Is Little House on the Prairie Based on a True Story?

Netflix’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’ follows the Ingalls family as they move to the town of Independence, Kansas, in hopes of starting a new life. They have left their friends and family behind and entered the uncharted waters of the West. They are roped in with the promise of an open sky and a free land, but soon, they discover there are more challenges in store for them. Created by Rebecca Sonnenshine, the Western period drama series charts the struggles of the Ingalls, while also presenting a tale of hope and determination against all odds. It is made more impactful by the fact that, despite the touch of fiction, there is a lot of truth in their story. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Little House on the Prairie Fictionalizes the Real Story of the Ingalls

‘Little House on the Prairie’ is based on the ‘Little House’ children’s book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It is a semi-autobiographical account of her life in the American Midwest, ranging from the years 1872 to 1894. It focuses on her family’s move from Wisconsin to Kansas, then to Minnesota, and finally to South Dakota and Missouri as they try to build a life for themselves. The Netflix show picks up the events from the third book in the series, which begins with the Ingalls packing up their belongings and moving from Wisconsin to Independence, Kansas. The idea to write the books came to the author in the late 1920s after her mother passed away.

Not having seen her mother for the last two decades of her life and being of a similar age as when her father died led Laura to look back at her childhood through a different lens. While they had been through some pretty rough times, she wanted to focus on the good things they had. Apart from returning to her childhood, she also wanted to pay tribute to her parents, particularly her father, by immortalizing them as characters in the book. While she dipped the pen in the ink of her memories, the harsher aspects of that time and her life were glossed over to create a more wholesome story that would be more approachable to the reader. With her daughter, Rose, she omitted certain sections, changed certain events in the timeline, and tried to present it as a mostly happy affair.

For the most part, Laura based the characters on her family and friends. Her parents, Charles and Caroline, and sisters, Mary and Carrie, are important characters in the book. She also included people like Dr. Tann, who helped her family when they were new in Independence. Other characters were often composites of people she had crossed paths with, and certain fictional characters were also added to the mix while exercising creative license. She also mostly stayed true to the historical events, particularly those that affected her family. However, she ended up removing more gruesome details like the storyline featuring the serial killers, Bloody Benders, who operated close to Independence in the 1870s, and with whom she later claimed to have crossed paths.

The Show Enriches the Story With the Native American Experience

When Rebecca Sonnenshine had the opportunity to bring Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books to the screen, she decided to add elements that would enrich the story and its characters. In the book, the Osage are presented as passive characters who don’t interact directly with the Ingalls. However, for the TV show, the writers decided to make the Native American experience more prominent. Because the Osage land, on which the Ingalls build their new house, is so important to the story, Sonnenshine wanted to make sure their perspective is also presented, to show what having and losing the land means to them. For this, the Mitchell family was created, serving as a counterbalance to the Ingalls on the other end of the spectrum.

To ensure that Osage customs and language were accurately portrayed on screen, the show’s creators brought in several consultants. University of Kansas literature professor Robert Warrior consulted with the writers on the story and historical events, adding more contextual depth to the Mitchells and other Native American characters in the show. Julie O’Keefe, who also worked as a consultant on Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ served as the cultural consultant on the Netflix series. She helped the crew with costumes and makeup, as well as set decoration and design. Talee Redcorn was present on set as a language consultant to ensure accurate translation of dialogue and to help the actors with their lines.

A similar dedication was extended to other parts of the show to give a more realistic depiction of Western life in the second half of the 19th century. While the story focuses on the challenges of that time, the show’s creators hope that the audience can relate to the characters in different ways. Sonnenshine called it “a coming-of-age story about a family,” emphasizing its focus on the importance of a loving family and a supportive community. It is also about the courage to start anew, regardless of age, and is a universal emotion that the audience can connect with, despite the characters’ semi-fictional nature.

Read More: Where is Little House on the Prairie Filmed?