0:00:02 > 0:00:07I have crossed the Atlantic to ride the railroads of America...
0:00:08 > 0:00:10..with a new travelling companion.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11BEEPING
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Published in 1879,
0:00:14 > 0:00:18my Appletons' General Guide will steer me to everything
0:00:18 > 0:00:20that's novel,
0:00:20 > 0:00:22beautiful,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26memorable or curious in the United States.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27- CONGREGATION:- Amen.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33As I cross the continent, I'll discover America's Gilded Age,
0:00:33 > 0:00:38when powerful tycoons launched a railway boom that tied
0:00:38 > 0:00:43the nation together and carved out its future as a superpower.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Today, my guidebook takes me north from New York City,
0:01:13 > 0:01:18through the Empire State, following the mighty Hudson.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23The river has played major roles in American history.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26It featured importantly in the war that won
0:01:26 > 0:01:30independence for the United States of America.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Its upriver industries brought the country prosperity and power.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42And its natural beauty inspired art that helped the new nation to
0:01:42 > 0:01:48define itself - so much so that it became known as America's River.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58This river takes its name from the Englishman Henry Hudson,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01who explored it in 1609.
0:02:01 > 0:02:08It flows from the Adirondacks, 300 miles behind me, to here, Manhattan.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13Appletons' promises me "some of the most picturesque scenery in America.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16"The Hudson has been compared to the Rhine
0:02:16 > 0:02:21"and what it lacks in crumbling ruin and castle-crowned steep, it more
0:02:21 > 0:02:27"than makes up for by its greater variety and superior breadth."
0:02:27 > 0:02:31What an invitation to follow the course of the mighty Hudson.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42On this journey, I'm travelling through New York state.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47I began in New York City and Long Island.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Now I'll continue up the Hudson to Poughkeepsie
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and the capital of New York state, Albany.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57From there, I'll turn west to the Great Lakes,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59taking in Rochester and Buffalo,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03and finish my journey on the Canadian border at Niagara Falls.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10This leg of my journey begins at New York City's Penn Station,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13from where I'll head north, following the Hudson to Tarrytown.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15I'll continue to Garrison,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18where I'll cross the river to West Point,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20the United States National Military Academy.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24I'll hug the banks of the river north to Poughkeepsie,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27then head west into the beautiful Catskill Mountains.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32I'll finish in the capital of New York State, Albany.
0:03:32 > 0:03:38'Along the way, I will be spooked by a famous American ghost story.'
0:03:38 > 0:03:45This sequestered glen has long been known by the name of Sleepy Hollow!
0:03:45 > 0:03:48'I'll take an entirely different sort of line.'
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Ah! Woah! Ah!
0:03:54 > 0:04:00'And marvel at beautiful American scenery on a legendary iron horse.'
0:04:00 > 0:04:01Wow.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Take it west, little Tom.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I'm beginning my journey following Appletons' recommended route through
0:04:26 > 0:04:31beautiful upstate New York from the decidedly modern Penn Station.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39At the time of my guidebook, there was no railroad station here.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Travellers would have boarded the Hudson River Railroad further
0:04:42 > 0:04:43north in Harlem.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56If you ever saw a New Yorker standing here crying,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00it might be because he was mourning the loss of the old Penn Station.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04It was a vast neoclassical building that stood here.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08It was easily one of the most beautiful structures in New York
0:05:08 > 0:05:12and, in the dreaded 1960s, they tore it down, stone by stone. Why?
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Because the railroad was pretty broke
0:05:14 > 0:05:18and they did a really good property deal that created this skyscraper
0:05:18 > 0:05:23and the Madison Square Gardens, from which we get the boxing matches.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30The Penn Central Railroad, which bulldozed Penn Station,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33itself collapsed not long after.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38And in 1971, train services were taken over by a new national
0:05:38 > 0:05:39carrier - Amtrak.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44Every day, Amtrak's Penn Station serves over 500,000 people.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46With so many users,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50this rail company needs its own police department.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53The force's police chief is Polly Hanson.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Chief, how many officers do you have now
0:05:56 > 0:05:59and across how many states do you operate?
0:05:59 > 0:06:02So Amtrak Police are over 500-strong.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06We're responsible for over 20,000 employees,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10riding and operating trains over 20,000 miles of track,
0:06:10 > 0:06:15- serving 500 destinations in 46 states.- 46 states?
0:06:15 > 0:06:17I mean, that is a tremendous span for you, isn't it?
0:06:17 > 0:06:21What were the origins of railroad policing in the United States?
0:06:21 > 0:06:25The history of railroad police really dates back to after
0:06:25 > 0:06:26the Civil War.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29You had people like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,
0:06:29 > 0:06:34Frank and Jesse James, who were getting on trains and robbing them.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37And so, the owners of the railroad, very powerful,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40important rich men, wanted to keep that wealth.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43So they hired people like Allan Pinkerton who,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47at the time, was a very innovative investigator
0:06:47 > 0:06:49and created his own company.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Scottish-born Allan Pinkerton founded his eponymous detective
0:06:54 > 0:06:59agency in 1850 and quickly solved a string of train crimes.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04But he met his match when hired to track down one of the most
0:07:04 > 0:07:08successful train robbing duos in history -
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Robert Leroy Parker, also known as Butch Cassidy,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17and his partner in crime, Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, the Sundance Kid.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23In 1899, in a single robbery of a Union Pacific train, the pair made
0:07:23 > 0:07:29off with 50,000 - the equivalent of nearly 1.5 million today.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Pinkerton agents followed the bandits' trail
0:07:34 > 0:07:38and they realised that, before long, they'd be ensnared.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Mr Pinkerton used really innovative investigative techniques
0:07:42 > 0:07:45and, of course, today, you take it for granted that you can use DNA and
0:07:45 > 0:07:47photographs and send off a cable,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49but they didn't have that capability then
0:07:49 > 0:07:51and they still were able to track them
0:07:51 > 0:07:54down across the United States, here to New York City,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58and then they boarded a ship and went to South America.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02In early 1901, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid set
0:08:02 > 0:08:05sail from New York City, bound for Buenos Aires.
