“The battle between the Alamo garrison and Mexican President Santa Anna’s forces reads like a Shakespearian tragedy: greatly outnumbered, all the Texan defenders died. Even the men who surrendered were killed, fueling the outrage and critical mass required to swell the Texan army, become an independent republic, and in time choose to be annexed by the United States.”

Source: maps101blog.com

When we talk about sacred space we often think about religious sites first.  Places like the Alamo or Ground Zero can be seen as critical parts of a national identity and as secular sacred spaces.  Powerful social groups carefully construct memorials at places to strengthen a communal identity.  What makes them tricky is they don’t mean the same thing to everyone—even within a cultural group. 

Tags: podcast, Maps 101, historical, place.