Benjamin Franklin Gates is a fictional explorer, treasure hunter, and historian in the films National Treasure and its sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets. He is played by Nicolas Cage in both films, and by Hunter Gomez as young Gates in the first one. He is the son of Patrick Gates and descendent of Thomas Gates. He is named after scientist and politician Benjamin Franklin.

Background

His great-great grandfather was Thomas Gates, a hero of the Civil War and was once a stable boy for Charles Carroll of Carrollton. His grandfather, John Adams Gates, told him a story that Thomas Gates had received the news of an incredible treasure hidden by the founding fathers. The only clue was, "The secret lies with Charlotte."

Gates had searched all his life for the treasure. He studied American History in college at Georgetown and also pursued many other licenses such as diving. He has much perseverance, and will do anything to find the treasure that is hidden. He had recruited many men to help him, including Riley Poole , his best friend, and Ian Howe.

His family was always considered a family of lunatics because of their belief in such treasure, but they continued to look for it. Gates' own father, Patrick, believed that the treasure didn't exist either (he spent 20 years of his life searching but never found it), but his grandfather continued to tell him it did.

National Treasure

He had many stops on his way for the treasure.

Charlotte

In searching for the meaning of "The secret lies with charlotte," he eventually finds the ship Charlotte in the Arctic Circle. He searches on it for the treasure but simply finds a pipe. Ian Howe is angered by this and "mutinies" Ben, so only Ben and Riley are left together. Ian sets the ship on fire by accident, so they all flee. Ben and Riley survive but just barely.

Stealing the Declaration

He then believes there is a secret map hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence, according to the clues he has gathered. So, he tracks it down, and with the help of Riley, he eventually steals it. In the process, Dr. Abigail Chase, also tags along with them. He then goes to Independence Hall, and finds a special pair of bifocals to decode the map.

The Treasure

After decoding the map, and many attempts on his life by Ian, and many attempts by the FBI, he eventually finds the treasure hidden under Trinity Church in New York City. He is awarded 1% of his findings, even though he was offered 10%. He eventually begins a relationship with Abigail. Also thanks to a stakeout he helps set up Ian and his men are arrested outside the Old North Church in Boston.

Book of Secrets

After attending a special ceremony he speaks about his great-great grandfather, Thomas Gates, who was a civil war hero. Thomas Gates was asked to decode a message by John Wilkes Boothe and an unnamed man, but upon finding out they were Confederates and refusing to translate the code, he was shot. While dying, he told his son, Charles Carroll Gates, who was only a child at the time, "The debt that all men pay," then died. Charles Gates would tell this to his children to come. However a man named Mitch Wilkinson displays a missing page of the book that accuses Thomas Gates to be the mastermind behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Statue of Liberty

After figuring out that "The debt that all men pay" is reference to Édouard Laboulaye, he goes to the Statue of Liberty, in Paris, France, to look at a message. There he befriends two French police officers, who decode the French saying on the statue. Gates then needs to look at the Resolute desks it refers to.

Resolute Desks

He goes to Buckingham Palace, and creates a supreme distraction with Abigail, which get them detained in security. They escape and he goes to look at the resolute desk, and finds a special plaque hidden with Olmec markings on it. He goes to his mother at the University of Maryland to figure out what it means. She decodes it, but it is not the entire thing. After attending the Easter Egg Roll, on the White House lawn, a friend of Abigail's lead them into the Oval Office. When Abigail distracts her friend, Ben looks for another plaque and can not find it. Instead there is a marking of the president's book of secrets.

Mt. Vernon

The president's birthday celebration is held at Mt. Vernon. After tripping security, Ben sneaks in and speaks with the president. In an effort to speak privately with the president about the Book of Secrets, Ben intrigues and lures the President into an underground escape tunnel where he traps him. The president tells Ben where the Book of Secrets is, and Ben lets him go. Ben then goes to the Library of Congress and finds the book there. Ben along with friends Riley and Abigail, escape and then must go to Mt. Rushmore.

Cibola

Ben with his friends and his father go to Mt. Rushmore to try and find the secret city of Cibola. However, Wilkinson is there too, and tries to negotiate with them, considering he has Ben's mother. Wilkinson, Ben, Riley and Abigail, and Ben's parents all enter a secret path into Mt. Rushmore. The go through the tunnels and find the secret Native American city of gold. Mitch dies so the others can escape through a drainage tunnel and Ben shares credit with him later alongside his parents, Riley and Abigail. Thomas Gates is exonerated by the discovery and the President claims Ben saved his life and never kidnapped him so he doesn't get into trouble for what he did. Also Ben discusses with the President what he found out on page 47 of the Book of Secrets.

See also

National Treasure

National Treasure: Book of Secrets