The Dawn of Understanding is a lost[6] 1918 American silent Western comedy film produced by The Vitagraph Company of America and directed by David Smith.

[7] It is based on the short story "The Judgement of Bolinas Plain" by 19th-century Western writer Bret Harte.

[8][9][10] In 1849, the Silas Prescott (Williams) and his family travel west to the California gold fields by prairie schooner.

Along the difficult journey, his wife dies, and they bury her near Ira Beasley's (Gilbert) ranch.

When Ira is arrested and put on trial for shooting the sheriff, Sue confesses that her husband could not have killed him because his gun was not loaded.