Hollywood History V ersus Real History

1. By: Audrey Maia Hollywood History Versus Real History

2. The Patriot

3. American Revolution Basic Overview • The American Revolution was a war during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to achieve independence from Great Britain, combining to become the United States of America. • Some of the battles include : • Battle of Lexington and Concord • Battle of Bunker Hill • Battle of Camden • Battle of Charleston • Battle of Cowpens • Battle of Guilford Courthouse • Battle of Yorktown Yellow = Battles that were present in The Patriot

4. The Patriot Overview • The Patriot is about a family and their struggles during the Revolutionary War: • Benjamin Martin was born and raised in South Carolina and fought during the French and Indian war. After his wife died, Benjamin resorted to taking care of his seven children. His oldest son, Gabriel, ends up joining the revolutionary war against the British. One of Ben’s children is killed by Col. Tavington and Benjamin ends up joining the war. He kills Col. Travington at the end of the movie when the British are defeted.

5. Main Character • Benjamin Martin was a made up character. He was based off a few real historical figures like Thomas Sumter, Andrew Pickens, and Francis Marion, who was originally going to be the main character of the film. Francis Marion Benjamin Martin • General Cornwallis sent Lt. Colonel Tarleton(inspiration for Colonel Travington) after Marion. Tarleton was unable to capture Marion, just as Tavington was unable to capture Martin in the movie. • But, unlike Martin, Marion had no children and didn’t marry until after the war.

6. Events: Fort Wilderness • Throughout the film beginning in the opening narration, references are made to Martin’sactions in the French and Indian War. Later in the film, Benjamin finally tellsGabriel what happened at Fort Wilderness: • “The French and Cherokee had raided along the Blue Ridge. The English settlers had sought refuge at Fort Charles. By the time we got there, the fort was abandoned…They'd killed all the settlers…We caught up with them at Fort Wilderness. We took our time. We cut them apart slowly, piece by piece…and sent them back with the two that lived to Fort Ambercon…sent them down the Asheulot to the Cherokee.”

7. Fort Wilderness: Disney • The only Fort Wilderness to have existed is at Disney World. He mentions that the English took refuge at Fort Charles which is actually in Jamaica. Fort Ambercon never existed, and the Asheulot River is in New Hampshire, not Virginia.

8. 3 take on 20 • In this scene Tavington burns Martin’s house down and shoots Martin’s son in the back. Martin gets revenge by taking two of his sons with him to take down a British patrol of twenty men. • Tarleton never shot a militia leader’s son in the back but he did burn down Thomas Sumter’s (inspiration for Martin) house. This was after Sumter joined the war for a year then resigned. After his house was burned, he rejoined the war. A militia leader never raided a patrol with his two sons. Sumter

9. Offer to Slaves • The offer for slaves in the movie was that slaves that serve twelve months in the continental army will be given freedom and be paid 5 shillings per month served. • The Continental army never offered such an offer and George Washington actually issued orders to not let slaves join. Didn’t press the issue because the number of men were so few. • Some colonies did offer freedom after 3 years of service. Southern colonies were against slaves joining and fighting. PIC OF SLAVE OFFER SCENE

10. Burning of the Church • Tavington rounds up the towns people in the church and sets it on fire, killing all of the people in the town. • Tarleton never massacred a whole town, although burning people alive in their homes did occur on both sides.

11. Saving Private Ryan

12. World War II and the Invasion of Normandy • World War II was fought between the Allies(including Soviet Union, U.S., China, France, the British Empire) and the Axis(including Germany, Italy, Japan) and started in 1939 and didn’t end until 1945. • The war begun after Germany and Slovakia invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. This led to France and British Empire to declare war against Germany. • Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, wanted to establish a large empire in Europe.

13. Saving Private Ryan Overview • Following the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, two brothers are killed during this onslaught. Meanwhile, in New Guinea, a third brother has been killed fighting the Japanese. After the Chief of Staff, General Marshall, learns that a fourth brother is missing in the French countryside, a rescue team of 8 is ordered to find the young soldier and return him safely home. The mission is led by a veteran Ranger Captain commanding a squad of men who have mixed feelings about risking their lives to save Private Ryan.

