Philadelphia to Atlantic City Great American Railroad Journeys

I have crossed the Atlantic to ride the railroads of America...

..with a new travelling companion.

Published in 1879, my Appletons' General Guide

will steer me to everything that's novel...

beautiful...memorable

or curious in the United States.

-ALL:

-Amen.

As I cross the continent I'll discover America's gilded age,

when powerful tycoons launched a railway boom

that tied the nation together

and carved out its future as a superpower.

At the time of my Appletons',

travellers arriving in the United States encountered a nation

where industry was beginning to boom

and people were being drawn to the cities.

Huge changes were afoot in American society,

and the divisions, which had lately erupted in a civil war,

were never far from the surface.

I'm embarking on a new railroad journey,

heading south from the city in which the United States has its origin.

In Philadelphia, where my journey begins,

American revolutionaries declared independence

and the principle of government by consent.

Yet by the time my Appletons' Guide was published

just over a century later,

thousands of Americans had been killed

in a mechanised civil war, in which railways played an important part.

I hope that my journey passing through the nation's capital

and the greatest battlefield of that civil war

will help me to understand the price that the United States paid

for the contradiction rooted in their foundation.

They're the land of the free, whilst the home of the slave.

On this journey, I begin in the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia.

I continue through the American Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg,

before turning south to Baltimore in Maryland.

I take in the nation's capital - Washington DC -

continue to Richmond, Virginia, and end in Jamestown,

the first permanent English settlement in North America.

'In Philadelphia I discover how the city flexed its financial muscle...'

Philadelphia in the 19th century

was the manufacturing heart of the United States.

'..taste an American institution...'

I think I should have had it with the molten cheese, but,

to tell you the truth, Cheez Whizz just put me off.

'..and unleash my inner demon.'

Argh!

I've arrived in Philadelphia,

which, according to Appletons', was founded by William Penn,

who came over from England in 1682,

accompanied by a colony of Quakers.

It then became the largest city in the United States -

the capital of the nation.

And its railway station received

lines from east and west and north and south.

A 20 minute walk from 30th Street Station

brings me to City Hall,

which opened in 1901, and until 1908 was the world's tallest structure.

On the top, a magnificent 27-tonne statue of William Penn

proudly surveys his city.

A wonderful view.

Philadelphia laid at my feet.

Shan Holt, a historian at Penn State University,

is going to be my guide to the city from this rooftop eyrie.

-Hello, Shan.

-Hello, Michael.

Good morning. Welcome to Philadelphia.

Thank you very much.

And thank you for meeting in such a spectacular place.

Well, you're welcome.

Tell me about William Penn.

He was an extraordinary product of the 17th century.

He was an aristocrat who turned his back on his background

and became a Quaker,

broke with his father, went to jail.

According to Appletons',

Penn arrives here with a colony of Quakers.

What was the character of what they founded here?

Penn was looking to found a colony dedicated to religious liberty.

He wanted a place for Quakers to safely practice their religion,

because they couldn't do that in the old country.

So he chose a plot of land on the Delaware River because,

of course, trade and commerce was all water-based in the 17th century.

So if you were near the river, you could be prosperous.

William Penn made a treaty with Native Americans,

and true to his Quaker beliefs named his city after

the Greek words for love - philos - and brother - adelphos.

Philadelphia - the City of Brotherly Love.

Philadelphia in the 19th century was

the manufacturing heart of the United States.

Steel, railroads, textiles, leather, transportation all centred here.

I'm very interested in railways,

and I assume that they played a big part in the development of the city?

The Pennsylvania Railroad, which was founded here and headquartered here,

was the largest railroad in America right into the 20th century.

Pennsylvania Station in New York, Pennsylvania Station in Baltimore

all named for the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Wow. Thank you, Shan. This has been a wonderful place

to understand Philadelphia's towering ambition.

Philadelphia's ambition was on full display

in the Centennial Exhibition.

It was held in 1876 in Fairmount Park,

which Appletons' tells me is the largest city park in the world.

The exhibition celebrated 100 years of the United States

and its growing industrial might.

It attracted around ten million visitors,

with railroads bringing crowds

from across the country and the world.

Today the only building remaining is Memorial Hall.

Appletons' tells me

this trade fair was based on the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London.

But I'm thinking that just one of these exhibition halls

would have been bigger than the Crystal Palace.

And here were shown innovations.

Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, the typewriter.

Inventions that would transform our lives.

And Philadelphia showed to the world that, for all its brotherly love,

it was fearfully competitive.

Walking back into downtown Philadelphia, one building

is distinguished, not by its size,

but by its momentous history.

