San Francisco Great American Railroad Journeys


San Francisco

Similar Content

Browse content similar to San Francisco. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

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

0:00:020:00:07

with my faithful Appleton's guide.

0:00:070:00:10

Published in the late 19th century,

0:00:130:00:14

it will direct me to everything that's novel, beautiful...

0:00:140:00:18

..memorable and curious...

0:00:190:00:21

-..in the United States. ALL:

-Yee-ha!

0:00:220:00:25

As I travel through this vast continent, I'll discover gold

0:00:250:00:30

and silver, movies and microchips, oil and oranges,

0:00:300:00:36

and learn how America's most famous railroad

0:00:360:00:39

conquered the wild landscapes of the West.

0:00:390:00:42

I continue to explore San Francisco

0:01:260:01:29

using one of the city's many transport systems.

0:01:290:01:32

These streetcars, not to be confused with the more famous cable cars,

0:01:320:01:37

represent a moving museum of vintage vehicles.

0:01:370:01:41

They've been acquired from far-off places, from Philadelphia,

0:01:410:01:45

Minneapolis, Hamburg, and Milan.

0:01:450:01:48

This one has signs written in Italian.

0:01:480:01:51

They all seem at home here now, in a city whose transport is as diverse

0:01:510:01:56

and exotic as its population.

0:01:560:01:58

My route has taken me over the Sierra Nevada Mountains,

0:02:050:02:09

via the wineries of the Napa Valley

0:02:090:02:12

to today's destination, San Francisco.

0:02:120:02:15

From here, I'll travel inland to the majestic natural beauty of Yosemite

0:02:150:02:20

National Park. I'll return to the Pacific coast, and head south,

0:02:200:02:24

visiting Monterey and San Luis Obispo,

0:02:240:02:27

en route to the City of Angels, Los Angeles.

0:02:270:02:31

My final destination, just north of the Mexican border,

0:02:310:02:35

will be San Diego.

0:02:350:02:37

Today, I begin in San Francisco's famous Chinatown.

0:02:390:02:43

I'll explore the city, before taking in the ocean view at Land's End,

0:02:440:02:49

returning to finish on the calmer waters in San Francisco Bay.

0:02:490:02:53

Along the way, I'm branded with misfortune by a fortune cookie...

0:02:550:02:59

Argh! My hands are burning! Ow! Ow!

0:02:590:03:02

..I learn of an extraordinary 19th century civil rights case...

0:03:030:03:07

It was in all the newspapers that an African-American would have

0:03:070:03:10

the audacity to sue one of the most politically-connected,

0:03:100:03:13

richest families in Northern California for discrimination.

0:03:130:03:16

..and turn my hand to handball.

0:03:160:03:20

I'm going to have a cardiac arrest!

0:03:210:03:24

I'll leave my heart in San Francisco!

0:03:240:03:26

Appleton's tells me that there are about 30,000 Chinese

0:03:590:04:03

in San Francisco.

0:04:030:04:05

In the Chinese quarter, they hold undisputed possession of several

0:04:050:04:10

blocks, and the houses are crammed from sub-cellar to attic.

0:04:100:04:15

Today Chinatown is a major tourist attraction,

0:04:150:04:18

and a culinary hub,

0:04:180:04:20

but I get the impression that in Appleton's day,

0:04:200:04:22

even the Chinese who had built the Transcontinental Railroad

0:04:220:04:26

were not treated well.

0:04:260:04:28

Chinatown is located between the mansions of Nob Hill and the

0:04:560:05:01

financial district, and is the oldest Chinatown in North America,

0:05:010:05:05

dating back to the mid-19th century.

0:05:050:05:08

I've arranged to meet Sue Lee,

0:05:220:05:25

of the Chinese Historical Society of America.

0:05:250:05:28

Sue, here we are in the centre of Chinatown, and yet

0:05:290:05:33

this plaque tells us that the first American flag in San Francisco

0:05:330:05:36

was raised here. Tell me about that.

0:05:360:05:38

Well, in 1846, the US wanted California as a state,

0:05:380:05:43

so John Montgomery of the USS Portsmouth planted the American flag

0:05:430:05:47

here in July 1846 to assert US authority in this territory.

0:05:470:05:53

When were the Chinese first attracted to San Francisco

0:05:530:05:56

-in numbers?

-Large numbers of Chinese began to come to California when

0:05:560:05:59

they heard about the Gold Rush.

