Cameron, Kenneth M.  America on Film: Hollywood and American History.  New York: Continuum, 1997. 

IMDb: The Internet Movie Database:  For information on some of the films listed below.

Österberg, Bertil O.  Colonial America on Film and Television : A Filmography.  Jefferson: McFarland, 2001.

Pitts, Michael R.  Hollywood and American History: A Filmography of Over 250 Motion Pictures Depicting U.S. History.  Jefferson: McFarland, 1984.  

Taves, Brian.  The Romance of Adventure: The Genre of Historical Adventure Movies.  Jackson: U of Mississippi P, 1993.  

Wetta, Frank, and Stephen J. Curley.  "Early American Wars."Celluloid Wars: A Guide to Film and the American Experience of War.  New York: Greenwood P, 1992.  55-61.  

Adams Chronicles  (1976)
New nation:  13-part PBS series, 6 on John Adams, 4 on John Quincy Adams, and 1 each on Charles Francis Adams, Henry Adams, and Charles Francis Adams II.

Aguirre: The Wrath of God  [Aguirre: Der Zorn Gottes]  (German 1972)
Spanish exploration:  Search for El Dorado in South America unravels under the leadership of a mad conquistador.  Dir. Werner Herzog, with Klaus Kinski and Ruy Guerra.  94m.

Alexander Hamilton  (1931)
New nation:  Heroic biography.  Focus on Hamilton in his role as Secretary of the Treasury and especially in regard to his fight to pass the Assumption Bill that would provide a basis for national prosperity and world power.  Dir. John Adolfi, with George Arliss and Doris Kenyon.  73m.

Allegheny Uprising  (1939)
Pre-revolution (c. 1760):  Pennsylvania settlers resist British rule, especially  guns getting into Indian hands.  Dir. William A. Seiter, with John Wayne, Claire Trevor, and George Sanders.  81m.

America  (1924)
Revolutionary War, battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill:  Noble Minute Man and villainous British officer (bent on forming his own empire in American with the aid of Joseph Brant and other Indians) pursue daughter of a Tory, providing dramatic means of characterizing the warring sides.  Many patriotic scenes: Patrick Henry's speech, Paul Revere's ride, signing the Declaration, surrender of Cornwallis, inauguration of Washington.  Dir. D. W. Griffith, with Neil Hamilton, Carol Dempster, and Lionel Barrymore.  93m, 11 reels.

April Morning  (1988)
Revolutionary War, battles of Lexington and Concord:  Male coming-of-age story based on Howard Fast's 1961 novel.  Dir. Delbert Mann, with Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Urich, and Susan Blakely.  100m.

Attack on Fort Boonesboro  (1906)

Balboa  [Balboa, Conquistador of the Pacific]  (1965)
Spanish exploration:  Stirring adventures leading to the discovery of the Pacific Ocean.  Dir. E. L. Orietta, with Frank Latimore and Pilar Casino.  87m.

Barbara Freitchie  (1915)  (1924)

Barbary Pirate  (1949)
Mediterranean conflict (c. 1801-1805).  Dir. Lew Landers, with Donald Woods and Trudy Marshall.  64m.

The Battle Cry of Peace  (1915)

The Battles of Chief Pontiac  (1952)
Pontiac's War (c. 1763):  Hessian mercenary interferes with attempts by British officer to arrange peace with Ottawa leader, Chief Pontiac.   Dir. Felix Feist, with Lex Barker, Lon Chaney, Jr., and Helen Westcott.  71m.

The Beautiful Mrs. Reynolds  (1918)
New nation:  The love affair between Alexander Hamilton and Joy Reynolds.  With Carlyle Blackwell [Blackwood?] and June Elvdige.

Before Yorktown  (1911)

Benedict Arnold  (1909)
Revolutionary War:  From hero to traitor to exile.

Betsy Ross  (1917)

The Birth of the Star-Spangled Banner  (1914)
War of 1812:  Francis Scott Key.  With Charles Sutton, Ben Wilson, Joseph Girard.  2 reels.

The Black Robe  (1991)

The Boston Tea Party  (1908)  (1915)

Brave Warrior  (1952)
(1812?)  Dir. Spencer G. Bennet, with Jon Hall, Jay Silverheels, and Christine Larson.  73m.

