Texas GOP leaders pressured a book event examining the role of slavery in the Battle of the Alamo to abruptly shut down

• A book event in Texas was canceled because of pressure from GOP leaders in the state.
• "Forget the Alamo" says the history behind the battle has for generations left out important motives like preserving slavery.
• The event was canceled with just four hours to go, despite counting 300 RSVPs, per the Texas Tribune.

The authors of a book that looks at the role of slavery in the Battle of the Alamo said they felt pressured to cancel a promotional event because GOP leaders in Texas complained about it.

The event was expected to happen Thursday evening at the Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Texas Tribune reported. But museum organizers canceled it with less than four hours to go, citing pressure from Republican lawmakers in Texas to do so.

"The Bullock was receiving increased pressure on social media about hosting the event, as well as to the museum's board of directors (Gov Abbott being one of them) and decided to pull out as a co-host all together," Penguin Random House said in a statement reported by the Tribune.

Gov. Greg Abbott did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, but Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on Twitter he called for the event's cancellation.

"As a member of the Preservation Board, I told staff to cancel this event as soon as I found out about it," Patrick said. "This fact-free rewriting of TX history has no place @BullockMuseum."

In response, Chris Tomlinson, one of the book's authors, accused Patrick of "oppressing free speech and policing thought in Texas."

"@BullockMuseum proves it is a propaganda outlet," Tomlinson said on Twitter. "As for his fact-free comment, well, a dozen people professional historians disagree."

The Bullock did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The event for the book, called "Forget the Alamo," had counted 300 RSVPs, according to the Tribune.

The book examines the way the Battle of the Alamo is taught and concludes that important parts of the story have for generations been left out of the narrative.

"Just as the site of the Alamo was left in ruins for decades, its story was forgotten and twisted over time, with the contributions of Tejanos-Texans of Mexican origin, who fought alongside the Anglo rebels-scrubbed from the record, and the origin of the conflict over Mexico's push to abolish slavery papered over," a description of the book from Penguin Random House says. "As uncomfortable as it may be to hear for some, celebrating the Alamo has long had an echo of celebrating whiteness."

The Texas Tribune noted that the book has received largely positive reviews from acclaimed media outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

The event's cancellation comes amid a wave of conservative backlash against critical race theory. Florida banned the teaching of critical race theory in public schools last month and other states have taken or are taking similar measures. GOP leaders have labeled critical race theory a "dangerous ideology," arguing it twists the facts of US history.

In Texas, GOP legislators are waging the same war.