Was Mel Gibson's William Wallace In Braveheart A Real Person?

Yes, Sir William Wallace was a real person. We know this because he fought in two important battles against the English king's forces in the late 1200s. He is part of the history of Scotland becoming a nation with its own independence.

However, almost everything about him is debated. His year of birth is considered to be from the 1260s to the 1270s, depending on which historian is stating it. He is known to have died in 1309.

Blind Harry was a 15th century Scottish poet and oral historian who put together a history of Sir William from the oral legends available at the time.

Sir William must have been a tough fighter and good with the sword, because he was a commoner and had no other reason to have men follow him into battle, besides his personal bravery and combat skills, plus his leadership ability.

Thanks, this is a really good answer. I just wanted to know because I enjoy the film and my own ancestry is Scottish.

Yes, he was, though the film isn't always accurate. Sir William Wallace was born around 1272 and was a famous Scottish nationalist. In 1297 he headed an army which managed to drive the forces of the English king Edward I out of Stirling. (Edward invaded Scotland and became known as "the hammer of the Scots." Less flatteringly, some also called him "Longshanks.") Wallace was in power for a brief period, but the English defeated him at Falkirk in 1298. He was captured, taken to London and executed by being hung, drawn and quartered in public (since his rebellion was regarded as "treachery.")

The biography channel website has a good introduction to William Wallace's life.

He was a very real patriot, one of the finest Italian bakers who ever lived.