0:08:06 > 0:08:12In 1908, the outlaws reportedly died in a hail of bullets in Bolivia
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and quickly became heroes of American popular culture.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22Since 9/11, the main focus of the railroad police is counterterrorism
0:08:22 > 0:08:27and officers are a reassuring presence on my train to Tarrytown.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30I use the journey to see the work of Allan Pinkerton's modern-day
0:08:30 > 0:08:36equivalents - Special Agent Marc Deslandes, Sergeant Robert Smith
0:08:36 > 0:08:38and K-9 Officer Jake.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43This is one of our explosive detection dogs designed to
0:08:43 > 0:08:47seek out and locate potential explosive devices,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51either carried on board or somewhere hidden.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Their noses are very good at picking up
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and detecting explosive odour
0:08:57 > 0:09:00and they can be deployed on moving trains,
0:09:00 > 0:09:05on trains that are stationary, we put them to work in our stations,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08in and around our stations and in and around our passengers
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and the crowds of people that come through.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14The connection between animal and officer is important, is it?
0:09:14 > 0:09:17It's extremely important. We have a special bond with our dogs.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19He gets to come home with me.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20He's basically my family,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24so we work together and we also live together at home.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I get to feed him, make sure that he's well taken care of.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30He's your animal but he is not a pet.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32How do you keep the proper distance,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34make sure that that is a working animal?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37He basically knows when he's working and he knows when he's off duty.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And at work, we're very strict about not allowing other
0:09:40 > 0:09:43officers or passengers to pet our dogs.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45This way, they can concentrate on doing their jobs.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53On this line that hugs the Hudson, Appletons' tells me where to sit.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58"Secure a seat on the left-hand side of the cars going north."
0:09:58 > 0:10:00It soon becomes clear why.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12My route affords not just spectacular views,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16but if the railroad company's advertisement is to be believed,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20unrivalled travelling comfort on a level gradient.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23In contrast to the mountainous route taken by the competitor,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25the Pennsylvania Railroad.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Safe trip.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36'I arrive in Yonkers,
0:10:36 > 0:10:41'at a splendid redbrick station designed in Beaux Arts style in 1911,
0:10:41 > 0:10:45'for the New York Central Railroad by the same architects who
0:10:45 > 0:10:49'went on to create Grand Central Terminal in New York City.'
0:10:55 > 0:10:59The city of Yonkers takes its name from "de Jonckheer",
0:10:59 > 0:11:01or "young Dutch Lord".
0:11:01 > 0:11:02Adriaen van der Donck,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05who settled in this area in the mid-17th century.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09200 years later in 1849,
0:11:09 > 0:11:14the railroad arrived and connected Yonkers to New York City.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Workers commuted daily but Yonkers maintained an industrial base
0:11:18 > 0:11:23with the Otis Elevator Works and the second largest carpet maker
0:11:23 > 0:11:24in the world.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Today the city is the manufacturing headquarters for Kawasaki
0:11:28 > 0:11:29passenger rail cars.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43I'm having my lunch in a delightful restored 19th-century pier,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47so I'm sitting literally over the Hudson and from here I can
0:11:47 > 0:11:50admire the broad estuary.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54This also gives me my last glimpse of my beloved, so exciting,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58New York City, before I head on upriver.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10And it's the Metro North Railroad that will carry me onwards.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22I shall be leaving this train at Tarrytown.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Appletons' tells me that it takes its chief interest from its
0:12:25 > 0:12:30association with the life and writings of Washington Irving.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Nearby are some of the scenes of his happiest fancies,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38including the immortal story, Sleepy Hollow.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42I shall be interested to see how inspired this great figure
0:12:42 > 0:12:47of 19th-century American literature was by the grandiose scenery
0:12:47 > 0:12:48of the Hudson Valley.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Just before my stop, crossing the Hudson at one of its widest
0:13:08 > 0:13:11points is the Tappan Zee Bridge.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17The name comes from one of the area's American Indian tribes,
0:13:17 > 0:13:22known as the Tappan, and zee, Dutch for sea - reflecting both
0:13:22 > 0:13:27indigenous inhabitants and the first settlers of New York state.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Both groups would inspire the first true American writer,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35who named New York City "Gotham" and whose characters would later be
0:13:35 > 0:13:39brought to life by stars like Johnny Depp.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- TANNOY:- Please watch the gap between the train and the platform.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I'm making my way to his house - once a site popular with
0:13:59 > 0:14:03tourists escaping the city - with the help of my guidebook.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Washington Irving was born into a wealthy Manhattan merchant
0:14:08 > 0:14:13family on April 3rd, 1783, at about the same time that the city's
0:14:13 > 0:14:18residents learned of the ceasefire that heralded American independence
0:14:18 > 0:14:22and so he was named after the hero of the day - George Washington.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32At Irving's home, I'm meeting literary scholar Michael Lord.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Michael, Washington Irving built his house in a lovely spot,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44but tell me, what's his place in the American heart, would you say?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47I'd say that Washington Irving was the first writer of any
0:14:47 > 0:14:51sort in America to gain any respect, especially throughout Europe.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Europeans saw most Americans as perhaps country farmers
0:14:55 > 0:14:57without much of an education.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00And Irving, I think, changed their minds a little bit.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04He achieved that not from this beautiful veranda but from Europe.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10In 1815, Irving went to England in an attempt to save
0:15:10 > 0:15:13the family business.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15I'd say he wrote most of his important works
0:15:15 > 0:15:17while he was in Europe.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19The Sketchbook Of Geoffrey Crayon
0:15:19 > 0:15:23and this is where he introduces us to Rip Van Winkle,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25as well as Tales Of The Alhambra.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28He is travelling across the continent, picking up little
0:15:28 > 0:15:31short stories, lots of information on folktales and legends
0:15:31 > 0:15:35and applying them to a new American setting.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38So, The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow is a mixture of old German folktales
0:15:38 > 0:15:42set here and this is where, I believe, Europeans and Americans
0:15:42 > 0:15:47really begin to both take interest in the stories that he is creating.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49When he comes back to the United States, then,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51does he find that he has become famous?
0:15:51 > 0:15:54He is treated almost like royalty when he comes back to New York
0:15:54 > 0:15:59in 1832, where he is wined and dined and feted in the city.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01He is actually offered to be the Mayor of New York,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03which he politely turns down.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06He is probably, arguably anyway,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08America's largest celebrity at that time.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Hugely successful as an author,
0:16:12 > 0:16:17Washington Irving put down roots in Tarrytown, New York, in 1835,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20at the cottage he named Sunnyside.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30I understand why he built his house on the banks of the Hudson,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34but why in front of the railway line?
