12 Historical Details 'National Treasure' Actually Got Completely Right

Have you ever wondered how much of National Treasure is true? If so, we're going to tell you. The movie, in which Nicolas Cage steals the Declaration of Independence, is pretty far-fetched on the surface. He plays Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian searching for a treasure rumored to have been hidden since the dawn of America. When a clue points him toward the Declaration, he hatches a plan to wipe it and follow all subsequent clues.

As unlikely as it is in the big picture, there are some historical facts in National Treasure. The screenwriters may have devised a fantastical plot, but they also took care to ground it in historical accuracy. You might be surprised by how many things referred to in the movie are based on truth.

This list will look at the level of National Treasure accuracy, telling you what the film asserts and how it ties into documented historical facts. Which of these are the coolest facts the movie got right? Your votes will decide.

Charles Carroll Was The Last Surviving Man Who Signed The Declaration Of Independence

In National Treasure, John Adams Gates (played by Christopher Plummer) has a line of dialogue in which he states, "Charles Carroll was the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was also a member of a secret society known as the Masons."
The screenwriters clearly did their homework on this count. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Charles Carroll were the last three living signers of the Declaration at one point. Jefferson and Adams both passed on July 4, 1826. That left Carroll as the final surviving person to have signed his name to the document, just as the eldest Gates claims.

Photo: William James Hubard / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

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. The Mosler Safe Company built it in 1953, securing the job thanks to their work building a similar vault at Fort Knox, as well as an atomic bomb-proof bank vault in Hiroshima. With those credentials, the company clearly had the right stuff to ensure the safety of the Charters of Freedom.
In the early 2000s, Mosler's work was replaced with a more up-to-date one manufactured by Diebold, as part of a $110 million renovation. With the push of a button, an elevator lowers the documents into that vault every evening, where they securely wait until their next public showing.

Photo: Buena Vista Pictures

 

There Was Actually A British Ship Called 'Charlotte' That Got Lost At Sea

When we first meet Benjamin Gates, he's working with computer whiz Riley Poole to locate a long-missing ship called the Charlotte. They believe the ship, which allegedly resides somewhere in the Arctic, might lead them to treasure. Instead, it leads them to the clue that kicks off the movie's plot.
The Charlotte is not some figment of a screenwriter's imagination. The actual ship was built in 1784 and used to transport convicts. Later it carried tea imported for the East India Company, It sailed in many parts of the world, hitting up the Saipan and Tinian Islands and even making its way to China. After a run from London to Sydney Cove that spanned 13 months, the Charlotte changed ownership several times. In 1818, it was lost at sea off the coast of Newfoundland. 

Photo: Buena Vista Pictures

 

The Declaration Of Independence Was Drafted On Parchment That Was Made Partly Of Animal Skin

Because of the central nature of the Declaration of Independence in the film, little tidbits about it are tossed around. One of them refers to what the parchment was made of, namely animal skin.
Although some have claimed it was written on hemp, that's not true. National Treasure is correct that it was embossed on parchment made from animal skin. Experts in the various forms of paper have scrutinized the Declaration and come to the conclusion that the parchment is probably of Dutch origin. The Dutch were known to utilize flax to write on such parchment. 

Photo: William Stone / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

 

Wall Street In New York Does Follow The Path Of A Wall Built By Dutch Settlers To Keep The British Out

One of the many clues Ben and cohorts attempt to decipher is the phrase "Heere at the Wall." They're knowledgeable enough to recognize that "Heere" refers to Broadway (which was originally called DeHeere St.) and the "Wall" refers to Wall Street.
DeHeere started at Fort Amsterdam, on the southern tip of Manhattan, and ran north. It eventually extended to a wall the Dutch colonists had built to keep the British out. Initially constructed as a wooden fence, it was eventually fortified into a 12-foot wall, all the better to ensure their protection. 

Photo: Buena Vista Pictures

 

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. Using lemon juice and a hairdryer, he uncovers an Ottendorf cipher penned in invisible ink. That cipher makes reference to the Silence Dogood letters, written by Benjamin Franklin and now owned by Ben's father.
Franklin very much took pleasure in rabble-rousing. At the tender age of 16, he began writing for The New-England Courant - an anti-establishment publication put out by his brother James - under the pen name Silence Dogood. The character was supposed to be a minister's widow. His 14 letters expressed an array of political philosophies, ranging from support of women's rights to opposition to religious hypocrisy. 

