List of films about the American Revolution

Below is an incomplete list of films which include events of the American Revolution. This list does not include documentaries or short films.

1910s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1914 United States The Spy Otis Turner Drama, war. Based on the 1821 novel The Spy.
1915 United States A Continental Girl Joseph Adelman Drama, war.
1916 United States The Heart of a Hero Emile Chautard Drama, war. Based on the play Nathan Hale. Nathan Hale
1917 United States Betsy Ross Travers Vale
George Cowl
Biography, drama, romance.
1917 United States The Spirit of '76 Frank Montgomery Drama, history, war.
1918 United States The Beautiful Mrs. Reynolds Arthur Ashley Drama, history.

1920s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1922 United States Cardigan John W. Noble Drama. Based on the novel Cardigan.
1924 United States Janice Meredith E. Mason Hopper
E. J. Babille
Drama, history, romance, war. Based on a novel and the play Janice Meredith.
1924 United States America D. W. Griffith Drama, history, war. Based on the novel The Reckoning.
1929 United Kingdom The American Prisoner Thomas Bentley Drama. Based on the 1904 novel The American Prisoner.

1930s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1931 United States Alexander Hamilton John G. Adolfi Biography, Drama, history. Based on the 1917 play Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton
1934 United States The Pursuit of Happiness Alexander Hall Comedy, romance. Hessian
1936 United States Daniel Boone David Howard Biography, family, western. Daniel Boone, Simon Girty
1939 United States Drums Along the Mohawk John Ford Drama, romance, war, western. Based on the 1936 novel Drums Along the Mohawk.

1940s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1940 United States The Howards of Virginia Frank Lloyd Drama, history, war. Based on a novel The Tree of Liberty.

1950s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1953 United States Sangaree Edward Ludwig Drama, history. Based on the novel Sangaree.
1955 United States The Scarlet Coat John Sturges Adventure, drama, history, romance, war. Benedict Arnold
1956 United States Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer Albert C. Gannaway
Ismael Rodríguez
Drama, western. Daniel Boone
1957 United States Johnny Tremain Robert Stevenson Adventure, family, war. Based on a novel Johnny Tremain.
1959 United Kingdom
United States
The Devil's Disciple Guy Hamilton Comedy, history, romance, war. Based on the 1897 play The Devil's Disciple.
1959 Spain
United States
John Paul Jones John Farrow Action, biography, history, romance, war. Based on the story "Nor'wester". John Paul Jones

1960s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1961 France
Italy
La Fayette Jean Dréville Biography, drama, history, war. Gilbert du Motier

1970s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1970 Italy Paths of War Franco e Ciccio sul sentiero di guerra Aldo Grimaldi Comedy, western.
1972 United States 1776 Peter H. Hunt Drama, family, history, musical. Based on the 1969 musical 1776.
1975 United States Valley Forge Fielder Cook Drama, war. Based on the 1934 play Valley Forge.
1976 United States Spirit of Seventy Sex Stu Segall Adult, comedy, history.

1980s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1985 United Kingdom
Norway
Revolution Hugh Hudson Adventure, drama, history, war.
1989 United States A More Perfect Union Peter N. Johnson Drama, history. Constitutional Convention

1990s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1995 United States The Little Patriot J. Christian Ingvordsen Family, adventure.
1996 France Beaumarchais Beaumarchais l'insolent Édouard Molinaro Adventure, comedy, history, romance. Based on the play Beaumarchais. Pierre Beaumarchais

2000s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
2000 United States
Germany
The Patriot Roland Emmerich Action, drama, history, war.
2003 United States The Deserter Eric Bruno Borgman Comedy, drama, history, war.
2009 United States All for Liberty Chris Weatherhead Drama

2010s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
2010 United States Sybil Ludington Kim Robinson Drama, family, history. Sybil Ludington
2015 United States Beyond the Mask Chad Burns Action, adventure, drama, romance.
2016 United States The Culper Spy Adventure James Canale III
Michael Tessler
Andrew Mastronardi
History.
2017 United States One Life to Give Leah Dunaief
Michael Tessler
Benji Dunaief
History.

2020s

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
2020 United States Hamilton Thomas Kail War, Alexander Hamilton. Filming of the 2015 musical
2023 United States The Battle of Camden Christopher Forbes War. Battle of Camden
2023 United States The Battle of Hobkirk's Hill Christopher Forbes Battle of Hobkirk's Hill

Fantasy

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1945 United States Where Do We Go from Here? Gregory Ratoff Fantasy, musical.
1946 United States The Time of Their Lives Charles Barton Comedy, family, fantasy.