0:16:34 > 0:16:36It doesn't make a lot of sense to have that train so close,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39but when Irving purchases the land here,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43this is 1835 and the railway is 12 years off into the future.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45He had no idea that he was going to end up with
0:16:45 > 0:16:47tracks in the front of his house.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50This is an American romantic who embraces nature
0:16:50 > 0:16:52and loves nature and, all of a sudden, this machine
0:16:52 > 0:16:56comes into the garden and he was quite upset about it.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59What do we know about how upset he was?
0:16:59 > 0:17:03We have several letters attesting to the fact that he was quite
0:17:03 > 0:17:05unhappy about this.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10We know that, in 1847, he writes to a nephew of his, he says,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12"If the Garden of Eden were now on Earth,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15"they would not hesitate to run a railroad through it."
0:17:15 > 0:17:16Wow. He was angry.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Even a couple of years later,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20after the railroad actually had come through,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22he pens off a note in 1850.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26He says, "Excuse me for not answering sooner your kind letter.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28"It found me in a terrible state of shattered nerves,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31"having been startled out of my sleep by the infernal alarum
0:17:31 > 0:17:33"of your railroad steam trumpet."
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I must say, while I've been here I have noticed that your engineers,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39what we call train drivers, do like to use their horns a lot.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Apparently, Irving felt the same way that you did
0:17:41 > 0:17:44because even in the same letter he writes,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47"I remain sleepless until daybreak, miserable all the following day.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50"It seemed to me almost as if done on purpose."
0:17:50 > 0:17:54One of our best-known writers had a phobia of trains,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57having been involved in a very nasty railway accident,
0:17:57 > 0:17:58Charles Dickens.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00He travelled a lot in the United States.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02I'm wondering, did he meet Washington Irving?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Dickens travelled here to New York around 1842,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07met Irving while he was in New York City.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10They wined and dined and they walked around the town,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13and Irving and Dickens stayed close for the rest of their lives.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16And I can rather imagine that when they dined,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19they raised their glasses and the toast was, "Down with the train."
0:18:19 > 0:18:21I imagine you are right.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Just north of Irving's home is the village
0:18:35 > 0:18:40that inspired his most quintessentially American work,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48Its combination of romance and horror made it a bestseller...
0:18:50 > 0:18:53..and it's still often retold at Halloween.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56"And the peculiar character of its inhabitants,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59"who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03"this sequestered glen has long been known
0:19:03 > 0:19:06"by the name of Sleepy Hollow."
0:19:07 > 0:19:12It's the ghoulish story of an unlikely hero, Ichabod Crane,
0:19:12 > 0:19:17and his mysterious disappearance at the hands of a headless horseman.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21"The stories of Brouwer, of Bones, and a whole budget of others,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23"were called to mind
0:19:23 > 0:19:26"and when they had diligently considered them all
0:19:26 > 0:19:29"and compared them with the symptoms of the present case,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32"they shook their heads and came to the conclusion
0:19:32 > 0:19:37"that Ichabod had been carried off by the Galloping Hessian."
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Ooh. Scary stuff!
0:19:43 > 0:19:45LAUGHTER
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Today my route continues along the eastern bank of the Hudson,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03America's River, to Garrison, New York.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12In contrast to the tranquil landscape,
0:20:12 > 0:20:17Appletons' informs me that this area witnessed many stormy fights
0:20:17 > 0:20:21between guerrillas on both sides during the War of Independence.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29Because across the water is a site of such strategic importance
0:20:29 > 0:20:32that General George Washington described it
0:20:32 > 0:20:34as the Gibraltar of the continent.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36"West Point",
0:20:36 > 0:20:40says Appletons', "is one of the most attractive places on the river
0:20:40 > 0:20:42"and the seat of the National Military Academy,
0:20:42 > 0:20:48"which occupies a broad plateau 175 feet above the river.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51"The grounds are tastefully laid out, containing fine monuments
0:20:51 > 0:20:53"and commanding pleasant views."
0:20:53 > 0:20:57For me to obtain my objective, I must cross the mighty Hudson
0:20:57 > 0:21:02and scale the heights, which, as any cadet at the academy could
0:21:02 > 0:21:04tell you, are perilous manoeuvres.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Fortunately, my guidebook suggests a delightful excursion may be
0:21:11 > 0:21:13made by taking the morning boat.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18All clear the dock.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21So I'm following 19th-century travellers to cross
0:21:21 > 0:21:24the Hudson in style aboard this paddleboat.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33During America's War of Independence, Benedict Arnold,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35a man whose conduct was to prove unbecoming
0:21:35 > 0:21:37to an officer and a gentleman,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41took charge of the military fortifications here.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45The story of his plan to betray his countrymen to the British
0:21:45 > 0:21:47is inextricably bound to this river.
0:21:49 > 0:21:50And at the time of my Appletons',
0:21:50 > 0:21:53he lived on in the national consciousness
0:21:53 > 0:21:56as America's greatest turncoat,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00but crewmember Norman Stellefson has rather a different take.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Benedict Arnold was probably one of the best generals that we had.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11The only thing was, he never got credit for anything he did
0:22:11 > 0:22:14so he could never get the promotion.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Nevertheless, the under-promoted Arnold distinguished himself
0:22:18 > 0:22:20in the fight for American independence,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24including at the critical Battle of Saratoga in 1777.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29He was shot twice in his leg and it was really bad,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32but he looked and he saw that the battle was not going very well,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34so he jumped onto a white horse,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37went out there and he actually changed the battle
0:22:37 > 0:22:40around and then they won the battle.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42So you think that Benedict Arnold was actually
0:22:42 > 0:22:44an American revolutionary hero?
0:22:44 > 0:22:46I'd say he was, absolutely.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49With such severe injuries to his leg,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Arnold's combat career was over.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Embittered, in 1780, he was made superintendent of West Point.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00He was so disgusted the way they treated him
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and everything else,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05that he did pull a lot of stuff that was not legal.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09He had a ship of his own and they were bringing stuff in.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14They used the army wagons to bring the stuff in and everything,
0:23:14 > 0:23:19any fabulous dancers and everything else. He really lived it up high.
0:23:19 > 0:23:20And he liked money.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24And when he met British major John Andre,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Arnold's greed got the better of him.
0:23:27 > 0:23:33He made plans to surrender West Point in exchange for £20,000.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Andre had to cross the little bridge.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38That's when he got stopped and they searched him,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41and they found the plans in his boot.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44But when Benedict Arnold saw what happened to Andre, he said,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46"I've got to get out of here."
0:23:46 > 0:23:50He jumped on his horse and went down to the British ship, the Vulture,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52and got on it and got away.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56What do Americans think of Benedict Arnold today?