Photo: David Martin / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

 

Timothy Matlack Did Help Scribe The Declaration Of Independence

Timothy Matlack was a brewer from Pennsylvania. He gets a significant shout-out in the movie when Ben finds a clue that reads, "The legend writ, the stain affected, the key in silence undetected, fifty-five in iron pen, Mr. Matlack can't offend." That clue is instrumental in leading him to believe that Matlack secretly inscribed something on the back of the Declaration.
Aside from his brewing business, Matlack was also a clerk in the Pennsylvania State House. Because of his good penmanship, he was selected to physically write the Declaration of Independence. As part of his duties, he was in charge of not only laying out the text but also determining the size of the font, so that there would be sufficient space at the bottom for everyone to sign. 

Photo: Attributed to Rembrandt Peale / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

 

The Crack On The Liberty Bell Expanded On George Washington's Birthday In 1846

The adventure eventually leads to Philadelphia, PA - specifically to Independence Hall, home of the famed Liberty Bell. Everyone knows about the Liberty Bell's crack. Its origin is not definitively known, but a popular theory is that the crack was formed in 1752 when it arrived in the city and was given a test ring. Whether or not that's true is merely speculation.
What we know for sure is that the bell's crack got worse in 1846. A celebration for George Washington's birthday was coming up and the city decided to repair it. Using a technique called "stop drilling," they actually widened the crack in order to prevent it from spreading further. Unfortunately, another crack later appeared, causing the ringing of it to be suspended permanently. 

Photo: William Zhang / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 2.0

 

A Number Of The Founding Fathers Were Freemasons, Including Washington, Franklin, And Revere

National Treasure is built around the idea that the Freemasons long protected an ancient treasure. America's Founding Fathers were part of that fictional notion, hiding the treasure securely within the United States. So what exactly is Freemasonry? In existence for centuries, it's a secret fraternal order that emphasizes moral, intellectual, and spiritual values. No one knows precisely when or where it began, although the consensus is that it probably originated in Edinburgh in the late 1500s. Over time, it spread around the world, including to America.
Several Founding Fathers were indeed Freemasons, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere. It is believed that as many as 21 men who signed the Declaration of Independence were members of the group. The Freemasons' ideas of free enterprise and a limited function of government in the lives of the people are baked into the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Photo: Nabokov / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

 

There Is A Short Notation On The Back Of The Declaration Of Independence

Once Ben finally checks out the back of the Declaration of Independence, he finds a cipher directing him to the next clue. It's written in invisible ink, although he figures out how to bring it to light.
The idea of something scrawled on the back of a document of such historical importance may sound bonkers, but it's a lot less crazy than you think. A short notation does reside on the reverse side. It reads: "Original Declaration of Independence / dated 4th July 1776." How it got there is a bit of a mystery, although the prevailing theory is that it was rolled up for storage at some point, and the notation was put there to easily identify it. 

Photo: Buena Vista Pictures

 

The Declaration Is Protected By Thick, Bulletproof Glass, And Other High-Tech Materials To Best Preserve It

One of the key elements of suspense in National Treasure is the knowledge that the Declaration isn't something that would be easy to snatch. A document of such importance is obviously going to be kept under extremely protective conditions so visitors can't damage it, accidentally or on purpose.
Ben discovers that the case surrounding the Declaration is bulletproof when he uses it as a shield after some goons fire their weapons at him. That may sound excessive, but it's generally on track. The Declaration is showcased inside a helium-filled bulletproof case, and kept at a consistent temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, with a humidity level of 25 to 30 percent. Because it's printed on fragile parchment, the case additionally blocks ultraviolet light from reaching it, keeping the writing from fading more than it has already. 

Photo: Buena Vista Pictures

 

There Is A Cemetery At Trinity Church

Roughly around the start of the movie's third act, Ben and the crew follow a clue that leads them to Trinity Church in New York City. They find a decrepit passage underneath, one that guides them to a tomb. Inside that area, the group discovers a hidden room filled with treasure.
The sequence starts off realistically. Trinity Church actually does have a hidden tomb where people used to be buried. Some routine maintenance wiped out the remaining coffins back in 2002, but, on the plus side, it's easier to access now, thanks to the installation of a new door and a reconstructed entrance. As for treasure, you really won't find anything down there, although a bottle dating back to sometime between 1911 and 1915 was discovered, as were a shoe and a German-language newspaper from the 1870s. 

Photo: Simeon87 / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain