13 Historical Stories That Need To Be Movies For The Sake Of Our Future

It's astonishing that no one has made a film about the English Civil War. From 1642 to 1651, the people of England had to decide whether they would fight for the King or for Parliament. A story that would resonate greatly in the United States, for ultimately, the office of King was abolished and King Charles I beheaded. The beautiful irony is that the commander who lead the parliamentary forces, after fighting a war against the very idea of kingship, decides to dissolve Parliament and rule as "Lord Protector"; a king in all but name, leaving the office to his son upon his death.

One of the great forgotten geniuses of our time, we are still finding out about the incredible ideas that he championed. He is best remembered for his invention of alternating current, which is the basis for the electricity infrastructure that makes our modern world possible. Once backed by J.P. Morgan, Tesla fell into obscurity after he wanted to give free wireless electricity to the people of the world. This would make a great film because of the veracity of the character of Tesla himself. Imagine if Steve Jobs lived a hundred years ago and no one listened to him about his visions!

The disaster of the Sultana was the worst maritime tragedy in United States history. In April 1865, the steamboat exploded while on course on the Mississippi River and an estimated 2,400 people lost their lives. If that were not enough, the steamboat was holding 1,400 Union prisoners of war that were on their way to be released. This story is largely forgotten due to the fact that the day before it happened, President Lincoln was assassinated.

A biographical film on George Washington has not been done often, if at all. The first president of the United States' early life was filled with controversy and failure. He was a British militiamen who played surprisingly large role in beginning the French and Indian War in the early 1750s. He was ultimately captured at Fort Necessity but was released and returned with his troops. His further participation in the war was important for the colonial response to the French in the Ohio country and after the war solidified him as a hardened military commander, the only one who could lead the fledgling United States in rebellion against the British Empire!

History tells us that the New York City Subway was opened in 1904. However, another, more secret subway existed decades before. Alfred Ely Beach attempted to build an underground railway system with the support of City Hall; however, it was stalled one the floor of the legislature due to wealthy families being concerned for their property values. A great story of the struggles of progress and how big a fight it really was!

Robert Schumann is a very famous composer in the Romantic Period of music history. His life was tragic, however, as he grew to high heights in fame, but slowly lost his mind in the process. Music history also tells us of a strange tale; that Johannes Brahms, another extremely famous composer, was a student of Schumann and even stayed at the house of Robert and Clara, his wife. There are whispers of a love triangle happening between the three, as Robert delves ever deeper into madness and Clara deals with running the house as the prolific Brahms helps her maintain the estate.

The story of Masada is one of those incredible true last stands in history. Masada is a plateau like Mesa overlooking the Dead Sea where in 74 CE, a legion of 10,000 Roman soldiers besieged the fortress situated on top of the mountain, defended by less than 1,000 Jewish rebels. The siege lasted two whole years before the fortress was taken. A story of survival for not only those on the mountain, but for the entire Jewish culture.

Napoleon Bonaparte is the most famous rags to riches story in modern history. Everyone learns about Napoleon in school, and it's a wonder why there has not been a film made of his incredible story! Rising through the ranks of the French military after Revolution of 1789 sparked war between France and the major powers of Europe, Napoleon soon became the most popular general in all of France, ultimately taking control of the French government in a coup d'état and declaring himself Emperor of the First French Empire in 1804.

Born Gaius Octavius was the formative name of the great Caesar Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. Octavian was nephew of the famous Julius Caesar, who upon his death named him his adoptive son and heir. Proving himself a genius in tactics and strategy, Octavian outclassed his opponents and pulling all power in Rome to himself. In film terms, one could say that Octavian would be a sequel to the assassination of Julius Caesar.

Cahokia is the name of a North American Native City that was founded a thousand years before Christopher Colombus and flourished in the 13th century. A city as large and complex as any of the Mayan, Aztec, or Incan counterparts, there have been many films covering those tribes, but none about Cahokia. With the success of movies like National Treasure and Indiana Jones, it is a wonder why a "Lost Empire" story such as this has been lost among the Hollywood studios.

The great expedition of Lewis and Clarke is well-known in the history of the United States. It tells of two men braving the wilderness of the North American continent in their search for the Pacific Ocean. While there have been countless documentaries about this historic journey, virtually no modern films have told the tale. Well-documented, with action and danger lurking in just the facts alone, it is truly a wonder why such a piece of United States History has gone unnoticed by Hollywood.

Opening: A foggy forest on an island in the Chesapeake bay. The camera pans over to a old wretched tree with just the word "CROATOAN" carved into it. In the mid 1580s, the colony of Roanoke was founded. It was the first attempt at English colonization of the North American story. The odd thing is, not it disappeared, leaving no clues as to the fate of the people who lived there except that word carved into the tree. What better setup is there to a period piece horror film that could scare kids and historians alike!

Andrew Jackson was a man of many hats. The story of his defense of New Orleans in the War of 1812 is partly what gave him his War Hero status which helped win him the presidency. The war of 1812 was an offshoot of the Napoleonic Wars, where Great Britain attempted to destroy the young United States and regain their colonies to help with the war effort on the European continent. As the true All-American hero, the market for a Jackson biopic is massive, indeed.