It is quite true that John Williams used practically the same theme for "Amistad" and The "Patriot". It can also be heard in the cue entitled "Civil Rights and the Women's Movement" from his "American Journey" suite. However, I don't see anything wrong with this as he is entitled to use whatever notes he feels are necessary. Futhermore, Maurice Jarre used virtually the same theme for "Ryan's Daughter" and "A Passage to India". To take it into the classical realm, Antonin Dvorak used the same identical theme in his "Othello" overture and the tone poem "In Nature's Realm", and he was one of the greatest composers of the 19th century.