0:23:56 > 0:23:58A lot of people, as soon as they hear Benedict, they go,
0:23:58 > 0:23:59"Traitor, traitor."
0:23:59 > 0:24:02But they don't really realise what I just told you.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04You'd be a traitor, too,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06if no matter what you did,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08you never got credit for it.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10That's terrible.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Pulling in on the starboard side.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22West Point has produced
0:24:22 > 0:24:26some of the greatest generals in American history.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30Today, the United States Military Academy continues to train
0:24:30 > 0:24:33commissioned army officers.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35OFFICERS SHOUT RESPONSE
0:24:35 > 0:24:36I can't hear you.
0:24:36 > 0:24:37OFFICERS SHOUT RESPONSE
0:24:37 > 0:24:43Alumni and current cadets are known collectively as The Long Gray Line.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Exercise, one, two, three.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53With 4,400 cadets in residence,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55this bridge becomes pretty busy
0:24:55 > 0:24:57when classes are changing.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Amongst these faces there could be future generals,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03people who one day will be household names
0:25:03 > 0:25:08and, since West Point boasts two former occupants of the White House,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11some of them might be a future president.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17West Point played a key role in the American War of Independence.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21The Hudson passed between the northern and southern colonies.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25The revolutionaries had to cross it with munitions and men.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29The river also provided a potential invasion route for the British
0:25:29 > 0:25:31moving down from Canada.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34In the spring of 1778,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38the revolutionaries stretched one of the longest and largest chains
0:25:38 > 0:25:42ever forged across the river at West Point
0:25:42 > 0:25:44and for the remainder of the war,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47prevented British ships from sailing upriver.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52At the monument to this impenetrable piece of military engineering,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56I'm meeting historian Lieutenant Colonel Sherman Fleek.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Here we have the 13 original links of the chain.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02The 13 links represent the 13 colonies.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06- Each link weighed about 85lb. - Ooh, let me try that.- Go ahead.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09Whoa!
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- Just about.- So, 65 tonnes, 1,700 feet long.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17- And with this you kept the Royal Navy at bay.- Yes, sir, we did.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23With their giant chain in place,
0:26:23 > 0:26:28the revolutionaries foiled British ambitions to cut their forces in two.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34The Americans secured independence in 1783.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Sherman, when does it become a military academy, then?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42So, the academy was established in 1802
0:26:42 > 0:26:46under the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, our third president.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47There had been some debate for years
0:26:47 > 0:26:50whether we should have a military academy here or not,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53which runs counter to the principles and values
0:26:53 > 0:26:55of the American Revolution
0:26:55 > 0:26:57because of the fear of standing armies.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01American attitudes to the military have changed remarkably
0:27:01 > 0:27:03since the 18th century.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Today, the armed forces are seen by many Americans
0:27:06 > 0:27:09as key to their national identity,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12but the Founding Fathers thought back to repression by the British,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16associating a standing army with tyranny
0:27:16 > 0:27:18and a potential threat to their hard-won liberty.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26Who is the guiding spirit who establishes the Military Academy
0:27:26 > 0:27:27as it is today?
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Without a doubt, the father of the Academy is Sylvanus Thayer.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34He became the superintendent in 1817.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37He changed everything. He introduced officership, dedication,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39duty, responsibility.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43He introduced engineering as a strong proponent.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45This school was the very first engineering school
0:27:45 > 0:27:47in the United States.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50With that expertise, West Point graduates
0:27:50 > 0:27:54played a key role in the development of America's railroads.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58So, by the time of the Civil War,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00there was more railroads in the north
0:28:00 > 0:28:02than the rest of the world combined.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05By 1861, West Pointers had helped to lay
0:28:05 > 0:28:10approximately two-thirds of the 31,000 miles of track in America.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15At the outbreak of hostilities, with the nation divided,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18the American Civil War was set to become
0:28:18 > 0:28:21the first railway war in history.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25The American Civil War is a watershed event in our history,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27without a doubt.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30It came close to almost destroying this nation.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33304 graduates, some of our best people,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35went and fought for the Confederacy.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Not only is it father against son and brother against brother,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40but it's classmate against classmate
0:28:40 > 0:28:44and now all of a sudden they are thrown into this devilish war
0:28:44 > 0:28:46where they are fighting each other.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49It was heart-rendering. It would just tear you apart.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55The Civil War imposed a heavy death toll on both sides
0:28:55 > 0:28:57and was so divisive that it threatened
0:28:57 > 0:28:59the survival of West Point.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04One time during the war, and twice after the war,
0:29:04 > 0:29:08West Point was accused of being a nest of traitors
0:29:08 > 0:29:13because of the 304 graduates who fought for the Confederacy.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16It was seen by the US Congress that West Point was
0:29:16 > 0:29:21a den of treachery, where these graduates that we funded
0:29:21 > 0:29:25and paid for. Robert E Lee, 31 years on active duty as a colonel,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29all of a sudden, when we needed him, he turned sides against us.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31And so they wanted to end West Point.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Congress didn't get its way
0:29:38 > 0:29:40and West Point went on to produce
0:29:40 > 0:29:43some of the finest military leaders in history.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Generals like Patton,
0:29:46 > 0:29:47MacArthur
0:29:47 > 0:29:49and Eisenhower.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10The Westpoint Hotel, says my guidebook, is an excellent house.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14It was rebuilt in the 1920s and named after Sylvanus Thayer,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16the father of the military academy.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20Before that it had hosted generals like Stonewall Jackson,
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Ulysses S Grant and Robert E Lee and so, as I enter,
0:30:23 > 0:30:29I'm following in the bootsteps of some of the major figures of US military history.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11You can see why the River Hudson would be compared to the Rhine
0:31:11 > 0:31:14and, like the Rhine, the trains run along the bank.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16But according to Appletons',
0:31:16 > 0:31:19no European river is as lordly in its bearing.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23And over the centuries, Americans have drawn a great deal of pride
0:31:23 > 0:31:25from their distinctive landscape.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28I think it's time for me to explore further
0:31:28 > 0:31:31by moving upstream and upstate.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Today I'm heading to Poughkeepsie.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49From there I will continue north to Rhinecliff,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53where I'll cross the Hudson to the Catskill Mountains before
0:31:53 > 0:31:55finishing in the state capital, Albany.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14I shall be leaving this train at Poughkeepsie.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Appletons' tells me that it's the largest city
0:32:17 > 0:32:20between New York and Albany.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25"It has no fewer than eight important educational institutions,
0:32:25 > 0:32:29"including Vassar College - one of the leading female colleges
0:32:29 > 0:32:31"in the world."