The Buccaneer  (1938)
Dir. Cecil B. DeMille, with Frederic March and Franciska Gaal.  124m.
The Buccaneer  (1958)
Dir. Anthony Quinn, with Yul Brynner, Charlton Heston, and Claire Bloom.  121m.
War of 1812:  French pirate Jean Lafitte helps Andrew Jackson take New Orleans from the British.

Cabeza de Vaca  (1991)

the california trail  1934

the californian  1937

Captain Blood  (1935)

Captain Caution  (1940)
War of 1812:  Young girl allows patriot to use her dead father's ship to fight the British.  Dir. Richard Wallace, with Victor Mature and Louise Platt.  84m.

Captain from Castile  (1947)

Captain John Smith and Pocahontas  (1908)
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas  (1953)
Dir. Lew Landers, with Anthony Dexter and Jody Lawrence.  75m.
Virginia:  Classic American favorite story of white man saved from death by Indian girl.

The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga  (1911)

Cardigan  (1922)
Revolutionary War, battles of Lexington and Concord.  Plot very similar to Griffith's America.  Cardigan is the noble Minute Man.  Dir. John W. Noble, with William Collier and Betty Carpenter.  7 reels.

caribbean/ gold  1952

Christopher Columbus  (1949)
The "Discovery":  The familiar story, with heavy emphasis on intrigues in the Spanish Court in order to make the voyage.  Dir. David MacDonald, with Frederic March and Florence Eldridge.  104m.

Christopher Columbus--The Discovery  (1992)

cc cbs miniseries  1985

Clark's Capture of Kaskaskia  (1911)

Columbus  (1923)
The "Discovery":  Isabella sells her jewels to finance the voyage of a frustrated Columbus.  Dir. Edwin L. Hollywood, with Fred Eric, Paul McAllister, and Dolores Cassinelli.  5 reels.

The Coming of Columbus  (1912)
The "Discovery":  With Kathlyn Williams.

Courageous Mr. Penn  [Penn of Pennsylvania]  (1943)
Pennsylvania:  Heroic biography of William Penn.  Dir. Lance Comfort, with Clifford Evans and Deborah Kerr.  78m.

The Courtship of Miles Standish  (1923)
New England:  Re-creation of the Mayflower voyage with focus on the romance of John Alden, Miles Standish, and Priscilla Mullins.  Dir. Frederick Sullivan, with Charles Ray, E. Alyn Warren, and Enid Bennett.  9 reels.

The Crucible  (1996)

The Crucible  (French, 1957)

Daniel Boone  (1906)

Daniel Boone  (1936)
Westering:  Arguably America's most famous frontiersman.  Dir. David Howard, with George O'Brien, Heather Angel, and John Carradine.  77m.

Daniel Boone  (1960)
Westering:  4-part ABC television series by Disney, with Dewey Martin and Mala Powers, based on the book by John Bakeless.

Daniel Boone  (1964-1970)
Westering:  NBC television series with Fess Parker, Ed Ames, and Patricia Blair.

Daniel Boone, Frontier Trail Rider  [released outside America]  (1967)
Westering:  Segments from the NBC 1964-70 television series with Fess Parker, Ed Ames, and Patricia Blair.

Daniel Boone, Trailblazer  (1956)

Daniel Boone, or Pioneer Days in America  (1907)

The Death of Nathan Hale  (1911)

The Declaration of Independence  (1911)

The Deerslayer  (1957)
(?)  Dir. Kurt Neumann, with Lex Barker and Rita Moreno.  76m.
The Deerslayer  (1978)
Dir. Richard Friedenberg, with Steve Forrest and Ned Romero.  98m.

The Devil's Disciple  (1959)
Revolutionary War:  Pacifist minister and cad he saves from death eventually convert to fighting the British.  Based on play by George Bernard Shaw.  Dir. Guy Hamilton, with Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, and Janette Scott.  82m.

Drums Along the Mohawk  (1939)
Revolutionary War:  Indian uprising prodded by a sinister Tory on the Mohawk Valley frontier forces a young hard-working married couple and other family-oriented common folk to fight to protect their freedom.  Dir. John Ford, with Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert.  103m.

Drums of Destiny  (1937)
Westering:  Conflict with Spanish and Indians in Florida in 1815.  Dir. Ray Taylor, with Tom Keene and Edna Lawrence.  60m.

