Santa Ana was later captured. The victory paved the way for the United States to later annex almost 1 million square miles of territory that included Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California and Utah, as well as parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma. San Jacinto Day is celebrated as a state holiday. The civilians were trying to escape Santa Ana. We need to show people how it was.
Freedom comes with a price.
Officials with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the San Jacinto Museum of History Association are trying to solidify plans to ensure that more people know about the battle's relevance. A master plan is in place to expand the historical park by building a new museum and visitors' center and returning the grounds to as close to their native state as possible. Officials are working with the Legislature during the current session to pass a bill to approve a bond election to pay for some of the improvements. The rest of the money would be raised from private donations. This is a different kind of battle than the one fought here.