Mel Gibson’s The Patriot: An Historian’s View

Mel Gibson’s film The Patriot, released in 2000, is a valuable teaching tool, as Professor Edgar argues in this look at its themes and accuracy. The film illustrates two important themes very well: the vicious, partisan nature of the war in the South, and the wide range of interests and ideals that motivated southerners, whether they were Patriots, Loyalists or maintained their neutrality as the war swept over them.