Warning: American prehistoric era Spoilers ahead!

The only thing more terrible than the violent history of American prehistoric era is that it is based on true events.

The Netflix limited series is a dramatization of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre and follows Sara Rowell (Betty Glipin), a determined mother who hires a guide named Isaac (Taylor Kitsch) to help her deal with her son Devin Rowell to navigate safely across the western border (Preston Mota). But that security is threatened when their group is attacked by Mormon soldiers disguised as Indians – and they find themselves in the middle of a deadly battle for control of the American West.

The dark western premiered on January 9th and took first place in the streamer’s top 10 the following day. Director Peter Berg told Tudum in January 2025 that he was inspired to do it American prehistoric era after reading about the Utah War, a confrontation between the Mormon people and the U.S. government over land ownership that resulted in the violent killing of over 120 settlers, per Smithsonian Magazine.

Executive producer Eric Newman described the retelling as “an anti-nostalgic, truthful look at our history.”

“This rose-colored glasses with which we look at the past from the first Thanksgiving is a lie,” he told Tudum. “It’s a lie designed to make us feel good about this really rough, brutal path we’ve taken.” I think we do ourselves a disservice by looking at it that way because it stops us from seeing it again.”

That’s the way it is American prehistoric era based on a true story? Here, learn all about the real-life massacre that inspired the six-episode series — and how faithful the dramatization is to the historical event.

Is American prehistoric era based on a true story?

Yes, American prehistoric era is based on true events. Berg told Tudum that he first found inspiration for the series in 2020 after reading about the Utah War. Although many of the series’ characters and their narratives are fictional, the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857 inspired the attack depicted in the first episode.

“We chose to do this because there was this intersection between a few different native peoples, the U.S. government, the Mormons and the American citizens who felt they had the right to move through this area,” Newman said. “The Mountain Meadows Massacre actually happened…and it became, for our storytelling purposes, an inciting conflict for our characters.”

Who was Jim Bridger?

Jim Bridger, played by Shea Whigham in American prehistoric erawas a pioneer and fur trapper in the 19th century. He gained a reputation as one of the greatest explorers and mountain men of the era, surviving several dangerous expeditions across the largely unknown western frontier, according to the National Park Service. Bridger has several mountain ranges, towns, wilderness areas, and even a national forest named in his honor.

Will Poulter portrayed the famous mountaineer as a young boy in the film directed by Leonardo DiCaprio The revenant. American prehistoric era takes place 50 years after the events of the 2015 film.

Who was Brigham Young?

Brigham Young, played by Kim Coates in the series, was president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 19th century. Accordingly Smithsonian Magazine, He served as governor of the Utah Territory for seven years, running it as a theocracy, giving the churches authority over civil affairs.

In 1857, President James Buchanan appointed a new governor to replace Young and enforce federal law. This, along with decades of tension between Mormons and the federal government over land ownership and plural marriage, led to a heightened sense of war hysteria among church members.

“Brigham Young and the Mormons felt that the military could attack them at any time, so they formed their own army called the Nauvoo Legion,” Newman told Tudum. “The American army is concerned with driving the Mormons out of Utah territory, so they fear they will die fighting against the Mormons.”

He continued: “The Shoshone and Paiute tribes are being pushed from their lands by both sides, leaving them feeling like they are on the verge of death. The lives of the miners and trappers at Fort Bridger are being extinguished by larger trapping companies that move in and displace them. Everyone is worried from the start and everyone is really fighting to stay alive.”

To maintain historical authenticity American prehistoric eraExecutive producer Mark L. Smith told Tudum that many of Young’s sermons in the series come directly from sermons he preached in real life.

Is Fort Bridger a real place?

Yes, Fort Bridger is a real place. In 1843, Bridger built a trading post in present-day Wyoming as a stopover for people migrating west. According to Wyoming State Parks, the Mountaineer operated it for many years before it was purchased by the Mormons in 1855. However, Bridger claimed that he was forced to flee his fort in 1853 after Young sent 150 armed men to arrest him for treaty violations.

Fearing the approach of the U.S. Army, Mormon leaders burned Fort Bridger in the fall of 1857. The site’s remains were dedicated as a Wyoming Historical Landmark and Museum in 1933. The former fortress can still be visited today.

What was the Mountain Meadows Massacre?

In the summer of 1857, a wagon train of 140 settlers from Arkansas en route to California set up camp in a valley known as Mountain Meadows Smithsonian Magazine. They were attacked by a group of men with painted faces and fought back in a fierce siege that lasted five days.

The truce only came about when a white man with a white flag approached the settlers and told them that the Mormon army had stopped the attackers and could escort them safely out of the area if they surrendered their weapons. This olive branch turned out to be a trick and the Mormon army shot everyone over the age of 7.

The Mormons covered up their involvement for decades and blamed the Paiute Indians. Although the tribe was involved in the initial attack, over time historians determined that the Mormons were responsible. It was not until September 2007, 150 years after the massacre, that the Mormon Church officially recognized the role of its members in the murders.

Was Abish a real person?

No, Abish (played by Saura Lightfoot-Leon) wasn’t a real person. However, Berg told Tudum that the character was inspired by the numerous historical accounts of women being kidnapped by indigenous tribes during this time.

“We wanted to delve into the idea of ​​this young Mormon woman who is forced into a life and a marriage that she didn’t ask for and by fate ends up in a whole different world and never fully adjusts,” said the director.

Was James Wolsey a real person?

Newman told Tudum that James Wolsey (Joe Tippett) was a fictional character but was based on a real LDS member who was executed for his participation in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. One such man was John D. Lee, who was part of the Mormon militia that led the attack and suspected that the settlers harbored animosity toward the church, according to the National Park Service.

Although he remained an active church leader after the mass murder, he was excommunicated in 1870 and hidden from the authorities until 1874. Lee was convicted of murder and executed by firing squad at the site of the Mountain Meadows massacre in 1877.

How many people died during the Mountain Meadows Massacre?

Accordingly Smithsonian MagazineAbout 120 people were killed in the Mountain Meadows massacre. Only 17 children under the age of 7 were spared.