The Eagle of the Sea  (1926)
War of 1812:  About French pirate Jean Lafitte, the hero of New Orleans.  Dir. Frank Lloyd, with Ricardo Cortez and George Irving.

eric the conqueror  fury of the vikings  1962

The Far Horizons  (1955)
Westering:  Re-creation of the Lewis and Clark expedition.  Dir. Rudolph Mate, with Fred MacMurray, Charlton Heston, and Donna Reed.  108m.

The Flag of Freedom  (1912)

Fort Ti  (1953)
French and Indian War (1754-1763):  British battle for Fort Ticonderoga in 3-D.  Dir. William Castle, with George Montgomery and Joan Vohs.  73 m.

fortunes of captain blood  1950

1492: The Conquest of Paradise  (1992)

Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox  (1914)

The Frontiersman  (1927)
Westering:  Confrontation between Andrew Jackson and Tecumseh-led Creeks in 1813.   Dir. Reginald Barker, with Tim McCoy and Claire Windsor.  5 reels.

General Marion, the Swamp Fox  (1911)

Give Me Liberty  (1974)
Revolutionary War:  Peddler discovers freedom means different things to different people.  Originally a kind of bicenntial offering as the first part of a television mini-series.  Dir. Buzz Kulik, with Robert Culp, Richard Kiley, and Fritz Weaver.  78m.

A Heart of a Hero  (1916)
About Nathan Hale

A Heroine of '76  (1911)
New nation:  Young girl saves Washington from assassination but pays with her life.  With Lois Weber and Phillips Smalley.

Hiawatha  (1913)  (1952)

How Washington Crossed the Delaware  (1912)

The Howards of Virginia  (1940)
Revolutionary War:  Howard marries the daughter of a wealthy pro-British landowner but enters politics and joins the American army.  Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Washington, and many patriotic scenes.  Dir. Frank Lloyd, with Cary Grant and Martha Scott.  116m.

Hudson's Bay (1940)
?Dutch? exploration:  Founding of the Hudson's Bay Fur Trading Company in 1667.  Dir. Irving Pichel, with Paul Muney and Gene Tierney.  95 m.

I, The Worst of All  (1990)

Ikwe  (1987)

In the Days of Daniel Boone  (1923)
Westering: 15 chapter serial with Jack Mower.

The Indian Uprising at Santa Fe  (1912)

Iroquois Trail  [Trail of the Tomahawk]  (1950)
French and Indian War (1754-1763):  Battling for the St. Lawrence seaway region.  Central character is Hawkeye, and a writing credit is given to James Fenimore Cooper.  Dir. Phil Carlson, with George Montgomery and Brenda Marshall.  85 m.

Jamestown  (1923)
Virginia:  Crisis with Spanish in 1612 causes kidnapping of Pocahontas to insure Indian alliance.  With Robert Gaillard, Dolores Cassinelli, and Leslie Austin.

Janice Meredith  (1925?  1924?)
Revolutionary War:  British nobleman disguised as a servant in America, falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy Tory who triggers Paul Revere's ride.  He becomes an aide to Washington, saves the kidnapped maiden, and marries her at Washington's Mount Vernon.  Such patriotic scenes as Patrick Henry's speech, Valley Forge, Washington Crossing the Delaware.  Dir. E. Mason Hopper, with Marion Davies and Harrison Ford.  11 reels.

Jefferson in Paris  (1995)

John Paul Jones  (1959)
Revolutionary War:  Heroic biography of our naval hero of "I have not yet begun to fight" fame.  Dir. John Farrow, with Robert Stack and Bette Davis.  126m.

Johnny Tremaine  (1957)
Revolutionary War:  Disney story of young boy silversmith apprentice who becomes a member of the Sons of Liberty and fights against the British at the Boston Tea Party and Lexington.  Dir. Robert Stevenson, with Hal Stalmaster, Luana Patten, and Jeff York.  80m.  (English Dept.)

Knickerbocker Holiday  (1944)
New York:  Musical comedy about Peter Stuyvesant and New Amsterdam.  Dir. Harry Joe Brown, with Nelson Eddy and Charles Coburn.  85m.

Lafayette  (1962)
Revolutionary War:  The French nobleman who fought for the American cause.  Dir. Jean Dreville, with Michel le Royer, Jack Hawkins, and Orson Welles.  158m.

The Last of the Buccaneers  (1950)
War of 1812:  French pirate Jean Lafitte.  Dir. Lew Landers, with Paul Henreid and Jack Oakie.  79m.

