The new limited series from Netflix American prehistoric era debuted this week and quickly took the top spot as the streamer’s most popular show. As you watch, you may be wondering how much of it American prehistoric era based on real events and the characters are historically accurate.

Directed and executive produced by Peter Berg, the screenplay is by Mark L. Smith. American prehistoric era is a six-episode drama set in 1857 Utah Territory. The series explores the violent conflicts between Native Americans, pioneers, Mormon soldiers and the U.S. government. The historical drama stars Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Kim Coates, Shea Whigham, Saura Lightfoot-Leon and Shawnee Pourier.

Berg was inspired to create American prehistoric era after coming across a story about the Utah War in 2020. “I read an article about something called the Mountain Meadows Massacre,” Berg told Netflix’s Tudum. “(It) was something that interested me and I started doing a lot of research about it.”

Here’s what you should know while watching American prehistoric era – from real or fictional characters to the events of the deadly Mountain Meadows massacre, the fate of Fort Bridger and more.

Is American prehistoric era Based on a true story?

American prehistoric era is a historical drama that incorporates real events such as the Mountain Meadows Massacre as well as the stories of real people who lived in Utah during the deadly Utah War of 1857.

Which characters in American prehistoric era Are real?

Jim Bridger (played by Whigham) was a real-life pioneer caught between warring factions after turning Fort Bridger into a small frontier town. Brigham Young (portrayed by Coates), the leader of the Mormon Church at the time, commanded his army known as the Nauvoo Legion. Alex Breaux’s character, Wild Bill HickmanHe was a notorious lawman and member of this militia.

While winter bird (Irene Bedard), the Shoshone tribal chief, is a fictional character in American prehistoric eraShe draws inspiration from a historical chief who, according to Berg, “was reportedly a lesbian (and had multiple wives),” he shared Tudum. The character James Wolsey (Joe Tippett) draws inspiration from a man who was executed for his role in the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

When telling the stories of the real characters above, Berg told Town & Country they needed to “feel in tune with what they went through based on historical documentation.”

Which characters in American prehistoric era Are fictional?

However, not all characters in the series are based on historical figures. The central family that anchors the show – Sara Rowell (Gilpin), Devin Rowell (Preston Mota), Isaac Reed (kitsch) and Two moons (Pourier) – is fictional. Because of this, Berg says the creators felt they could do whatever they wanted with their storylines.

Abish (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) is also a fictional character, but her plot is inspired by historical accounts of women kidnapped by Native American tribes in what is now Utah. “We wanted to explore the idea of ​​this young Mormon woman who somehow gets pushed into a life and a marriage that she didn’t ask for, and by fate ends up in a completely different world and never fully assimilates,” Berg told Tudum.

Did the Mountain Meadows Massacre happen in real life?

Yes, the Mountain Meadows Massacre – depicted in the first episode of American prehistoric era on Netflix – was a real historical event. On screen, viewers witness Mormon soldiers dressed as Native Americans attack a group of pioneers traveling west.

“We chose to do it 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,” the executive producer said Eric Newman to Tudum. “The Mountain Meadows Massacre actually happened…and it became, for our storytelling purposes, an inciting conflict for our characters.”

The Mountain Meadows Massacre occurred on September 11, 1857 in southern Utah. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as Mormons, murdered 120 emigrants in Mountain Meadows, Utah, on September 11, 1857.

According to the Salt Lake TribuneThe massacre occurred at a time of heightened tension between the federal government and the theocracy led by Brigham Young in Utah Territory. As federal troops were deployed to the region, Latter-day Saints became increasingly wary of outsiders for fear of war. As a wagon train of emigrants traveling from Arkansas to California passed through the area, Mormon militiamen surrounded the group and brutally slaughtered more than 100 men, women and children.

Berg said he and Smith conducted extensive research to bring the massacre to life on screen. “We used several books, met with the authors of those books, went to the site of the massacre and tried to get as complete an understanding as possible of how this event happened, of what was going on in the Mormon Church at that time and what was involved “What happened to the pioneers who tried to move through the area and what Native American tribes got caught in the crossfire,” he told Town & Country.

The director continued: “We used this event to anchor ourselves in the story. The Mountain Meadows Massacre and tensions between the U.S. government and the Mormon Church may anchor our attempts to tell a story that is based in many ways on fact.”

Was Fort Bridger a real place?

Yes, Fort Bridger was a real fur trading post in the 1850s. According to the National Park Service, it consisted of two double log cabins approximately 40 feet long and served as an important supply point for wagon trains traveling along the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails.

“It was used by all the pioneers (and) the Mormons. It was the stopping point,” Smith told Tudum. “When President Buchanan decided to gain control of Brigham Young and what was growing in Utah, he stationed his military there. Fort Bridger was the meeting place for everyone.”

The production built the Fort Bridger set out of massive 80-foot trees to create the surrounding walls. “In the 1850s there were no power tools, so the cuts had to be done by hand with axes, and these builders were out there every day building this set with hand tools,” Berg said.

In Episode 6, Jim Bridger sells his fort to Brigham Young as it burns to the ground, a moment also rooted in history. In 1857, the Mormons burned Fort Bridger to prevent it from falling into the hands of the U.S. Army.

“Fort Bridger was viewed as an incredible asset by the U.S. military and the Mormon Church in terms of their ability to defend each other,” Berg told Tudum. “Bridger knew this and held on as long as he could. (He) took the best offer he could and drove away for perhaps one final chapter of his life.”

The director revealed that they burned down “about half of it” during filming. Ultimately, the US Army rebuilt the actual fort a year later and used it as a military post until 1890.

American prehistoric era is streaming on Netflix. Check out the official trailer below.