0:05:590:06:02

And so the Chinese population exploded in 1851.

0:06:020:06:05

So did they immediately settle in this area?

0:06:050:06:09

This was the part of San Francisco that was closest to where the ships

0:06:090:06:12

landed and so, as the Chinese came off the ships, they would

0:06:120:06:16

come up to Portsmouth Square and they would find lodging around

0:06:160:06:20

the square. So this is where Chinatown began.

0:06:200:06:24

Further waves of Chinese were attracted to build

0:06:240:06:26

the Transcontinental Railroad, is that right?

0:06:260:06:29

The Chinese were recruited to come to build the Central Pacific

0:06:290:06:32

Railroad, which is the western portion of the Transcontinental.

0:06:320:06:37

And 12,000-15,000 Chinese worked on that railroad.

0:06:370:06:41

And without the Chinese, it wouldn't have been completed in record time.

0:06:410:06:44

Chinese labourers did the dangerous work of blasting through

0:06:460:06:49

the treacherous terrain of the High Sierra Mountains.

0:06:490:06:52

Receiving lower wages than their white counterparts,

0:06:540:06:57

they also had to pay for food, accommodation and tools -

0:06:570:07:01

things the white workers were given free.

0:07:010:07:03

So once the Chinese have built the railroads,

0:07:110:07:13

-how they treated by the Americans?

-They were treated very poorly.

0:07:130:07:16

They were discriminated against.

0:07:160:07:18

-Why?

-You know, Chinese have always been seen as perpetual foreigners.

0:07:180:07:22

They dressed differently, they spoke a different language.

0:07:220:07:25

And then in 1882, the US Congress enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act,

0:07:250:07:30

which specifically banned the immigration of Chinese labourers.

0:07:300:07:36

And how long was that on the statute book?

0:07:360:07:38

The Chinese Exclusion Act lasted 61 years,

0:07:380:07:41

and would not be repealed until 1943.

0:07:410:07:45

Which is quite shocking.

0:07:450:07:46

In the 19th century, white labour feared the Chinese,

0:07:550:07:58

partly because they worked so hard.

0:07:580:08:00

And here, in every nook and cranny, there is a business.

0:08:000:08:03

The Chinese community is so entrepreneurial.

0:08:030:08:05

Some making cookies. And some, I dare say, making fortunes.

0:08:050:08:09

In business since 1962, the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company

0:08:140:08:19

has foretold millions of fortunes.

0:08:190:08:22

I'm intrigued to learn mine.

0:08:230:08:25

-Hello, Kevin. I'm Michael.

-Hey, how are you?

0:08:250:08:29

Very nice to see you. So, you're making huge numbers

0:08:290:08:32

-of fortune cookies.

-Yeah, 15,000 per day.

0:08:320:08:34

-15,000!

-Hand-folded.

-Do they have to be hand-folded?

0:08:340:08:37

Hand-fold, we are the old school, original.

0:08:370:08:40

-Do you want to see your fortune of the day?

-Yes, I'd love to.

0:08:400:08:43

What does it say?

0:08:430:08:45

It says...

0:08:450:08:47

Your colourful character will take you far!

0:08:470:08:50

-Colourful!

-Yes, nice colour.

0:08:500:08:52

Where does the fortune cookie come from?

0:08:520:08:54

-San Francisco creation.

-Really? Not from China, then?

0:08:540:08:57

-No such thing.

-If you ask for a fortune cookie in China,

0:08:570:09:00

they will look at you, like... What are you talking about?

0:09:000:09:02

-Is it easy to fold them?

-Oh, yeah, for me it's easy.

0:09:020:09:06

-Do you want to try? Do you want to go on?

-Sure, I'd like to.

0:09:060:09:09

Thank you very much.

0:09:090:09:11

Now, how do I start? Take up the fortune.

0:09:130:09:15

The fortune and put it in the middle and fold it down.

0:09:150:09:19

OK, that doesn't look too difficult.

0:09:190:09:21

Wow, it's hot!

0:09:210:09:23

-Like that?

-OK, fold.

-Oh, you've got to do it quickly because it's...

0:09:250:09:29

Argh! My hands are burning!

0:09:290:09:31

Ow, ow!

0:09:310:09:33

Four second, if you can't get it done, it goes to the waste can.

0:09:330:09:37

Ah, ah, ah! Ouch!

