Monday, June 11, 2012

Just wrong on history

I am quite amused that a videogame that has the American Revolution as the back drop will be out in October. The game Assassins Creed 3 will be set in the French and Indian War to Revolutionary war period.

While some of the criticism has been over its rural setting. Boston and NYC were not major citties as we know them today. Most of the familiar landmarks other than Trinity Church and a small area in Boston date back to this era.

The criticism of Europeans using bow and arrows and tomahawks is just wrong. The tomahawk was used as a common weapon by European settlers. In fact if you read about the Indians of Upstate NY many considered the mostly Scott mountain men to be the real savages. We romance the Mountain Man today because of the TV show Grizzly Adams. However, long before American settlement crossed the West there was a rugged man of the woods. He was a tough brutal survivor in a rugged woods. His life was violent and he was a tough opponent. The use of the bow and arrow was much less common but not unheard of.

In the Northern Army Mountain Men and Indians wrecking havoc were facts. In this respect this part of the video game is on target.

As period litterature is abundant I hope someone makes mods from Drums Along the Mohawk, Last of the Mohicans and the Kenneth Roberts novels. It would be nice to meet Cap Huff, Steve Nason, Nattanis and Doc Means . While George Washington and Ben Franklin are confirmed in the game it would be nice to see Benedict Arnold and Daniel Morgan. It seems likely that Rogers Rangers will show up in some capacity.

6 comments:

Always On Watch said...

Is the game available online?

Ducky's here said...

It's a computer game, not a history course.

beakerkin said...

Ducky

Actually, this has a great chance to impart actual history. The battle of Oriskanny apparently is in the game. Perhaps the siege of Fort Stanwix may be as well. This topic is covered in Drums Along the Mohawk.

Allready, I can see a few gaffes. The Oneida's were aligned with the Colonials and the Mohawks were with the Brittish. Why make the charachter a Mohawk/European when abundant Oneidas are suitable.

The actual Battle of Oriskanny took place on a sweltering day in August not in winter. In fact a heavy downpour likely saved the Americans from a massacre as the fighting made it impossible to use gunpowder.

Over 50% of the Americans died and 15% 0f the Indians aligned with Britian died. Oneidas fought and died with the colonials. A French Colonial Captian Gardnier and Onieda
Han Yerry were noted for exceptional valor and survived.

The Brittish Indians retreated because Americans from Fort Stanwix stole all their food and clothing durring the fight.

This is an excellent chance to convey the story that is behind Drums Along the Mohawk.

AOW

The game is available for the PC.

Z said...

Seems just as easy to make a game with the truth in it so people can LEARN from it, no?

By the way, is your letter t sticking? xxx

beakerkin said...

Z

The battle of Oriskany has so much real drama that the real events would prove better than the game.
The battle is not well known. Oddly Farmer John and myself appear well
versed.

The Farmer seems taken with Joseph Brandt. I view him in another light.
He was the spoiled brat brother of
the girlfriend of a Brittish nobleman. The nobleman had many kids with her and this was a long term deal. His actions led his people to be dispossesed and were not necessary. Washington begged the Indians to sit this out.

Actually, the role of Onieda Indians fighting with the colonials is not discussed.

Alligator said...

"His actions led his people to be dispossesed and were not necessary."

Actually Beak, even the Indians who supported the Americans ended up dispossesed. Many white individuals ended up with more land in their possession than an Indian tribe had as a whole.

After the pro-British Mohawks took up residence in Canada, Brant found himself at odds with the British government. He understood English law and challenged their interpretations of treaties that too this day, still result in friction between the Canadian government and the Mohawks.

With a little extra work, even a computer game can impart SOME history. That is more than most of the public schools are doing right now.