0:32:31 > 0:32:34How interesting that, from the middle of the 19th century,
0:32:34 > 0:32:38American women could enjoy higher education
0:32:38 > 0:32:39of exceptional quality.
0:32:53 > 0:32:59Founded less than 20 years before my guidebook was published,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Vassar College had an unlikely benefactor.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06English-born Matthew Vassar had no formal education.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10He'd made his fortune from beer, with his brewery, like many others,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13thriving on the banks of the Hudson.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17With no heirs, Vassar decided to immortalise his name
0:33:17 > 0:33:21with an institution and boldly founded a university for women
0:33:21 > 0:33:25to rival the men's Ivy League colleges.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29Now co-educational, as a women's college, Vassar
0:33:29 > 0:33:33counted Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Meryl Streep amongst its former students
0:33:33 > 0:33:37and had attracted illustrious women at the time of my Appletons'.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41In the observatory named after Maria Mitchell,
0:33:41 > 0:33:45I'm meeting astronomy professor Debbie Elmgreen.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46- Hello, Debbie.- Hiya, Michael.
0:33:46 > 0:33:47Good to see you.
0:33:47 > 0:33:52I just wonder, how quickly did Vassar have an observatory?
0:33:52 > 0:33:54It was the first building on campus.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57That's extraordinary. Why was that so?
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Matthew Vassar had a vision that he wanted women to be educated
0:34:00 > 0:34:02just as men were and, 20 years earlier,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Maria Mitchell had been awarded a gold medal
0:34:05 > 0:34:07from the King of Denmark for discovering a comet through
0:34:07 > 0:34:10a telescope and that made a worldwide impact,
0:34:10 > 0:34:11so everyone knew about her.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13She was America's first woman astronomer
0:34:13 > 0:34:17and so he lured her to Vassar to be one of the first professors,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19and built the first observatory for her.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22And what was she like as a teacher of her students?
0:34:22 > 0:34:24She was famous for getting students up beyond their curfew
0:34:24 > 0:34:27and getting them up in the middle of the night to observe an object.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30The only problem is that Poughkeepsie skies
0:34:30 > 0:34:31are not research grade skies.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Because you have too much light.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Because we have too much light and too unstable an atmosphere.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40Did Maria Mitchell take her students further afield?
0:34:40 > 0:34:45She had two famous expeditions cross-country in the late 1800s.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49So 1869, 1878, she took a handful of girls by train
0:34:49 > 0:34:51to see total solar eclipses
0:34:51 > 0:34:54and this was obviously very pioneering.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57She went to one in Iowa and another in Denver.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00Poughkeepsie, New York to Denver, Colorado is quite a long train ride.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Couple of thousand miles, yeah.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Here were these young women, who were in the field
0:35:05 > 0:35:09with their long dresses, with chronometers measuring the eclipse.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11One of her mottos was,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13"Don't learn it from a book, learn it by doing it."
0:35:13 > 0:35:14And we still do that today.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Heading back to the Hudson, I'm struck by the natural beauty
0:35:22 > 0:35:26of this impressive 300-mile-long river.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28and by the prowess of the engineers who
0:35:28 > 0:35:33in so many places along its course managed to span its awesome width.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38This is the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43It was the first to link the eastern and western shores of the river.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48And thus, New York City to the growing American railroad network.
0:35:48 > 0:35:53Opened in 1888, with a span of close to 7,000 feet,
0:35:53 > 0:35:57it was a technological wonder of its time.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01It burnt down in 1974 and lay abandoned for nearly two decades.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Then, in 2009, it rose from the ashes
0:36:07 > 0:36:10as this delightful pedestrian walkway.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19It is the longest elevated walkway in the world.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22It was once the longest bridge in the world
0:36:22 > 0:36:25and the first to be built across the Hudson.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Having come to know a little bit about this mighty river,
0:36:28 > 0:36:33I'm struck that I can, at a height of 212 feet,
0:36:33 > 0:36:37cross it using just the power of my own two feet.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45My route continues back across the Hudson, at Poughkeepsie,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48where I pick up my journey northwards to Rhinecliff.
0:36:54 > 0:36:55Thank you very much.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05At the time of my guidebook, many travellers would have been
0:37:05 > 0:37:07making their way west to the wilderness
0:37:07 > 0:37:08of the Catskill Mountains.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17"The Catskills," says Appletons',
0:37:17 > 0:37:22"are part of the great Appalachian mountain chain.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26"They follow the course of the Hudson River for 20 or 30 miles.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30"They present a multitude of picturesque objects
0:37:30 > 0:37:34"and Indian traditions single them out as the favourite dwelling place
0:37:34 > 0:37:36"of spirits."
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Thanks to that usual American combination of a tycoon
0:37:40 > 0:37:42and brilliant railroad engineers,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45we can enjoy them by train.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46All aboard!
0:37:49 > 0:37:51- Hello, Earl!- Hello there, Michael, how are you?
0:37:51 > 0:37:53- Good to see you. - Great to see you, too.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Thank you, Tom, we're ready to go.
0:37:55 > 0:37:56- OK!- Wow.
0:37:56 > 0:37:57Take it west, little Tom.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00HORN BLARES
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Today, small sections of the numerous lines
0:38:03 > 0:38:07that once crisscrossed the area run as heritage railways
0:38:07 > 0:38:12and are looked after by enthusiasts like Earl Pardini.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Earl, my Appletons' tells me that the Catskills contain wild country
0:38:16 > 0:38:19and are a favourite place for artists,
0:38:19 > 0:38:22but I don't suppose that's why they built a railroad here. Why did they?
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Well, it's really interesting, Michael.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28The reason they charted this railroad originally
0:38:28 > 0:38:30was to tan hides.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34The Catskill Mountains were covered with hemlocks and red oak,
0:38:34 > 0:38:38and the bark from those trees made tannic acid
0:38:38 > 0:38:40and, would you believe it,
0:38:40 > 0:38:42when you look around at the Catskills Mountains
0:38:42 > 0:38:43and you see all these trees here,
0:38:43 > 0:38:47around 1890, this place was clear-cut, clear-cut!
