In , a Mormon army murdered over settlers β and covered up their involvement for decades. Warning: American Primeval spoilers ahead! But that safety is compromised when their party is attacked by Mormon soldiers disguised as Native Americans β and they find themselves in the middle of a deadly battle for control of the American West. The gritty Western premiered on Jan. Executive producer Eric Newman described the retelling as "an anti-nostalgic, truthful look at our history.
I think we do a disservice to ourselves by looking at it in that way because it prevents us from seeing it [happening] again. So, is American Primeval based on a true story? Yes, American Primeval is based on true events. Berg told Tudum that he first found inspiration for the series in after reading about the Utah War.
Jim Bridger, played by Shea Whigham in American Primeval , was a pioneer and fur trapper during the 19th century. He earned a reputation as one of the greatest explorers and mountain men of that era, surviving multiple dangerous expeditions across the largely uncharted Western frontier, per the National Park Service. Bridger has multiple mountain ranges, towns, wilderness areas and even a national forest named in his honor.
American Primeval takes place 50 years after the events of the film. According to Smithsonian Magazine, he served as governor of the Utah Territory for seven years and ran it as a theocracy, giving churches authority over civil affairs. In , President James Buchanan appointed a new governor to replace Young and enforce federal law.
This β along with decades of tension between the Mormons and the federal government over land ownership and plural marriage β created a heightened sense of war hysteria among members of the church. The miners and the trappers at Fort Bridger are all seeing their lives extinguished by larger trapper companies who are coming in and squeezing them out.
