With the premiere of Hamilton on Disney+, it's worth considering the ways American history has been portrayed in film. Some of the most acclaimed war epics, political dramas and period pieces of all time are set during iconic years in America's past, and real historical events with charismatic figures have often been re-imagined by Hollywood for powerful entertainment. While movies should not be relied upon as accurate history lessons, they can still offer general knowledge to the public about important moments that shaped the present world and can offer a foundation for understanding history.

So, if you were one of the people binging Hamilton on Fourth of July weekend, you may enjoy other stories about periods that have defined the cultural memory of America. Here are some classics and modern critical darlings set around the American Revolutionary War, the American Civil War and the decades in between.

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The Patriot

After Hamilton, likely the most well-known drama about the American Revolution is The Patriot (2000). Beginning in 1776, the movie spans nearly the entirety of the war, set primarily in the American south, and follows Benjamin Martin's (Mel Gibson) leadership in his local Colonial Militia and his personal fight against a sadistic British officer, Colonel William Tavington (Jason Isaacs). Martin is a fictional character but an amalgamation of multiple accounts of real men from the period. It's a bloody revenge tale and features some thrilling action sequences (though sensationalized and unrealistic), strong performances by young actors including an early credit in Heath Ledger's career, and an underrated score by John Williams.

When discussing historically accurate war films, Mel Gibson's filmography is often widely dismissed by historians, and The Patriot is no exception. More than any entry here, The Patriot is lacking in historical accuracy. Though all historical films have their share of anachronisms and errors, director Roland Emmerich and writer Robert Rodat often outright made up events and glossed over social realities of slavery of the day to vilify British soldiers and make their colonial protagonists more heroic. From a historical perspective, The Patriot must be viewed critically, but through its high production and entertaining qualities, it has the potential to spur the interest of its audience to pursue the true history of America's independence.

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12 Years a Slave

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Since its release in 2013, 12 Years a Slave has arguably become the definitive modern film about American slavery. Based on the life of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), it brutally depicts slavery in the Antebellum South in the 1840s. It documents Northup being kidnapped as a free man and separated from his family, then spending the next 12 years in slavery. Directed by Steve McQueen, it adapts Northup's memoir of the same name, and though it occasionally takes creative license with the details of Northup's personal experiences, the film is regarded for its realistic depiction of Southern slavery. By the same token, it received some backlash for its unblinking portrayal of the horrors of slavery, while others feel it was still too safe in its explorations of institutional racism. In this regard, the 2014 Best Picture winner has conflicting interpretations concerning its intended audience, and as a result, has stirred necessary discussion about the ways film should represent and remember slaves and slave owners.

Unlike Hamilton, 12 Years a slave is not a fun and accessible spin on history but is instead unapologetically grim in its reflection on America's past. It is ultimately a powerfully moving piece of cinema detailing the most shameful institution in American history, and it forces its audience to consider the legacy of slavery in American society.

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Gettysburg

For military history fans, there are few examples of a battle brought to life more faithfully on film than in Gettysburg (1993). The titular battle was the bloodiest engagement ever on American soil and was a major turning point of the American Civil War in July of 1863. The film is widely praised for its attention to detail in the ways the battle unfolded and accurately recreating the tactics and combat of the era. For additional authenticity, it was actually filmed on the real battlefield in Pennsylvania. Director Ron Maxwell adapted Michael Shaara's novel The Killer Angels to masterfully show both the Union and Confederate experience at Gettysburg through multiple memorable acting performances of legendary and infamous commanders on both sides of the conflict. Gettysburg is a must-watch for anyone interested in the American Civil War.

Glory

No list of American history movies would be complete without Glory (1989). Edward Zwick's classic epic is a window into an underrepresented perspective of the American Civil War as it follows an all-Black unit, the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, and their service in the Union Army. Traditional narratives around the civil war focus on the Northern politicians and generals who fought to abolish slavery, but we are rarely taught about the ways that average Black men and women contributed to the fight and earned freedom for themselves.

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Denzel Washington's Oscar-winning role, along with Morgan Freeman and Andre Braugher, bring this reality to life as Black soldiers from a variety of backgrounds with a united goal. The film quite accurately portrays the unit's commander, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) and realistically depicts combat of the war, particularly in its climax of the assault on Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863. Glory is perhaps the essential Civil War movie and should not be missed.

Lincoln

Daniel Day-Lewis crafted one of the most impressive performances of a historical figure ever as Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln (2012). The film adapts Doris Kearns Goodwin's prize-winning book Team of Rivals, and follows the political process of the ratification of the 13th Amendment in January of 1865, focusing on the debates and ballots during the civil war rather than pitched battles. Though its hagiographic narrative inaccurately sees Lincoln as the leading advocate to end slavery, Daniel Day-Lewis still won the Oscar for Best Actor for the way he embodied the image and personality of the titular president. Lincoln is, in many ways, a simplification of the abolition of slavery in America and Lincoln's true role in that, but it has become the definitive on-screen portrait of one of America's historical heroes.

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