Into the West



A critically acclaimed TNT mini-series, produced by Steven Spielberg, that follows a variety of fictional characters as their lives become intertwined with eachother and the real historical events of the Westward Expansion of the 1800s.

Tropes:

 * Did Not Do the Research: Averted hard. The series was praised for it's accuracy and would probably fit right into a history class if it weren't so freaking long.
 * In-universe, one of the characters refers to the Chinese "alphabet". Of course, he probably wouldn't know that an alphabet refers to a specific form of phonetic writing, which Chinese is not.
 * The Dulcinea Effect: Again, Jacob and Thunder Heart Woman. He barely saw her for a few minutes and decides to duel to the death for her.
 * Going Native: Jacob Wheeler after marrying a Thunder Heart Woman. They and their children shift between Native and white society as the series progresses. Jacob's cousin, Naomi, also goes native when she marries a Cheyenne chief, Prairie Fire.
 * Historical Fiction: The series is an impressive example.
 * Loads and Loads of Characters: Enough that many scenes had to be deleted, leading to quite a few Aborted Arcs.
 * Magical Native American: Loved by the Buffalo, a medicine man.
 * Noble Savage: They're not exactly glamorized, but the Native Americans are portrayed respectfully and they come across as better than most of the settlers.
 * Screaming Birth: Averted by Thunder Heart Woman, who gives birth to their youngest child while they're briefly living with his parents; one of Jacob's cousins is surprised by her stoicism, saying that "She didn't cry out. Not once!"