Television films

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1975 United States First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington John J. Desmond Biography, drama. Martha Washington
1976 United States The Other Side of Victory Bill Jersey
1986 United States George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation William A. Graham Biography, drama, history. George Washington
1988 United States
Canada
April Morning Delbert Mann Drama, history, war. Based on the novel April Morning.
1990 Canada Divided Loyalties Mario Azzopardi Biography. Joseph Brant, Molly Brant
1993 United States The Broken Chain Lamont Johnson Drama, war, action. Joseph Brant
1994 Canada Mary Silliman's War Stephen Surjik Drama, history, war. Based on biography The Way of Duty. Mary Silliman
1995 United States Taking Liberty Stuart Gillard Drama. Based on an unknown story.
2000 United States The Crossing Robert Harmon Biography, drama, history, war. Based on the novel The Crossing. George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, Battle of Trenton
2003 United States Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor Mikael Salomon Drama, jistory. Benedict Arnold
2005 United States Felicity: An American Girl Adventure Nadia Tass Drama, family. Based on the novels about American Girl.

TV series

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Year Country Main title
(Alternative title)
Original title
(Original script)
Director Subject
1959-1961 United States The Swamp Fox Harry Keller Adventure, drama, family. Francis Marion, Banastre Tarleton
1964-1970 United States Daniel Boone Adventure, western. Daniel Boone
1970-1971 United States The Young Rebels Harve Bennett Adventure.
1974 United States Benjamin Franklin Glenn Jordan Biography, drama, history. Benjamin Franklin
1976 United States The Adams Chronicles Drama, history. John Adams
1978 United States The Bastard Lee H. Katzin Drama, history, romance. Based on the 1974 novel The Bastard.
1979 United States The Rebels Russ Mayberry Drama, history, war. Based on the 1975 novel The Rebels.
1979 United States The Seekers Sidney Hayers Drama, history, war. Based on the 1975 novel The Seekers.
1982 East Germany The great adventure of Kaspar Schmeck Das große Abenteuer des Kaspar Schmeck Gunter Friedrich Adventure, drama, war. Based on a novel Das große Abenteuer des Kaspar Schmeck. Hessian
1984 United States George Washington Buzz Kulik Biography, drama, history, war. George Washington
1987 United Kingdom
Canada
The Devil's Disciple David Hugh Jones Comedy, drama, romance. Based on the 1897 play The Devil's Disciple.
1997 United States Liberty! The American Revolution Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer Documentary, history, American Revolution
2002 United States Benjamin Franklin Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer Documentary, history. Benjamin Franklin
2002-2003 United States Liberty's Kids Judy Reilly
Marsha Goodman Einstein
Animation, adventure, family, history, war.
2008 United States John Adams Tom Hooper Biography, drama, history. Based on the 2001 biography John Adams about John Adams
2014-2017 United States Turn: Washington's Spies Drama, history, war. Based on the book Washington's Spies. Culper Ring
2015 United States Sons of Liberty Kari Skogland Drama, history.
2015 Canada The Book of Negroes Clement Virgo Drama, history, war. Based on the 2007 novel The Book of Negroes. Black Loyalist
2022 United States Benjamin Franklin Ken Burns Documentary, biography, history.
2024 United States Franklin Tim Van Patten Biography, drama, history. Based on the 2005 book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America.

See also

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References

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Further reading

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  • Glancy, Mark. "The war of independence in feature films: The Patriot (2000) and the 'special relationship' between Hollywood and Britain." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television 25.4 (2005): 523-545.
  • Harrington. Hugh T. "Top 10 Revolutionary War Movies" Journal of the American Revolution (Jan. 25 2013) online
  • Murray, Lawrence L. "Feature Films and the American Revolution: A Bicentennial Reappraisal." Film & History 5.3 (1975): 1-6.
  • Rhoden, Nancy L. "Patriots, Villains, and the Quest for Liberty: How American Film has Depicted the American Revolution." Canadian Review of American Studies 37.2 (2007): 205-238.
  • Schocket, Andrew M. "The American سكسي
  • "Rebooted: Hamilton and Genre in Contemporary Culture." Journal of the Early Republic 37#2 (2017): 263-269.