French and Indian War (1754-1763) G.B. vs. France and Native American allies Also called “Seven Years War” At the 1763 peace conference, the British received the territories of Canada from France, and Florida from Spain, opening the Mississippi Valley to westward expansion.

The Siege at Fort William Henry Fort William Henry Massacre Native American allies violated the agreed terms of surrender and attacked the British column, which had been deprived of ammunition, as it left the fort. They killed and scalped a significant number of soldiers, took as captives women, children, servants, and slaves, and slaughtered sick and wounded prisoners. Early accounts of the events called it a massacre, and implied that as many as 1,500 people were killed, though it is unlikely more than 200 people (less than 10% of the British fighting strength) were actually killed in the massacre

The Last of the Mohicans Battle at Fort William Henry and the massacre that followed. History is recounted as close as any modern movie could ask for. Michael Mann goes to great lengths to be accurate. Newsweek said: Mann and Day-Lewis spent a month in the forests of North Carolina, learning the tools and skills needed to survive in the 18th-century wilderness. He researched the history through all types of media and could tell you the color and meaning behind each tribe's war paint.

The Last of the Mohicans Continued… British leaders were real people Terms of the surrender were real There was a slaughter that went against “the rules of war” However, Native Americans slaughtered the British due to anger at not being able to “loot and plunder” the British soldiers, not out of a blood feud

Historical “Liberties” Love Interest Loading/Reloading muskets Main characters (in real life) who live or die  In real life, the British troops were massacred in their bunks after the surrender. While in this version they are ambushed by the Huron in a meadow

The “Indian Problem” By the mid-1800s “Indian” policy changed from pushing west to seizing land and forcing Native Americans onto reservations Goal was to open up lands for settlement-Tribes included the Sioux, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Comanche

Indian Wars 1861-1890 Result of Manifest Destiny Sand Creek Massacre (1864) Wounded Knee Massacre (1890) At end of Indian Wars: Population was only 250,000 down from 2.5 million when Columbus arrived

Americanization vs. American Takeover Native Americans were “disappearing” and would ultimately be Americanized or fail to survive Language Appearance Culture Etc. This book/movie foreshadows what WOULD take place in the U.S.A. after America is founded as an independent country

Historical Spin Stereotype of the Good Native American vs. the Bad Native American, and how the white man influences all of their lives (positively and negatively). Last of the Mohicans represents an end of an era (Native American life) and the beginning of European life and influence Land acquisition and dominant takeover and other European cultures fighting for what’s not “rightfully theirs”