0:09:370:09:40

This is absolutely impossible because they are just so hot.

0:09:410:09:44

You can't hold on to them for long enough to complete the job.

0:09:440:09:47

OK, just one more go.

0:09:470:09:49

Fold!

0:09:490:09:50

-What are you making, wonton?! Let me show you.

-All right.

-OK.

0:09:520:09:55

Kevin, you are incredibly fast, but you must have asbestos fingers.

0:10:060:10:09

-No more feelings. Numb.

-Your thumbs are numb, are they?

0:10:090:10:13

-No more.

-Yes, I can imagine.

0:10:130:10:15

And the reason why the lady wears the gloves, those are silk gloves.

0:10:170:10:20

Gloves of silk. You cannot use rubber because they will melt.

0:10:200:10:23

You didn't offer me any silk gloves, I notice!

0:10:230:10:25

Because I thought you were a tough man, so you've got it!

0:10:250:10:28

Well, now you know the truth! I'll let you get on with your work.

0:10:280:10:31

-Thank you very much. Colourful.

-Colourful, that's me.

0:10:310:10:34

As well as being an important area of commerce,

0:10:350:10:38

Chinatown is also a distinctive community,

0:10:380:10:42

where language, culture and traditions are preserved.

0:10:420:10:45

-Hello.

-Yes?

-Sorry to interrupt you.

0:10:580:11:01

Are you part of this school here?

0:11:010:11:03

Oh, yes. We are teaching the Chinese martial art.

0:11:030:11:07

The more they do it like that, so they get used.

0:11:070:11:10

Something comes up and they automatically move forward.

0:11:100:11:14

So, for instance, if I try to attack you, what's your...?

0:11:140:11:17

-Oh! Right!

-I just go ahead, just like that.

0:11:170:11:20

-OK.

-That's very effective.

0:11:200:11:22

You bring your hand up, OK, like this, OK?

0:11:220:11:26

Just don't think of anything.

0:11:280:11:30

If you stay there, lay there, you will feel heavier.

0:11:300:11:33

And when you feel heavier, your mind says, no, I've got to keep it up,

0:11:330:11:38

keep it up. That means your body is strong,

0:11:380:11:42

you get stronger, see? You get stronger, you see.

0:11:420:11:46

-That's it. Simple.

-First lesson, first lesson.

0:11:460:11:49

You're learning so fast!

0:11:490:11:51

-Thank you so much!

-Enjoy.

-Thank you.

0:11:510:11:54

Leaving Chinatown,

0:12:010:12:03

I'm guided by a reference in my Appleton's to the Olympic Club,

0:12:030:12:07

which is just a few blocks away.

0:12:070:12:09

Established in 1860,

0:12:100:12:12

it's one of the oldest private athletic clubs in America.

0:12:120:12:16

Early members include writer Mark Twain and Transcontinental Railroad

0:12:160:12:20

tycoons Charles Crocker and Leland Stanford.

0:12:200:12:24

There are facilities for many sports,

0:12:250:12:27

including one I've never played before.

0:12:270:12:30

Handball. I'm meeting one of the sport's top players, Emmett Peixot.

0:12:300:12:35

Nice shot.

0:12:350:12:37

-Emmett.

-Yeah.

-Hello.

-How's it going?

-I'm Michael.

0:12:410:12:44

Nice to see you, Michael.

0:12:440:12:46

I hadn't anticipated finding handball in San Francisco.

0:12:460:12:49

Who brought it to the city?

0:12:490:12:51

It was the Irish that actually brought handball to the city, around

0:12:510:12:56

1850 or so, and from there on out,

0:12:560:12:57

it started to become more and more popular.

0:12:570:12:59

How far back does the game go, do you know?

0:12:590:13:02

The earliest mention is in Greek poetry back BC.

0:13:020:13:05

So it's a very old sport. There's definitely a lot of public

0:13:050:13:10

mentions of the sport in the 1400s and 1500s in the UK.

0:13:100:13:14

In principle, each player is meant to hit the ball in turn, is that right?

0:13:140:13:17

That's correct, yeah. So one player hits, the next person hits,

0:13:170:13:20

very much like tennis, a similar strategy to tennis as well.

0:13:200:13:23

Right. I'm rather long in the tooth myself, I'm well into my 60s,

0:13:230:13:27

but I'm slightly encouraged cos I see some of your players here, well,

0:13:270:13:31

are probably even a little bit older than I am.