0:38:47 > 0:38:50When they cut down all these trees, they had all that lumber
0:38:50 > 0:38:54and that ended up going to New York to build the metropolitan area.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57By the time they got the railroad completed enough,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00they also developed chrome tanning
0:39:00 > 0:39:02and the whole tanning thing went away.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05By the mid-19th century,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08the abundant natural resources of this area gave rise to tourism.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Of course, the cities at that time were all coal-fired
0:39:14 > 0:39:19and pollution was just horrible, especially in the summertime,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23so that people were looking for a place to go and, of course,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25we had this beautiful clean air here.
0:39:27 > 0:39:28As a young nation,
0:39:28 > 0:39:33the United States lacked very old buildings for tourists to visit.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36The dramatic landscapes of the Catskill Mountains
0:39:36 > 0:39:40and the Hudson River became America's castles and cathedrals.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46At its peak, which was around 1913,
0:39:46 > 0:39:50670,000 people rode this railroad in one summer.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52That is amazing.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54There were nine trains a day in each direction.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Prior to the railroad,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58it was a half a day's journey to get from Kingston
0:39:58 > 0:40:00to where we are here right now,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03and all of a sudden, with the railroad, it became an hour's trip.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05HORN BLARES
0:40:05 > 0:40:09So, in the industrial era, thanks to the railways,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12this area wasn't quite the wild frontier.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Having enjoyed the heritage railroad,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22I find that 21st-century tourists can appreciate
0:40:22 > 0:40:25the Catskill Mountains on a different sort of line.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30- Hello, are you Brad? - I am. Hi, Michael. Welcome.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Very good to see you. You're going to get me harnessed up, are you?
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- I am. Are you ready for this? - Yes.- All right.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39- Largest head you've had here for a while.- It is, actually.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42- Oh!- Is that too much?- No, no. Just, you know, just feels
0:40:42 > 0:40:44a little like a mediaeval torture. It's fine.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47- Do you feel OK? - I feel fine.- All right.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Oh, my goodness. Oh!
0:40:49 > 0:40:50Don't make any mistakes.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52One, two, three.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56One, two, see, four.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58All right, now you are good to go.
0:40:58 > 0:40:59Thank you very much.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02I personally would always choose a railway line,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04but for a view that you wouldn't get from a train
0:41:04 > 0:41:06and that artists would have died for,
0:41:06 > 0:41:08it has to be the zip line.
0:41:08 > 0:41:09Ah!
0:41:09 > 0:41:12For this you need cat skills!
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Whoa!
0:41:15 > 0:41:16Argh!
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Argh!
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Aah! Whoa!
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Ah!
0:41:31 > 0:41:35I'm making my way back to the river at the village of Catskill -
0:41:35 > 0:41:38site of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Built with supplies brought upstream,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43with the help of a temporary narrow gauge railway,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47it was named in 1935 after a character created by
0:41:47 > 0:41:51the great American writer Washington Irving.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53Irving declared,
0:41:53 > 0:41:55"Of all the scenery of the Hudson,
0:41:55 > 0:41:59"the Catskill Mountains have the most witching effect
0:41:59 > 0:42:01"on my boyish imagination."
0:42:04 > 0:42:08Overlooking the river is the studio of an American artist
0:42:08 > 0:42:11who was mesmerised by this landscape -
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Thomas Cole -
0:42:13 > 0:42:15and there I meet art historian Keith Lebel.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20So, this is a wonderfully preserved studio of Thomas Cole.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24How did he paint? How did he represent the Hudson Valley?
0:42:24 > 0:42:28Well, his first trip was spent hiking in the mountains, sketching,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32really trying to capture a certain realism of the American landscape.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35When he went back to his studio to finish the paintings,
0:42:35 > 0:42:37he had completed a series of works to capture
0:42:37 > 0:42:40the natural beauty and grandeur of the environment.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43And this then was quite influential on others, I believe?
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Others followed in his wake?
0:42:45 > 0:42:48For sure. Cole is thought to be the founder
0:42:48 > 0:42:51of the Hudson River School, which is a term that we use
0:42:51 > 0:42:55to associate people like Frederic Church and Jasper Cropsey,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59other artists who followed Cole's philosophy of nature
0:42:59 > 0:43:03and how to look at America and paint it truthfully.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06So when Cole begins in 1825,
0:43:06 > 0:43:10I suppose that it is a pretty virgin landscape,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14but then I've seen how much tourism there has been in this area,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18- I assume it begins to change as those others follow him.- For sure.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Industry comes up the Hudson Valley,
0:43:20 > 0:43:24the trains bring corporations, tanneries,
0:43:24 > 0:43:26people are altering the landscape
0:43:26 > 0:43:29to make the most of the natural resources,
0:43:29 > 0:43:31and this was problematic for Cole.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Cole himself made selective edits to his paintings
0:43:34 > 0:43:36at the beginning of his career.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41He would omit, very deliberately, signs of mankind.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44It was this romanticised landscape
0:43:44 > 0:43:48that late-19th-century tourists had come to enjoy.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52Do you think the Hudson River School plays an important part
0:43:52 > 0:43:58- in establishing national culture, self-consciousness?- Yes, absolutely.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00People like Thomas Cole
0:44:00 > 0:44:03painted scenes from the wilderness
0:44:03 > 0:44:05to legitimate the American landscape.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09They would often paint views of natural land farms
0:44:09 > 0:44:13that became tourist destinations in their own right.
0:44:13 > 0:44:18It encouraged people to go out and see the landscape for themselves,
0:44:18 > 0:44:22and to experience everything the nation had to offer.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26Having experienced a little of this landscape for myself,
0:44:26 > 0:44:29I too am inspired.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31Excuse me disturbing you. Hello.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34- Hello.- My name's Michael.- Katruen. Nice to meet you.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37- Hello.- Helena. Nice to meet you.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39I find you in the shadow of Thomas Cole's house
0:44:39 > 0:44:43- and I find you painting.- Yes.- Are you inspired by Thomas Cole?- Yes.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46I think everyone that works at the site is,
0:44:46 > 0:44:48I think that's why we're drawn to it.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50The area's beautiful and he captured the American wilderness
0:44:50 > 0:44:53like no other painter has.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56- I believe you teach children how to paint?- Yes.- Yes.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59Well, you've got a large child with you now. LAUGHTER
0:44:59 > 0:45:02So how should I set about depicting that tall, straight tree there?
0:45:02 > 0:45:05Thomas Cole would first start with the drawing,
0:45:05 > 0:45:09and he would actually write notes in there to himself to remind himself of the details,
0:45:09 > 0:45:11and then he would go back home and paint.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14So, the important thing with working like Thomas Cole
0:45:14 > 0:45:16is that he always observed from nature.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19Is there something particularly American
0:45:19 > 0:45:22about Cole, about this landscape?
