Netflix‘s new limited series American Primeval gives a startling look at the American West in the mid-1800s, when Native Americans came to deadly blows with Mormon soldiers, pioneers looking for a new life, and the American government itself in the Utah War. But what true story is the series based on?

What Is Netflix’s American Primeval About?

Here’s the show’s official description:

This is America…1857. Up is down, pain is everywhere, innocence and tranquility are losing the battle to hatred and fear. Peace is the shrinking minority, and very few possess grace — even fewer know compassion. There is no safe haven in these brutal lands, and only one goal matters: survival. AMERICAN PRIMEVAL is a fictionalized dramatization and examination of the violent collision of culture, religion, and community as men and women fight and die to keep or control this land.

The series stars Taylor Kitsch (Isaac), Betty Gilpin (Sara Rowell), Dane DeHaan (Jacob Pratt), Saura Lightfoot-Leon (Abish Pratt), Derek Hinkey (Red Feather), Joe Tippett (James Wolsey), Jai Courtney (Virgil Cutter), Preston Mota (Devin Rowell), Shawnee Pourier (Two Moons), and Shea Whigham (Jim Bridger).

Tudum reports that the history of the Utah War became a point of interest for executive producer Pete Berg. In particular, a skirmish that occurred during the war, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, led Berg to do more research.

Does American Primeval Tell a True Story?

Berg’s interest soon transferred to writer and executive producer Mark L. Smith, who wrote The Revenant. Smith said that while working on The Revenant, he read about Jim Bridger, a pioneer who builds a new city in the Wild West, Fort Bridger.

How Historically Accurate Is American Primeval?

Executive producer Eric Newman said that the series is set around the Mountain Meadows Massacre for a reason.

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

Why American Primeval Feels Like a True Story

Fort Bridger is also real, with Smith calling it a “stopping ground” for “all the pioneers [and] the Mormons.”

“When President Buchanan decided he wanted to get control of Brigham Young and what was growing in Utah, he stationed his military there,” said Smith. “Fort Bridger was the gathering point for everyone.”

Speaking of Young, he was the real-life leader of the Mormon Church. He also helmed his own army called the Nauvoo Legion. Smith said that the sermons featured in the series are all directly from the actual sermons Young wrote and told his congregation.

The series is now streaming on Netflix.

American Primeval

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