The Patriot, directed by Roland Emmerich

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The Patriot is a movie based on the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), the war fought between Great Britain and the thirteen colonies of the North American continent. In this war on American soil the colonists fought for independence from Europe and King George III’s criticized rule. The Patriot takes on this topic through the character Benjamin Martin, played by actor Mel Gibson, who is based on the Revolutionary War militia leader Francis “The Swamp Fox” Marion. The movie also features a few battles actually fought in the war and weapons used in the war. Although the movie displays actual events, people, and objects that occurred and existed during the war, there are historical points changed to satisfy the audience of the theater. In all battles of the movie there are a few objects displayed incorrectly. The cannon is a piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other propellants to launch a given projectile. The cannon was first used in China but was then incorporated in standard military by the Revolutionary War. The cannon’s effectiveness in battle led to its constant use in battle. The weaponry in all of the battles shown in the movie included the cannon; however in the movie most projectiles exploded at impact. By that time of the war exploding projectiles have not yet been invented; cannons at the time were used to mow through the ranks of the opponent. Due to this, it is impossible for those projectiles shot from the cannon to have exploded at impact. One other inaccuracy was that, in The Patriot, the continental soldiers were seen carrying the “Betsy Ross” flag into battle. In reality there was no standard-issue flag for the men to carry so flags with slogans and symbols relating to a region were carried instead.... ... middle of paper ... ...nalysing and Documenting British Battles from the Previous Centuries. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. . Crawford, Amy. "The Swamp Fox | Biography | Smithsonian Magazine." History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian Magazine. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. . "Historical Innaccuracies." Web. 25 Sept. 2011. . "History and the Movies: The Patriot and Glory by Mackubin T. Owens." Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs at Ashland University. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. . "The Patriot: Film Fact or Fiction." Welcome to The Patriot Resource. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. .

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