Question

What prior war was Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) and many of the other men hero’s of?

Answer 1

The movie the Patriot shows the efforts of Southern resistance fighters during the American revolution.

The movie indicates, correctly, that many who fought in the American Revolution as older men fought in the French & Indian War as younger men.

Answer 2

Answer:

Benjamin Martin, the main character of The Patriot, was a hero of the French and Indian War.

Explanation:

The film mostly takes place in South Carolina (where it was entirely shot) and depicts the story of an American dragged into the American Revolution when his family is threatened. The protagonist, Benjamin Martin, is approximately inspired by the Continental Army officer Francis Marion and other figures of the American Revolution.  He is a veteran colonel of the French and Indian War, a widower, father of seven children. Benjamin does his best to avoid fighting in the American Revolution, knowing what that implied. When his eldest son Gabriel gets ready and when they kill his second oldest son, Thomas, he decides to take justice by his hand in fighting the Red Coats under the command of the colonial militia.