14. Main Characters • The story was based loosely on the Niland brothers. James Ryan is based on Fredrick “Fritz” Niland, who was thought to be the only brother left alive out of four. Two died during battle and one went missing, but turned up a year later to be captured by the Japanese. Fritz was sent back to the U.S. after learning of his brothers. He was from the 101st airborne like Ryan.

15. Main Characters Cont. • John H. Miller was the captain in search of Private Ryan. The real Capt. John H. Miller was a captain of the air force during WWII. He never went over seas, though. The person who did find Fritz Niland was an Army chaplain named Reverend Francis Samson. The Story was based on what if they never found him right away, what the army would do.

16. Events: Normandy • The battle of Normandy, the beginning battle scene, was portrayed very well in Saving Private Ryan. The only difference was that there were no battleships shooting missles and cannons at the Germans, it seemed that the only ones with cannons was the Germans shooting at the Allies.

17. Last Battle • The battle at Ramelle never occurred. This was the last scene of Saving private Ryan in which the Allies win and save private Ryan.

18. Black Hawk Down

19. Battle of Mogadishu This battle was fought on October 3and 4, 1993 and was between U.S. troops supported by Pakistan, Malaysia, and Italy troops against Somalia Militia and citizens who supported Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The original mission was to capture Aidid but it turned into trying to save troops from two Black Hawk crash sites.

20. Black Hawk Down Overview The movie is based on the historical non-fiction book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden, which is about what happened during the Battle of Mogadishu. It’s about the two Black Hawk crashes and how troops are trying to save the injured soldiers at the crash before the Somalia militia and citizens get to them.

21. First to Fall The first man to get injured in the movie was Todd Blackburn. The helicopter tried to dodge an RPG and he fell off of the helicopter as he was getting ready to slide down the rope. In reality, Blackburn did fall off the helicopter but nobody knows why or how this happened. He later recovered from his injuries.

22. Two Left Behind Specialist Shawn Nelson and Specialist Lance Twomly were left at the target building while the rest of the group went to the first crash site. These two soldiers were never left at the target building.

23. In the movie, Matt Evermann's squad was positioned at the crash in a house and hears over the radio that the convoy with the prisoners is heading back to base. The squad was really aboard the convoy and was headed back to base.

24. Ending • Towards the end we see Gibson is getting ready to go back out and help the other soldiers. • It isn’t known if Gibson actually went back out to help the others. • Eversmann says goodbye to his best friend Corporal Jamie Smith at the end of the movie • Sergeant Watson was the one who went to say goodbye to Smith.

25. Windtalkers

26. World War II and Navajo Code • In May 1942 the first Navajo Code Talkers were recruited. • They used this code because it was a language unknown to the Japanese and provided secure communication. • The code wasn’t broken until 1968, two decades after the war ended.

27. Windtalkers Overview • Taken place during World War II during the battle of Saipan. Joe Enders is given the job to protect the Navajo code and guards a Navajo named Ben Yahzee. They become friends and fight together to win the war.

28. Main Characters • Sergeant Joe Enders was a made up character and wasn’t based off of any specific real people. • Ben Yahzee was also a made up character but was to represent the Navajos fighting in the war and helping with the code.

29. Basis • The movie portrays that Marines were instructed to shoot Code Talkers who were in danger of being taken prisoner to protect the code. Surviving Code Talkers and also the Marine Corps dispute the notion. The Navajos were assigned partners "to carry the radio," says Marine spokesman Staff Sgt. Chad McMeen. "That is what has been Hollywoodized to become security guards.” The partners helped protect the navajo from friendly fire as well. • Wasn’t proven that soldiers were told to do this. Also in the movie the Navajos carried the radio and were protected by their partners.

30. Behind Enemy Lines • Ben and Joe end up going behind enemy lines and pretending that Ben caught a prisoner (Joe). They end up killing many Japanese and got access to their radio. • There were numerous instances of code talkers sneaking behind enemy lines. One strolled into two Japanese machine gun nests and kill every man in sight. This was similar to that scene but they didn’t bring a “prisoner” behind the lines as well.

32. Bibliography • http://www.patriotresource.com/ 1999-2010; Scott Cummings • viewed: 4/23/11, 5/14/11 http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/88274.html 5/14 • http://www.associatepublisher.com/e/b/ba/battle_of_ramelle.htm

33. Biography cont. • http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/bhd/BlackHawkDown.htm • http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20137327,00.html • http://www.bluecorncomics.com/windtlkr.htm