alamo!” and “Remember Goliad!” Despite being outnumbered, General Sam Houston’s army of settlers, Tejanos and foreign volunteers decisively defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s forces and won Texas’s independence. Today, the 1,300-acre site, San Jacinto Museum and the 567-foot tall San Jacinto Monument celebrate their sacrifice and victory.
Upcoming Events
September 30
A Yellow Rose in Texas
The song “The Yellow Rose of Texas” is familiar to many Texans, but the story of Emily West, the women behind the lyrics, is far less known. Emily West was a free Black woman who arrived in Texas in 1835 to work as an indentured servant at the...
September 30
History Under the Star: The Yellow Rose of Texas – The Song, Emily West and the Great Texas Myth
“There's a yellow rose in Texas that I am gonna see, Nobody else could miss her, not half as much as me.” The lyrics of “The Yellow Rose of Texas” are familiar to any Texan, but the true story behind the song is lost in myth and legend. Learn...
October 1
Battleground Van Tours
Do you know where General Santa Anna set up his camp during the Battle of San Jacinto or where General Houston was shot? How about where the Surrender Tree was located? Discover the San Jacinto Battleground like you've never seen it before on a...
From the Blog
The significance and shape of the land now known as San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site has evolved over time. Prior to the battle that ended the Texas Revolution, this place was a frontier cattle ranch; in the aftermath, it was a bloody wreck. Between 1899 and the 1930s, the state acquired parcels of land for a historical park. In this...
Before it was the site where Texas won its independence, the San Jacinto Battleground was a cattle ranch owned by Peggy McCormick.
Peggy was born in Ireland, likely around 1788. Along with her husband, Arthur, and two sons, John and Michael, Peggy immigrated first to New Orleans in 1818 and then to Texas in 1823 or 1824, making the McCormicks part of Austin’s Old Three Hundred...
Lots of places in Texas fly six flags, but the six flags flying in front of the San Jacinto Monument are unique. Instead of the traditional six flags of Texas, we fly six flags that represent key sites from Texas’ struggle for independence.
Texas won its independence at San Jacinto, but the battle didn’t happen in a vacuum. These six flags represent events and locations that...
Photo Gallery
Click on any image to view the photo gallery.