0:45:22 > 0:45:26I know for many people Thomas Cole's landscapes are particularly American
0:45:26 > 0:45:30because they have this wild aspect to them that you don't often see in European landscapes,
0:45:30 > 0:45:35because Europe was just much more developed than America was when Thomas Cole was working here.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38How do you think the Hudson River School is regarded in America today?
0:45:38 > 0:45:40Well, it's definitely widely regarded
0:45:40 > 0:45:43as the first great American art movement,
0:45:43 > 0:45:45so it has a lasting influence.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48I believe that Americans are in that point right now
0:45:48 > 0:45:53where they're pulling back to Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School of thought,
0:45:53 > 0:45:55cos it wasn't just painting,
0:45:55 > 0:45:59going back to that to try to form a stronger American identity
0:45:59 > 0:46:02when so many things are being challenged today.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05I'm never going to capture the beauty of this landscape.
0:46:08 > 0:46:13But, as I end my day, it's definitely made its impression.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28I'm on the final leg of my journey north through upstate New York.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57I shall be leaving this train at Albany,
0:46:57 > 0:47:01which Appletons' tells me is the capital of New York State.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05Founded by the Dutch as a trading post in 1614,
0:47:05 > 0:47:07and next to Jamestown in Virginia,
0:47:07 > 0:47:10it was the earliest European settlement
0:47:10 > 0:47:13in the original 13 states.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17Its present name was given to it in 1664
0:47:17 > 0:47:23in honour of the Duke of York and Albany, who was later King James II.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27It's very often the case in the USA that a state's capital
0:47:27 > 0:47:30is not its biggest or best-known city,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33and Albany, New York fits the pattern.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45Albany became capital in 1797
0:47:45 > 0:47:49and industry boomed thanks to its prime location.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53The city also led the way in the new age of transport.
0:47:53 > 0:47:59In 1831, one of America's earliest railroads, the Mohawk and Hudson,
0:47:59 > 0:48:03ran north-west from Albany to Schenectady.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07One of the first steam locomotives ever built in the United States
0:48:07 > 0:48:10ran on this line, the Dewitt Clinton,
0:48:10 > 0:48:13named after an early governor of New York state.
0:48:13 > 0:48:18An industry which helped the affluence of the state was brewing,
0:48:18 > 0:48:23so I've arranged to have a beer with ale historian Craig Gravina.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25Albany has a great location.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28It's right on the Hudson River, it's not too far from the Mohawk River,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31which allows you to be able to get into the interior of the state.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35And it's really perfectly positioned in the Appalachian mountain range,
0:48:35 > 0:48:40where it's the only break in that mountain range to get to the Great Lakes.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43In the 1820s, they built the Erie Canal
0:48:43 > 0:48:46and it perfectly positions Albany to bring grain and hops
0:48:46 > 0:48:49from central and western New York into Albany.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51The beer is made in town
0:48:51 > 0:48:54and then it's shipped down to the port of New York
0:48:54 > 0:48:58and all over the world. We've seen that Albany Ale, by the 1850s,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01is being shipped to Honolulu, Hawaii,
0:49:01 > 0:49:04we've seen it in Newfoundland,
0:49:04 > 0:49:07we've seen reference to it in Buenos Aires.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09I'm using a guide book from 1879,
0:49:09 > 0:49:12would Albany still have been dominant by then?
0:49:12 > 0:49:16That would be the decline of the brewing industry.
0:49:16 > 0:49:17During the American Civil War,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19you have the Union Army and the Confederate Army
0:49:19 > 0:49:21building railroads all over the country.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25When small little hamlets and villages can get ingredients
0:49:25 > 0:49:30in and out easily, be it beer or ingredients to make beer,
0:49:30 > 0:49:32you don't have that lock any more.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36By the time of my Appletons',
0:49:36 > 0:49:40there were nearly 90,000 miles of railroad in the United States.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44The tracks had created a national economy
0:49:44 > 0:49:47and heralded the end of Albany's ale monopoly.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51So, in the 19th century, if I'd asked for Albany Ale, what would that have been?
0:49:51 > 0:49:54It would've been strong, first off, and it would have been fairly light.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58It would've been mildly hopped, it would be the equivalent
0:49:58 > 0:50:01of what today might be considered an English light mild.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04- Well, I wouldn't mind tasting some of that. - I think we can make that happen.
0:50:04 > 0:50:10At this microbrewery, they're bringing back the glory days of Albany Ale
0:50:10 > 0:50:13under master brewer Ryan Demler.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16So now is when we get into the fun and messy bit.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20If you would be so kind as to tap the cask for us so we could try it.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22And why is that messy?
0:50:22 > 0:50:24Erm, I mean, you know, if it's not well-vented,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27you might get a little bit of a beer shower.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29- You look ready to take a shower, it's a hot day.- Would you...?
0:50:29 > 0:50:32- I'm standing back here.- Would you mind holding on to that?- Absolutely.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34OK.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41- Ready, everybody?- As we'll ever be.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45Hey!
0:50:45 > 0:50:48- All right.- Right! - TAPPING
0:50:48 > 0:50:52- Job done.- Perfect.- Thank you very much.- You're very welcome.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Now, what do you call this lovely brew?
0:50:55 > 0:51:00We're calling this one, in honour of you coming down here, Albany Railroad Ale.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02- Thank you. Cheers.- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10Wow! That is strong!
0:51:10 > 0:51:1480 years after my Appletons' was published,
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Albany was in decline.
0:51:16 > 0:51:21To galvanise the city, the then state governor, Nelson Rockefeller,
0:51:21 > 0:51:23dramatically altered the skyline.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29This is his Empire State Plaza,
0:51:29 > 0:51:32a complex of state government buildings
0:51:32 > 0:51:35in the international style,
0:51:35 > 0:51:39inspired in part by the architecture of Brasilia.
0:51:39 > 0:51:44Costing 2 billion, it was designed on this massive scale
0:51:44 > 0:51:47to be appreciated from across the Hudson.
0:51:48 > 0:51:54Albany was also engaged in a grand building project at the time of my guidebook.
0:51:54 > 0:52:00Published in 1879, my Appletons' tells me that the new capital
0:52:00 > 0:52:05"was began in 1871 and its exterior is nearly finished.
