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American History in 100 Movies

I thought it would be hard to narrow this list to 100 movies, but it turned out to be difficult to come up with 100. I wanted all the movies to be based on actual history (e.g., "The Longest Day" and not "Saving Private Ryan" for D-Day), but Hollywood just loves to fictionalize things. "Compulsion" and "Inherit the Wind" are fictionalized versions of the Leopold & Loeb and Scopes Trials, but I felt compelled to include them anyway. "1776" is a musical, but there are several dramatic scenes that capture what they were actually debating in Philadelphia that hot summer. When there were multiple movies about the same event (e.g., the Alamo, Pearl Harbor), I picked the one I thought was the better film. I started including biographies and even a few sports movies that I thought were particularly "American." So, by no means a perfect list, but it is a start. At least I didn't just go with documentaries!
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1
1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes®   32%
2
The New World (2005)
The New World (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes®   62%
3
Roots (1977)
Roots (1977)
4
1776 (1972)
1776 (1972)
Rotten Tomatoes®   74%
5
The Crossing (2003)
The Crossing (2003)
6
The Scarlet Coat (1955)
The Scarlet Coat (1955)
7
George Washington (1984)
George Washington (1984)
8
John Adams (2008)
John Adams (2008)
9
Jefferson in Paris (1995)
Jefferson in Paris (1995)
Rotten Tomatoes®   31%
10
The Buccaneer (1958)
The Buccaneer (1958)
11
Amistad (1997)
Amistad (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes®   77%
12
The Alamo (2004)
The Alamo (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes®   29%
13
A Woman Called Moses (1978)
A Woman Called Moses (1978)
14
Brigham Young (1940)
Brigham Young (1940)
15
12 Years a Slave (2013)
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes®   95%
16
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)
Rotten Tomatoes®   83%
17
Gods and Generals (2003)
Gods and Generals (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes®   8%
18
Gettysburg (1993)
Gettysburg (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes®   77%
19
Glory (1989)
Glory (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes®   93%
20
Lincoln (2012)
Lincoln (2012)
Rotten Tomatoes®   89%
21
The Conspirator (2010)
The Conspirator (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes®   56%
22
The Long Riders (1980)
The Long Riders (1980)
Rotten Tomatoes®   81%
23
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes®   76%
24
I Will Fight No More Forever (1975)
I Will Fight No More Forever (1975)
25
Son of the Morning Star (1991)
Son of the Morning Star (1991)
26
Tombstone (1993)
Tombstone (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes®   74%
27
Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)
Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes®   48%
28
Rough Riders (1997)
Rough Riders (1997)
29
The Wind and the Lion (1975)
The Wind and the Lion (1975)
Rotten Tomatoes®   63%
30
55 Days at Peking (1963)
55 Days at Peking (1963)
Rotten Tomatoes®   57%
31
Wilson (1944)
Wilson (1944)
Rotten Tomatoes®   89%
32
Matewan (1987)
Matewan (1987)
Rotten Tomatoes®   94%
33
Reds (1981)
Reds (1981)
Rotten Tomatoes®   89%
34
Eight Men Out (1988)
Eight Men Out (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes®   86%
35
Iron Jawed Angels (2004)
Iron Jawed Angels (2004)
36
Bound for Glory (1976)
Bound for Glory (1976)
Rotten Tomatoes®   83%
37
Public Enemies (2009)
Public Enemies (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes®   68%
38
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967)
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967)
Rotten Tomatoes®   89%
39
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Rotten Tomatoes®   88%
40
Rosewood (1997)
Rosewood (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes®   87%
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