Independence Hall, says Appletons',

is the most interesting object in Philadelphia.

"Here, on July 4th, 1776,

"the Declaration of Independence was adopted and publicly proclaimed."

Imagine a crowd of 2,000 people hearing those words,

in prose that was as elegant as it has been enduring,

announcing a new relationship

between the people and their government.

In the Pennsylvania State House, the Founding Fathers declared

independence, and asserted that all men are created equal

and entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

And that, more than that, if a government failed to

guarantee those benefits, men were entitled to reform it or abolish it.

There are more than 100 democracies in the world today

that more or less pay tribute to those then-original principles.

This bell already hung in the Pennsylvania State House,

and it bore the Biblical inscription,

"Proclaim liberty throughout the land."

But at the time of the formation of the United States, declaring that

all men had been created equal,

there were millions of slaves.

And in the 19th century this bell became the symbol of those

who would abolish slavery.

Philadelphia is also known as the City of Neighbourhoods.

Philadelphians are proud of their city,

but they hold a special affection for their own district.

A half-hour stroll south from Independence Hall

takes me to South Philadelphia, and Pat's King of Steaks -

home of the Philly cheesesteak.

This is very intimidating. It says, "How to order a steak."

And it says, "If you make a mistake

"just go to the back of the line and start over."

But it also says, "Practice the above while waiting in line."

So I've got to specify whether it's with, or as they say here, wit,

onions or without onions.

And then I have a choice of things here.

I think I've got it, I think I've got it. OK.

-Can I help you?

-I want a steak wit American cheese, please.

-American with onions?

-Wit, wit.

-What did you think of my ordering? Was it OK?

-That was great.

-American wit.

-American wit, American wit.

-I understood it.

How much is that, sir? 10. Oh, wow.

That's more than I've got, I think. Hang on.

I was told to have my money ready. This is very terrifying now.

-That's why we put the sign up there.

-There we go, sir.

So why is this so famous in Philadelphia, this cheesesteak?

We're the inventor of the steak sandwich.

-What, this very shop? This very place?

-Yes, it is.

-How long has it been going then?

-Since 1930.

And you've sold a few in that time, have you?

A few. More than a few.

-OK, great. Thank you very much.

-You got it.

Hi, there. Do you mind if I join you a second?

-Go ahead.

-Oh, thank you.

Are you a great connoisseur of cheesesteaks?

-Do you eat cheesesteaks a lot?

-Um...coming to Philly I do.

Are you from outside Philly?

I am. I just moved to North Jersey, and then drove all the way

from North Jersey here to have a cheesesteak.

That is amazing.

-And is it as good as you thought?

-It is, it was perfect.

How did you order yours? What did you have on it?

-OK, so, I got the cheesesteak with Whiz.

-That's molten cheese.

I didn't even know what Whiz was.

And then I was like, "Oh, cheese Whiz."

What did you get in yours?

I've got American cheese and it's "wit" onions.

-That's pretty good, isn't it?

-It's amazing.

-A tasty steak.

I think I should have had it with the molten cheese,

but, to tell you the truth, Cheez Whiz just put me off.

Well, thank you very much. It's been a real joy sharing lunch with you.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Bye-bye. Take care.

Take care. Have a good one.

The food in the United States is so gargantuan that I feel

I need to take a run to keep fit.

And I'm inspired to do so

by Philadelphia's greatest fictional hero - Rocky Balboa.

But in order to get myself going I need his theme music.

MUSIC: Theme from Rocky

My next stop is the University of Pennsylvania,

which Appletons' tells me occupies,

"Spacious and substantial stone buildings

"at 36th and Locust Streets"

The university grew out of a school established

in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin -

a Founding Father of the nation.

It's one of the elite group of eight Ivy League colleges,

which includes Harvard and Yale.

The spacious and substantial buildings mentioned

in Appletons' are still here,

and they create a sense of heritage and of history,

and they seem to exude an excellence.

And these pathways provide a wonderful meeting place

for students - a real sense of community.

Oh, to be young again!

Penn's American football tradition

is amongst the oldest in the country.

They've played over 1,350 games -

more than any other college team.

Their stadium, Franklin Field, opened in 1895,

making it the nation's most historic college football venue.

This football field has a capacity of more than 50,000 spectators,

which makes it bigger than the average English Premier League football club.

And you have to remember that this is just the college game!

I've agreed to a crash course in American football.

And I'm entering the Franklin Field locker room with trepidation.

I'm now going to get myself into the famously fearsome

American football kit.

This should provide some useful protection.

HE GROWLS

To help me get to grips with the on-pitch complexities

I'm meeting Ray Priore, head coach of the Penn football team.

