IsAmerican Primevala True Story? All About the Deadly Utah Massacre That Inspired the Netflix Miniseries (and Its Connection to 2015’sThe Revenant)

Mar. 15, 2025

Preston Mota as Devin Rowell and Betty Gilpin as Sara Rowell in Episode 101 of ‘American Primeval’.

Matt Kennedy/Netflix©

Warning:American Primevalspoilers ahead!

The only thing more horrific than the violent story ofAmerican Primevalis that it’s based on true events.

The gritty Western premiered on Jan. 9 and took over the No. 1 spot in the streamer’s top 10 the following day. DirectorPeter BergtoldTudumin January 2025 that he was inspired to makeAmerican Primevalafter reading about the Utah War, a confrontation between the Mormon people and the U.S. government over land ownership that led to the violent killing of over 120 settlers, perSmithsonian Magazine.

Executive producer Eric Newman described the retelling as “an anti-nostalgic, truthful look at our history.”

So, isAmerican Primevalbased on a true story? Here’s everything to know about the real-life massacre that inspired the six-episode series — and how faithful the dramatization is to the historical event.

IsAmerican Primevalbased on a true story?

Joe Tippett as James Wolsey, Lucas Neff as Dellinger and Kip Weeks as Pepper in Episode 103 of ‘American Primeval’.Matt Kennedy/Netflix©

Joe Tippett as James Wolsey, Lucas Neff as Dellinger and Kip Weeks as Pepper in Episode 103 of ‘American Primeval’.

Yes,American Primevalis based on true events. Berg told Tudum that he first found inspiration for the series in 2020 after reading about the Utah War. Though many of the show’s characters and their narratives are fictionalized, the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre inspired the attack depicted in the first episode.

“We chose that because there was this intersection between a few different Native nations, the US government, the Mormons, and the American citizens who felt they had the right to move through this area,” Newman said. “The Mountain Meadows Massacre did happen … and it became, for our narrative purposes, an inciting incident of conflict for our cast of characters.”

Who was Jim Bridger?

Famed western scout Jim Bridger; Shea Whigham as Jim Bridger in Episode 102 of ‘American Primeval’.Bettmann/ Getty ; Matt Kennedy/Netflix©

Famed western scout Jim Bridger ; Shea Whigham as Jim Bridger in Episode 102 of ‘American Primeval’.

Bettmann/ Getty ; Matt Kennedy/Netflix©

Will Poulter portrayed the famed mountaineer as a young boy in theLeonardo DiCaprio-led movieThe Revenant.American Primevaltakes place 50 years after the events of the 2015 film.

Who was Brigham Young?

American Mormon leader and painter Brigham Young; Kim Coates as Brigham Young in Episode 102 of ‘American Primeval’.Hulton Archive/Getty ; Courtesy of Netflix©

American Mormon leader and painter Brigham Young ; Kim Coates as Brigham Young in Episode 102 of ‘American Primeval’.

Hulton Archive/Getty ; Courtesy of Netflix©

In 1857, President James Buchanan appointed a new governor to replace Young and enforce federal law. This — along with decades of tension between the Mormons and the federal government over land ownership and plural marriage — created a heightened sense of war hysteria among members of the church.

“Brigham Young and the Mormons feel as though the military is about to attack them at any point in time, so they’ve started their own army called the Nauvoo Legion,” Newman told Tudum. “The American Army is concerned with getting the Mormons out of Utah territory, so they’re nervous that they’re going to die fighting the Mormons.”

To maintain historical authenticity inAmerican Primeval, executive producer Mark L. Smith told Tudum that many of Young’s sermons in the series are pulled directly from sermons he gave in real life.

Is Fort Bridger a real place?

Episode 104 of ‘American Primeval’.Matt Kennedy/Netflix©

Episode 104 of ‘American Primeval’.

Fearing the approach of the U.S. Army, Mormon leaders burned Fort Bridger in the fall of 1857. The site’s remains were dedicated as a Wyoming Historical Landmark and Museum in 1933. People can still visit the former fort today.

What was the Mountain Meadows Massacre?

A sketch of the Mountain Meadows Massacre that occurred in September 1857.Bettmann/ Getty

A sketch of the Mountain Meadows Massacre that occurred in September 1857.

Bettmann/ Getty

Truce only came when a White man holding a white flag approached the settlers and told them that the Mormon army had stopped the attackers and could escort them safely out of the area if they handed over their guns. That olive branch turned out to be a ruse, and the Mormon army shot and killed everyone over the age of 7.

The Mormons covered up their involvement for decades, blaming the Paiute Indians. Though the tribe took part in the initial attack, historians established over time that the Mormons held responsibility. It wasn’t until September 2007, 150 years after the massacre, that the Mormon church formally acknowledged its members' role in the murders.

Was Abish a real person?

Saura Lightfoot Leon as Abish in Episode 104 of ‘American Primeval’.

“We wanted to explore the idea of this young Mormon woman who’s being kind of pushed into a life and a marriage that she did not ask for, and through fate, ends up in a much different world and never fully assimilates,” the director said.

Was James Wolsey a real person?

Joe Tippett as James Wolsey in Episode 102 of ‘American Primeval’.

Newman told Tudum that James Wolsey (Joe Tippett) is a fictional character but is based on a real LDS member who was executed for participating in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. One such man was John D. Lee, who was a part of the Mormon militia that led the attack, suspecting that the settlers held hostility towards the church, per theNational Park Service.

How many people died during the Mountain Meadows Massacre?

Wolf Clan Warrior and Derek Hinkey as Red Feather in Episode 101 of ‘American Primeval’.

According toSmithsonian Magazine, roughly 120 people were killed during the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Only 17 children under the age of 7 were spared.

source: people.com