The document provides a summary of the 1992 film "The Last of the Mohicans" and discusses the historical accuracy of events depicted in the film, specifically the French and Indian War and the 1757 massacre at Fort William Henry. It summarizes that the film tells the story of three Mohican trappers protecting British colonels' daughters during the French and Indian War. Historical sources confirm the Mohican tribe, the siege of Fort William Henry by the French, and the massacre that followed its surrender. While taking some artistic liberties, the film captures key events and conflicts of the French and Indian War.

1. Angelina Satarose
Film Project: The Last of the Mohicans
December 2, 2016
“The Last of the Mohicans,” and the French Indian War
“It is the 3rd of the war between England and France for possession of the continent. 3
men, the last of a vanishing people, are on the frontier west of the Hudson River.” This is the
opening to the first scene in the Last of the Mohicans. The story within the story is about three
trappers, Native Americans of a dying tribe called Mohicans, who protect a British Colonel's
daughters in the midst of the French and Indian War. This film takes place in 1757 and includes
the surrender of Fort William Henry, along with the massacre. The main actors are Daniel Day
Louis and Madeleine Stowe. I fell in love with this movie when it came out in 1992. I was fifteen
years old and the romance within the movie is what first drew me to it. Then came the historical
accuracy which I was more inclined to be skeptical about. However, I have always loved
historical movies.
From the movie, we learn that both sides were trying to increase their troop size,
especially foot soldiers and encouraged patriots, mostly farmers and settlers, to join up and fight

2. against the French, along with allies of Iroquois Native Americans. The French also became
allies with locals and were helped by the Huron Native Americans. The Mohicans were indeed a
real Native American tribe. They hailed from the Northern end of the Hudson valley, where New
York is today. (Mohican Tribe, Warpaths 2 Peace Pipes). The Mohicans were mainly allied with
the British, but many Native Americans allied with both sides depending on their group. In 1756,
Marquis de Montcalm ended the stalemate between the British and French by moving against
Fort William Henry. In August of 1757, Montcalm with 7,000 men descended upon the fort. The
British decided surrender was best and the next morning were allowed to leave with their things.
Unfortunately, according to different reports such as Native Americans being drunk and
attacking, and British and French soldiers both trying to stop it, a massacre happened killing
most of the occupants of the fort who were trying to leave, (“Fort William Henry Massacre,”
United States History Facts Website).
According to a journal kept during the siege of Fort William Henry, this indeed
happened. On page 150, Wednesday the 10th, it is written, “Monroe applied to Montcalm to put a
stop to these inhuman cruelties but to no purpose, for they proceeded without interruption,”
meaning that the Marquis knew the slaughter was going to happen and did nothing to stop it, (“A
Journal Kept During the Siege of Fort William Henry,” Hays, I. Minis. p. 50; JSTOR).

3. The borders between French and British territories weren’t well defined, which led to a
lot of problems with disputes and after a few defeats, the British eventually declared war on the
French and it became evident that the war would be brought to a head and peace negotiations
were made between the two countries. The reason the British won the French Indian War was
because of the British naval and Spain’s ineffectiveness. In the Treaty of Paris of 1763, this
finally came to an end, (“French and Indian War/Seven Years’ War, 1754–63,” Office of the
Historian).
The French Indian War, or the Seven Years War, was a brutal one. The events that led up
to it were from both sides. The French had expanded into the Ohio River valley, which brought
them into conflict often with the British colonies in Virginia. Before it became worse, England
was not too interested at the time and there were rivalries among American colonies. France then
began making allies with more Native Americans. The British finally declared war in 1756 but
were not having much luck against the French. In the end, the British received Canada from
France and Florida from Spain, while France kept the West Indian Sugar islands, and gave
Louisiana to Spain, strengthening the American colonies in the end, (“The French and Indian
War,” History.com).

4. From our textbooks, we learn that the British suffered an early setback when French
general Montcalm seized Fort William Henry on Lake George in Northern New York. Our book
also tells us the Native American tribes with Montcalm did not accept this surrender and
attacked, taking scalps and trophies of war, thus indeed becoming the “Massacre of Fort William
Henry” in United States history, (Visions of America, A History of the United States, Keene,
Cornell, O’Donnell. Vol.1. p. 89-90). The French Indian war had settled the future of the
territories and the defeat of the French had removed them as a threat to American colonies as
well. (Visions of America, A History of the United States, Keene, Cornell, O’Donnell. Vol.1. p.
93).
In conclusion, I believe the movie, “The Last of the Mohicans,” however fictional the
romance may have been between the daughter of a colonel and the Native American, the history
included in the movie has definite presence and just as much hold on the viewer. By researching
the reality of the Massacre of Fort William Henry, we have learned about how history can have a
very messy and unfortunate outcome when it comes to war.

5. Citing:
Mohican Tribe Facts – Warpaths 2 Peace Pipes
https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/mohican-tribe.htm
“Fort William Henry Massacre,” United States History Facts
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1175.html
Hays, I. Minis. “A Journal Kept during the Siege of Fort William Henry, August, 1757.”
Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 37, no. 157, 1898, pp. 143–150.
www.jstor.org/stable/983702.
“The French and Indian War,” History.com. The Reader’s Companion to Military History.
Edited by Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. http://www.history.com/topics/french-
and-indian-war
“French and Indian War/Seven Years’ War, 1754–63,” Office of the Historian.
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/french-indian-war
French Indian War - Visions of America, A History of the United States, Keene, Cornell,
O’Donnell. 1st Edition. Vol.1. p. 89-90.