The Last of the Mohicans  (1920)
Dir. Clarence Brown and Maurice Tournier, with Wallace Beery and Barbara Bedford.  6 reels.
The Last of the Mohicans  (1932)
serial
The Last of the Mohicans  (1935)
Dir. George B. Seitz, with Randolph Scott and Binnie Barnes.  91 m.
The Last of the Mohicans  (1992)
French and Indian Wars (1754-1763):

Last of the Redmen  (1947)
Another version of Last of the Mohicans.  Dir. George Sherman, with Jon Hall and Evelyn Ankers.  78m.

The Last Supper  (1976)

Leather Stocking (1909)
French and Indian War (1754-1763):  Loosely based on James Fenimore Cooper.  Dir. D. W. Griffith.

Life of Daniel Boone  [Life and Battles of Daniel Boone]  (1912)

The Light in the Forest  (1958)

Little Old New York  (1923)
with Marion Davies

Little Old New York  (1940)
New York:  Robert Fulton and the invention of the steamboat.  Dir. Henry King, with Alice Faye and Fred MacMurray.  100m.

The Magnificent Doll  (1946)
War of 1812:  Biopic on Dolly Madison.  Love triangle with James Madison and Aaron Burr.  The Saving of  Washington's picture from the burning White House.  Dir. Frank Borzage, with Ginger Rogers and David Niven.  93m.

Maid of Salem  (1937)
Salem witchcraft:  Fun-loving girl accused of witchcraft is saved from burning.  Dir. Frank Lloyd, with Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray.  85m.

A Man Called Horse  (1970)

The Man Without a Country  (1973)  1925

Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure  (1979)
New England:  The story of the Pilgrim voyage on the Mayflower.  Dir. George Shaefer, with Anthony Hopkins and Richard Crenna.  100m.

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere  (1914)  [Paul Revere's Ride  (1917)]

The Minute Men  (1911)

The Mission  (1986)

Mohawk  (1956)
(?)  Dir. Kurt Neumann, with Scott Brady and Rita Gam.  79m.

Molly Pitcher  (1911)

Mrs. George Washington  (1909)

Mutiny  (1952)
War of 1812?  Dir. Edward Dmytryk, with Mark Stevens and Angela Lansbury.  77m.

Nathan Hale  (1907) (1913)

The Norsemen  (1977)
With Lee Majors and Cornel Wilde

Northwest Passage  (1940)
French and Indian War (1754-1763):  Story of heroic Rogers Rangers battling the Indians.  Dir. King Vidor, with Spencer Tracy, Robert Young, and Ruth Hussey.  125m.

Old Glory  (1910)
Betsy Ross

Old Glory  (1916)

Old Ironsides  (1926)
Mediterranean conflict (c. 1801-1805):  The story around the U. S. S. Constitution at the Battle of Tripoli.  Dir. James Cruze, with Esther Ralston and Wallace Beery.  8 reels?  11 reels?

Old Louisiana  (1937)
Westering:  On the eve of the Louisiana purchase, settlers angered by Spanish rule.  Dir. Irvin V. Willat, with Tom Keene and Rita Hayworth.  60 m.

The Pathfinder  (1952)
Dir. Sidney Salkow, with George Montgomery and Helena Carter.  78m.

The Plymouth Adventure  (1952)
New England:  The Pilgrim voyage of the Mayflower.  Dir. Clarence Brown, with Spencer Tracy, Gene Tierney, and Leo Genn.  105 m.

Pocahontas  (1908)  (1995)

Pollyanna  (1960) (sermon based on Jonathan Edwards)

quebec  1951

Quilombo  (1986)

The Return of Daniel Boone  [The Mayor's Nest]  (1941)

Revolution  (1985)
Revolutionary War, battle of Bunker Hill:  "It's not my fight."  Reluctant colonist finds himself forced to participate in the war.  Unheroic history.  Not an altogether pleasant picture of young "America."  Dir. Hugh Hudson, with Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland, and Natassja Kinski.  123m.

Roots  (1977)

Rose of O'Salem Town  (1910)
Salem Witchcraft:  Dir. D. W. Griffith, with Arthur V. Johnson and Dorothy West.

The Royal Hunt of the Sun  (1969)
Spanish exploration:  The conquest of Peru in 1530, pitting Pizarro against Incan leader Atahuallpa.