-Good to see you, Coach.

-Nice to meet you.

-How are you?

I'm just thinking, I don't really understand the rules of football,

but does it derive from British rugby?

Definitely from British rugby.

A very physical game, where there's tackling.

And I believe in English rugby

the passes can go only backwards, where in American football

you're allowed to throw the ball down the playing field.

In the late 19th century,

American universities adapted the game of rugby.

Their changes to the rules included

reducing the size of the team and the pitch,

and introducing limited attempts

to travel ten yards towards the goal line, known as downs.

The game is measured by getting what is called a first down.

We have four opportunities to gain ten yards,

and then really on the third opportunity,

when it turns to the fourth, you have the chance to go for

what's called a first down,

or punt the ball to the opposition.

So then they have the ball

and they have the ability to try to score on you.

OK, OK. I think I follow that.

Now, listen, coach.

I'm a little bit self-conscious today.

It's the first time I've had pads on.

I'm anxious to blend in.

-How do you think I'm doing?

-I think you look pretty good.

Why don't you try putting the helmet on?

I have a feeling I'm going to need this.

There you go, that looks good.

Nice and snug.

5-7, let's see the grunt!

Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go!

-Hello.

-Hi.

-What are we doing here?

The only objective is to punch this as hard as you can, OK?

And when you hit it I want a nice grunt.

-Let me hear your grunt now.

-HE GRUNTS

No, no, no. Louder.

-HE GRUNTS LOUDER

-There we go, there we go.

-I'm going to hit it with my body?

-No, no, no.

You're going to hit it with your hands and your helmet.

Let's practice the grunt again. Let me hear it.

-HE GRUNTS

-There it is! Go!

HE ROARS

Close, close. OK, easy, easy.

OK. All right, all right.

Now I need a little more oomph today.

Let me hear your grunt.

HE GRUNTS

Ah!

Good job, good job. good job, good job.

-My man. Good job, good job.

-Good coaching, man.

-No problem, no problem.

-Solid coaching.

-It's not quite soccer.

-It isn't.

I don't usually feel this dizzy after soccer.

Am I ready for the big match?

-Uh, you know,...

-MICHAEL LAUGHS

-You've got a little work to do.

-OK.

THEY BOTH GRUNT

Get down!

Well, that wasn't quite as embarrassing as I'd feared.

Time to rest my aching limbs before continuing my journey tomorrow.

Today I'm taking the subway from Race-Vine to Fairmount Station

to visit an innovative building.

2 and a quarter.

Thank you.

New thinking in the New World made Europe take notice.

Up to the 19th century, most prisons were no more

than crowded and violent holding cells.

In 1787, a group of largely Quaker reformers, calling itself

The Philadelphia Society For Alleviating The Miseries Of Public Prisons,

proposed a radical idea.

"The Eastern Penitentiary," says Appletons',

"resembles a baronial castle." And so it does.

"The separate, not solitary, system is adopted here.

"Each prisoner is furnished with work,

"and is allowed to converse with the chaplain and prison officials,

"but not with any of his fellow prisoners."

An interesting experiment in prison reform.

I wonder whether it worked.

The society lobbied Pennsylvania to adopt its suggestions.

And 30 years later the effort paid off.

The Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829.

The prison had seven wings with individual cells.

It had running water and central heating,

at a time when the White House had neither.

In the century after it was built

more than 300 prisons across the world copied its novel design.

The way the prison was run was also radical.

Sean Kelley, the senior vice president of the Penitentiary Museum,

is meeting me to explain more.

Sean, my Appletons' tells me

that here in the prison they adopted the separate, not solitary, system.

What was that?

The system was inspired by the Quaker belief in the inner light -

the sense that all people are good.

And so they believed that

if they kept people in separation they would spend that time

looking into their hearts, and eventually all people would make

the correct moral decision to behave themselves, to fit into society.

When the prisoners came out of their cells, didn't they see other prisoners, then?

They covered their heads with hoods.

They would never see another inmate, they would rarely see other staff members.

They had no books, only the Bible.

But no letters from home, no visitation.

I can see that this system was based on an intellectual idea -

rationalism.

But did it have its opponents and critics in its day?

The most notable critic was Charles Dickens.

And he visited the building in 1842, and he went back to England,

he wrote his book American Notes about his experience

in the United States, and he devoted a full chapter to this building.

He acknowledged that the people who built this prison

had the best of intentions, but he went on to say

he thought they had no idea what they were doing.

He wrote, "I hold the slow and daily tampering with the mysteries

"of the brain to be immeasurably worse than any torture of the body."

