In the 2004 film National Treasure, fictional historian and cryptographer Benjamin Franklin Gates leads a search for lost treasure guided by a secret map on the back of the Declaration of Independence. This fan favorite has introduced a generation of young people to the wonders of the past while raising numerous questions about America’s founding era.
Denver Brunsman, chair of the history department at George Washington University and a scholar of the American Revolution, separates fact from fiction in National Treasure in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Using clips from the film, he shares the true stories behind the Declaration of Independence, Freemasons, and the film’s other historical references.
In this case, truth is even more stirring than fiction, as the history of the Declaration is almost as improbable as a movie plot. By 1776, American colonists had resisted British policies for 13 years and endured open warfare with Britain for more than a year with no resolution in sight. Brunsman discusses how this imperial crisis with Britain ultimately culminated in the Declaration, and he explains the philosophical underpinnings of America’s founding document. Against all expectations, the Declaration became synonymous with independence itself, inspiring Americans and much of the world—including filmmakers and moviegoers—for the past 250 years.
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