Sankofa  (1993)

The Scarlet Coat  (1955)
Revolutionary War:  The story of Benedict Arnold's treason.  Dir. John Sturges, with Cornel Wilde and Michael Wilding.  101m.

The Scarlet Letter  (1926)
The Scarlet Letter  (1985)
The Scarlet Letter  (1995)

Scouting for Washington  1917

The Sea Hawk  (1940)

The Seats of the Mighty  (1914)
(Revolutionary War.)  Dir. T. Hayes Hunter, with Lionel Barrymore and Millicent Evans.   6 reels.

Seven Cities of Gold  (1955)
California:  Spanish commander and missionary Father Junipera Serra clash on 1796 expedition to conquer California.  Dir. Robert D. Webb, with Anthony Quinn, Richard Egan, Michael Rennie, and Rita Moreno.  103m.

1776  (1972)
Revolutionary War, declaring independence:  Musical rendition of the politics of the first Congress.  Franklin, Jefferson, et al.  Dir. Peter H. Hunt, with William Daniels, Ken Howard, David Ford, and Howard Da Silva.  141m.

1776, or The Hessian Renegades  (1909)
Griffith

The Spanish Main  (1945)

The Spirit of Lafayette  (1919)
Revolutionary War:  Tells the story of the French nobleman who fought on the American side in the Revolutionary War and then sees American soldiers in World War I repaying the debt.

The Spirit of '76  (1905)
Revolutionary War:  Very short depiction of the trio of tattered fifer and drummer.

The Spirit of '76  (1908)

The Spirit of '76  (1917)
Revolutionary War:  Triumph of democracy over villainous monarchy.  Censored for anti-British slant.  See Edward De Grazia and Robert K. Newman, Banned Books (New York: Bowker, 1982).

Squanto  (1994)

The Star Spangled Banner  (1911)  (1914)
War of 1812:  Francis Scott Key

The Stars and Stripes   (1910)
Revolutionary War:  The famous naval victory by John Paul Jones on Bon Homme Richard.
1812?

The Stars and Stripes Forever  (1913)  (1952)
War of 1812:  Francis Scott Key

start the revolution without me  1970

the swamp fox  1959-60  disney mini

The Tempest  (1979)

Three Sovereigns for Sarah  (1985)

Tripoli  (1950)
Mediterranean conflict (c. 1801-1805):  U. S. Marines fighting Barbary pirates.  Dir. Will Price, with Maureen O'Hara and John Payne.  95m.

Unconquered  (1947)
Pontiac's War:  Virginia aristocrat vies for beautiful bond servant with corrupt Indian gun-trader and saves Fort Pitt from attack.   Dir. Cecille B. DeMille, with Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard.  146m.

The Viking  (1929)
Norse exploration:  Leif Ericson and the discovery of America.  Dir. Roy William Neill, with Donald Crisp and Pauline Starke.  9 reels.

Washington at Valley Forge  (1908)

Washington at Valley Forge  (1914)  [A Heroine of '76]
Revolutionary War.  Dir. Francis Ford and Grace Cunard, with Francis Ford and Grace Cunard.  4 reels.

Washington Under the American Flag  (1909)

Washington Under the British Flag  (1909)

When the Redskins Rode  (1951)
French and Indian War (1754-1763):  British and French wrestle for alliances with Indians around Williamsburg.  Dir. Lew Landers, with Jon Hall and Mary Castle.  78m.

The White Man's First Smoke; or Puritan Days in America  (1907)

Winners of the Wilderness  (1927)
French and Indian War (1754-1763):  Involves Chief Pontiac and Braddock's defeat at Fort Duquesne in 1755.  Dir. W. S. Van Dyke, with Tim McCoy and Joan Crawford.  7 reels.

The Witch of Salem  (1913)
Salem witchcraft:  Puritan in love with a girl accused of witchcraft.  With Charles Ray.

A Witch of Salem Town  (1915)
Salem witchcraft:  Woman falsely accused.  Dir. L. J. Henderson, with Mary Fuller and Curtis Benton.

The Witches of Salem  [Les Sorcieres de Salem]  (French 1956)  [aka The Crucible, 1958]
Salem witchcraft:  Based on Arthur Miller's play.  Dir. Raymond Rouleau, with Yves Montand and Simone Signoret.   145m.

With Daniel Boone Thru the Wilderness  (1926)

Wolfe, or the Conquest of Quebec  (1915)

yankee buccaneer  (1952)

Young Daniel Boone  (1950)