Do we have any idea whether it was

actually successful in rehabilitating prisoners?

It's really hard to know.

But a psychiatrist or psychologist today will tell you

that prolonged isolation is in fact destructive.

Finally, in 1913, the separate system was abandoned.

By then the world knew it as the Pennsylvania System,

and its legacy was long-lasting.

In some European and Asian countries, reform didn't come

until after the Second World War.

I have been in cells that were smaller than this,

but in the Eastern Penitentiary the punishment was lack of society.

I'm a gregarious person.

To me, not to be able to speak to other people,

that would be the worst punishment.

And I don't believe that it would lead me to sit here in silence,

reflecting on the errors of my ways,

but rather maybe to plan a vengeance on a system that had used me so ill.

With my thoughts full of crime, punishment and redemption,

I head east, out of Philadelphia,

on an excursion recommended by my Appletons' -

across the New Jersey state border to Atlantic City.

This city is built on a sand barrier island,

just off the New Jersey coast.

It was first linked to the mainland by rail in 1854.

"Atlantic City," says Appletons',

"is a favourite resort of the citizens of Philadelphia,

"and draws thousands of visitors from all parts of the country.

"The regular bathing hour is 11 o'clock,

"but gentleman are allowed to bathe without costume before 6am."

I don't know about you,

but I'm not attracted to nude bathing on a rainy day like this.

I'm meeting Heather Perez -

archivist from the Atlantic City Free Public Library -

to learn how the city and its famous boardwalk became a tourist hot spot.

-Welcome to Atlantic City.

-Thank you.

It's lovely to be here, even on a rainy day.

What were the origins of Atlantic City as a resort?

Well, in 1854 Dr Pitney got the idea

of making Atlantic City a health resort.

So those tourists would come over

and enjoy the health benefits of the ocean air and the sea.

And so he got together with some of his buddies in Philadelphia

and they incorporated the Atlantic City Railroad System, which brought

the railroads into Atlantic City, and consequently, all the traffic.

And apparently, according to my Appletons' Guide,

by the 1870s it's really successful, bringing visitors,

not only from Philadelphia, but from all over the country.

That's true. Certainly.

Thousands upon thousands of people came

to Atlantic City during its heyday.

The boardwalk is very famous.

When did that originate?

The boardwalk came into being in 1870.

The hotel owners were upset

because all these women in their long gowns would track that sand

on into their lobbies, and they were tired of sweeping it up.

So they got together and came up with this idea of laying boards

on the sand for the ladies to promenade on.

The boardwalk became a permanent fixture,

but the advent of the jet age saw the crowds dwindle.

To reverse the decline, the city legalised gambling in 1976.

Today it's the casino capital of the East Coast.

This place is on a dizzying scale.

You can scarcely see one end of the room to the other.

In the centre here we've got the blackjack,

we've got the craps, we've got the roulette.

Every conceivable way of getting people to gamble their money.

Hello. Do you mind if I chat to you for a moment?

Go ahead, chat away.

Do you do this very much?

-Two or three times a week.

-Really?

These things are programmed so that you lose.

-So presumably you lose more than you win?

-Absolutely.

MICHAEL LAUGHS But you still do it?

Sometimes you can do pretty good.

Even at 40 cents, if you get the right hit.

You never know.

-I wish you the right hit. Bye-bye.

-Thank you.

-May I interrupt you two just a second?

-Sure.

How's it gone this afternoon? How you doing?

Well, I'm hoping to get a ten here,

-and I got a ten.

-Oh!

-Oh, my God!

-21.

-You must be good luck.

-21.

I'm bringing you good luck. I think I should stay.

Absolutely, you totally are. I think you should stay as well.

-But actually, I have to go. It was nice to meet you.

-Oh, right.

-Good luck to you both.

-Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

-Thank you very much.

William Penn crossed the Atlantic from England,

where he had been imprisoned for his Quaker beliefs.

He intended his American city and state

to be havens for dissenting Christians.

From the outset,

the British-American colonies were established

to be different from the homeland,

and even name Philadelphia -

City of Brotherly Love - could be read as a rebuke against the

religious repression of the British state

and its established church.

The bell with the inscription,

"Proclaim liberty throughout all the land,"

would toll the end of British rule.

Next time, I'll discover an unchanged community...

It might seem to be a very backward way of living,

but it's a very enjoyable lifestyle.

..learn about one of the most famous orations in history...

From this point forward, everyone understood -

if the North's going to succeed it's going to come

with union preserved and slavery eliminated.

..and fulfil a long-held dream.

My first trip on the footplate of an American steam locomotive.

TRAIN WHISTLES