The Michnos also link the real-life wagon train attacks in each chapter to Hollywood films that portray either the actual historical event or an attack that exhibits similar aspects to those depicted in the film. In doing so, they discover that the earlier Hollywood portrayals – films made before the mid-1950s – tend to “get it right” concerning wagon train attacks much more often than do later films. Although they admit that these earlier Hollywood films can be justifiably criticized for lacking today’s realism in capturing the dress, weapons, and accoutrements of pioneers and Indians, often feature naieve and simplistic plots with stereotypical characters, and present a sanitized “G-Rated” version of frontier warfare, the Michnos assert that “at least in the first half of the 20th century … we find that Hollywood has produced more accurate history than have a number of historians.” Before Old West history was shanghaied by the PC crowd interested only in down-playing frontier violence and in promoting Indian victimization, the Michnos find, “Hollywood [did] a commendable job in depicting actual events.”

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As a final judgment of this subject, it is hard to improve upon what the Michnos wrote: “Warfare and violence happened. They need not be glorified, but they can’t be denied. Historians have an obligation to present the truth, but when they alter or hide the truth because they have become self-appointed guardians and censors with their own political agendas, they become lesser specimens than the members of the media that they malign.” The “lesser specimens” would greatly profit by consulting the facts presented in the Michno’s “must read” book.

ACG Intel:

Circle the Wagons! Attacks on Wagon Trains in History and Hollywood Films

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