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Sep 16, 2024 · But there's actually a surprisingly large number of real historical facts in National Treasure 2, around all the car chases and treasure hunts. While those coming to National Treasure 2 for accuracy may be sorely disappointed by all the massive liberties this adventure takes with everything from history to due process, history buffs may also find some startling details to pique their interest.
- Orrin Grey
- Mike Mcgranaghan
- Photo: William James Hubard / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. 2,106 VOTES. Charles Carroll Was The Last Surviving Man Who Signed The Declaration Of Independence.
- Photo: Buena Vista Pictures. 2,360 VOTES. The Declaration Is Lowered Into An Atomic Bomb-Proof Vault When It's Not On Display. During the hours when the public isn't around to see it, the Declaration - together with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights - is lowered into an armored vault underground, per Atlas Obscura.
- Photo: David Martin / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. 2,423 VOTES. Benjamin Franklin Did Write 14 Letters As Silence Dogood. With the FBI hot on his trail, Ben goes to the home of his father to take a closer look at the back of the Declaration.
- Photo: Attributed to Rembrandt Peale / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. 2,498 VOTES. Timothy Matlack Did Help Scribe The Declaration Of Independence. Timothy Matlack was a brewer from Pennsylvania.
- Were the Knights Templar real people? Yes, the Knights Templar were very much real people. During the middle-ages, the group amassed a huge amount of wealth and power, which is ultimately what led to their eventual downfall at the hands of the Catholic Church.
- Are the Freemasons real people as well? The Freemasons are very much real. In fact, they are one of the longest running "secret" societies left in the world.
- Did the Freemasons evolve out of the Knights Templar? There are rumors that the Masons were a product of the destruction of the Templars, but there is no proof to back that up.
- Is there really a Templar treasure hidden somewhere? Obviously, one has never been found, but based on the amount of power the Templar Knights had, it is safe to assume they were sitting on a load of valuables.
- Overview
- Freemasons
- Raising Questions
With an outrageous plot, "National Treasure" seems like a film that is mostly for entertainment with a sprinkling of historical fact.
Imagine this: Centuries ago an order of European knights amassed a huge treasure of priceless artifacts from around the world.
The loot was later brought to the United States by the Freemasons, a secret society. Determined to keep it out of the hands of the British during the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin and other Masons hid the treasure in a secret location but left clues to its whereabouts in famous American landmarks.
Now, the great-great-great-great-great-grandson of a carriage boy who learned the secret vows to find the treasure. The clues lead him to an invisible map hidden on the back of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Preposterous? Absolutely.
But the plot of National Treasure, the adventure yarn starring Nicolas Cage that opens in U.S. movie theaters today, is also irresistible fun.
For an indication of the public's fascination with secret societies and conspiracy theories, jump on to the Internet, where thousands of wild Web sites claim that shadowy alliances do everything from running international affairs to managing interplanetary treaties.
Perhaps the most famous secret society is the Freemasons, a medieval guild of stonemasons that formed in England in the early 18th century and developed into a powerful fraternity.
The Freemasons have enjoyed a reputation as influential politicians, scientists, and artists whose works and charities have enhanced the world. Some Christian leaders, however, have called it a secret society bent on spreading evil.
Of the 55 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, at least 9 are said to have been Freemasons. President George Washington was also among its members.
In the new movie the Freemasons are seen in a positive light.
"The Masons were founded on pretty solid principles, and a lot of those held for the Founding Fathers and probably influenced them a great deal toward democracy at the time," said Kouf, whose grandfather was a Freemason. "When Washington had trouble raising his army, he called upon his Masonic brothers, because he knew he could count on them."
Although the medieval knights also feature prominently in The Da Vinci Code, it was that novel's main plot twist—that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene—which stirred up real controversy. Could this be true?
"There's no evidence for it in any text," said Joseph Kelly, a professor of religious studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, who has given numerous public lectures disproving the "secrets" in Brown's novel.
Kelly says many people are disappointed when he tells them that the marriage never happened. Yet the academic says there are many things in the book that are historically accurate, and he believes the novel serves a valuable purpose.
"Brown tells people something they never knew—that the early history of Christianity was much more complicated than anybody thought," he said.
Kouf, the movie scribe, sees little danger in weaving together fiction and history.
"If we were laying it out as a true story, then I'd agree that we're taking too many liberties," he said. "But because it's set out in an adventure mold like Indiana Jones, I think we're OK. People know some of this stuff didn't happen."
Jun 17, 2024 · MUST-READ: 10 Shocking Facts About the 1962 Movie ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. 2. Fact: There is something written on the back of the Declaration. Nicolas Cage in 'National Treasure' (2004 ...
Apr 1, 2021 · For Ben in National Treasure 2, justice equals the unveiling of the truth.He dedicated his life to finding the Knights Templar treasure and the city of gold because for him, the real reward was ...
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Nov 19, 2014 · Jim Kouf, who co-wrote the screenplay, wanted it to draw on actual history. According to National Geographic, "he tried to include as many references to U.S. history—and use as many real ...