0:52:05 > 0:52:10"When completed, it will be the largest and most splendid edifice in America,
0:52:10 > 0:52:13"except for the federal capital at Washington.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16"It stands on the most elevated ground
0:52:16 > 0:52:20"and will be visible for many miles around."
0:52:20 > 0:52:24With this spectacular building, New York made a statement.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27You might call it assertive,
0:52:27 > 0:52:31some other envious states might have called it arrogant.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37In fact, Albany had good reason to be boastful.
0:52:37 > 0:52:41It was one of America's oldest and most prosperous cities
0:52:41 > 0:52:44and, in 1754, it had hosted a conference
0:52:44 > 0:52:49at which a proposal formally to unite the colonies was discussed.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53A president and Grand Council of Representatives was suggested,
0:52:53 > 0:52:58and each colony was to retain its own independent legislature.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00Although not implemented at the time,
0:53:00 > 0:53:03it's not unlike the political system
0:53:03 > 0:53:07that the United States of America would adopt.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14This is called the Million Dollar Staircase
0:53:14 > 0:53:16because that's what it cost.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Are you shocked?
0:53:18 > 0:53:22Well, I believe in spending big money on a building that represents
0:53:22 > 0:53:25a state or a nation.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29I think good public architecture lifts the spirit of the people,
0:53:29 > 0:53:34and a fine building like this can last for centuries.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42As a former politician, I look forward to comparing notes
0:53:42 > 0:53:46with New York State Senator Democrat Neil Breslin and his staff.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50- You haven't met Michael.- Hello. - Hi, I'm Kate. Nice to meet you.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Good to see you, Kate.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56What...? Are you in charge of constituents or legislation?
0:53:56 > 0:53:59- What's your bailiwick?- I am the Senator's community liaison.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Now, Neil and I are a rather similar generation.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Does Neil get in there on Twitter and Facebook?
0:54:05 > 0:54:08Oh, yeah. He has a Twitter account, a Facebook account,
0:54:08 > 0:54:12- a LinkedIn account. - I'm proud of you.- Yeah.- Yeah. - LAUGHTER
0:54:12 > 0:54:14I never got my head round that stuff.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16- How do you do?- Good, Michael.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19So what kind of legislation's on the boil at the moment?
0:54:19 > 0:54:23You know, the Senator was responsible for insurance and healthcare and education.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26- And I think Neil has a background in insurance, don't you? - That's correct.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29So is that what you particularly enjoy legislating about?
0:54:29 > 0:54:32So I've been in insurance in the Senate for 18 years.
0:54:32 > 0:54:37- That's a bit awkward because the Senator may know more than the staffer?- Yeah, he does.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39LAUGHTER
0:54:39 > 0:54:42- Or at least that's what Evan is saying now. - LAUGHTER
0:54:42 > 0:54:44- Appropriately.- Yes.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47Although my guidebook looked forward
0:54:47 > 0:54:50to this building soon being completed,
0:54:50 > 0:54:53in fact, it would take a further 20 years.
0:54:53 > 0:55:00It was opened in 1899 by Theodore Roosevelt, then the state governor.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04The lavish decoration in the Senate Chamber
0:55:04 > 0:55:07is perhaps a clue as to why it took so long.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14Now something that rather puzzles me, cos I used to be in your business as well,
0:55:14 > 0:55:17for European viewers it may be a bit difficult to understand,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20what do the states do and what does the federal government do?
0:55:20 > 0:55:24I think it's best described by saying each of the 50 states
0:55:24 > 0:55:28does what they think is best for their state
0:55:28 > 0:55:31and the federal government generally leaves them alone,
0:55:31 > 0:55:34unless there's some compelling national interest
0:55:34 > 0:55:37that allows the federal government to act.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40With New York State, you have New York City, upstate,
0:55:40 > 0:55:44we're a lot different than other states in terms of our philosophy,
0:55:44 > 0:55:46we're much more liberal,
0:55:46 > 0:55:51so we can have laws passed that reflect the population,
0:55:51 > 0:55:53and I think a good example of that
0:55:53 > 0:55:55is marriage equality passed in New York State.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- You were in the vanguard on marriage equality, were you?- That's correct.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01This is a magnificent building, which I found very striking.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04How does it feel to you, coming to work, day by day,
0:56:04 > 0:56:06in this grand place?
0:56:06 > 0:56:10Every day, when I walk in here, it's a monumental day.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12I look around and I go, "My gosh,
0:56:12 > 0:56:15"this is a nice place to be in and a nice place to work."
0:56:15 > 0:56:18And it's nice to bring my grandchildren in here to see it
0:56:18 > 0:56:21- and they view it as a castle. - LAUGHTER
0:56:21 > 0:56:23It does represent the might of New York.
0:56:23 > 0:56:28- I mean, New York just is a very important and powerful state, isn't it?- Right.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31I still believe it's the commercial centre of the world
0:56:31 > 0:56:33and one of the most important states,
0:56:33 > 0:56:34and, if it was a country,
0:56:34 > 0:56:36one of the most important countries in the world.
0:56:42 > 0:56:46That particularly American political, economic
0:56:46 > 0:56:50and cultural power flowed down the Hudson,
0:56:50 > 0:56:52through the Empire State
0:56:52 > 0:56:55and across the world.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59The Hudson River was named after an Englishman
0:56:59 > 0:57:01who was working for the Dutch.
0:57:01 > 0:57:07And New York and Albany draw their names from a British prince,
0:57:07 > 0:57:12yet the Hudson has played a vital role in defining America
0:57:12 > 0:57:14since the moment that revolutionaries
0:57:14 > 0:57:18prevented the Royal Navy from conquering it.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20In that riverscape,
0:57:20 > 0:57:24which my guidebook regards as superior to any in Europe,
0:57:24 > 0:57:31writers and painters developed a distinctive American style.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34And out of the Hudson's waters and hills
0:57:34 > 0:57:40there grew patriotism, national consciousness and self-assurance.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54Next time - I try to keep up with the latest rail technology.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57Can you see there's a little dip in the terrain?
0:57:57 > 0:57:59You've put all the hazards in here, haven't you?
0:57:59 > 0:58:01I land somewhere over the rainbow.
0:58:03 > 0:58:08- And you have a yellow-brick road running all the way through your town.- Yes, we do.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11I'm offered a monster munch in Buffalo.
0:58:11 > 0:58:13They come in increments of 10, 20, 50...
0:58:13 > 0:58:15- 50?!- 50 wings, yeah.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19And end with an awe-inspiring experience.
0:58:21 > 0:58:25Very first thing you see is a great plume of mist.