0:13:310:13:33

That's right. We have a list of players that are well over 80.

0:13:330:13:37

Absolutely amazing.

0:13:370:13:38

The secret to eternal youth! I need to investigate.

0:13:380:13:42

Hi, guys.

0:13:430:13:45

-May I interrupt a moment?

-Sure.

0:13:450:13:47

So how long have you been playing handball?

0:13:470:13:50

Erm, 70 years.

0:13:500:13:52

-Seven zero years I've played in..

-70 years!

0:13:530:13:57

I played in boarding school in Sydney, the Christian Brothers,

0:13:570:14:00

-they had a court there from Ireland.

-I've just been doing the arithmetic.

0:14:000:14:03

You've been playing 70 years, you started when you were a teenager,

0:14:030:14:06

you are in your mid-80s?

0:14:060:14:08

-84!

-What's the great attraction of this sport?

0:14:080:14:10

-Why do you go on and on with this?

-Number one is conditioning,

0:14:100:14:13

it keeps you going and keeps your mind going, as well as your body.

0:14:130:14:17

And the number two is camaraderie. Because no matter what you do,

0:14:170:14:20

they'll never let you be proud of it. They'll just insult you every time!

0:14:200:14:23

And that mentally is very refreshing.

0:14:230:14:26

Inspired by these guys, I'm going to take on Emmett.

0:14:260:14:30

Emmett has been singles champion one, two, three,

0:14:390:14:42

four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, 11, 12...

0:14:420:14:46

12 times. I don't think the result of this match is in doubt.

0:14:460:14:50

-So here I am, Emmett.

-How's it going?

0:14:560:14:59

Now, do you have any general words of advice for me?

0:14:590:15:01

Yes, the most important thing to remember is never take your eye off the ball.

0:15:010:15:05

Even when I'm hitting the ball, never take your eye off the ball.

0:15:050:15:08

-The second most important thing to remember is move your feet as much as you can.

-Good to go!

0:15:080:15:13

-OK, so how do we start this?

-You're going to swing low to high.

0:15:130:15:17

So you're going to get a little lower with your knees, just like that. Now, watch that ball.

0:15:170:15:22

Your goal is to try and hit it right there in your hand, OK?

0:15:220:15:24

Drop, step, swing.

0:15:240:15:26

Wow! Nice shot.

0:15:280:15:30

There you go.

0:15:300:15:32

Yeah! And that's actually...

0:15:320:15:34

You won the point on that one. Here you go.

0:15:340:15:36

A serve must hit the front wall first,

0:15:420:15:45

after which players hit the ball in turn, without letting it bounce

0:15:450:15:48

more than once.

0:15:480:15:50

The first to score 21 points wins the game.

0:15:520:15:56

Good, move those feet. That's perfect. Nice shot.

0:15:580:16:01

You!

0:16:020:16:03

Nice.

0:16:030:16:04

Excellent, that's a perfect pass.

0:16:120:16:14

-Nice shot.

-Phew, I'm going to have a cardiac arrest.

0:16:140:16:19

I'll leave my heart in San Francisco!

0:16:190:16:21

I'm ending my day in Nob Hill,

0:16:330:16:35

a neighbourhood that in the 19th century became a favoured spot

0:16:350:16:39

for rich tycoons, such as Mark Hopkins,

0:16:390:16:42

a financier of the Central Pacific Railroad.

0:16:420:16:45

I'm getting a sundowner at the panoramic top floor bar

0:16:470:16:51

of his eponymous hotel.

0:16:510:16:53

Mark Hopkins built an extraordinary Gothic mansion,

0:16:530:16:58

here at the top of Nob Hill. It was made entirely of redwood,

0:16:580:17:01

and not surprisingly, it perished in the earthquake and fire of 1906.

0:17:010:17:07

But this hotel was built in its place,

0:17:070:17:09

and it bears the name of Mark Hopkins.

0:17:090:17:12

And this bar is one of the great destinations in San Francisco.

0:17:120:17:16

And it's called Top Of The Mark. And top of the evening to you.

0:17:160:17:19

This morning I'm making my way out of town to an area

0:17:500:17:54

known in the 19th century as the Outside Lands.

0:17:540:17:57

Appleton's urges me to visit the beautiful park surrounding

0:18:000:18:04

the residence of Adolph Sutro, called Sutro Heights.

0:18:040:18:08

To the right of the Cliff House are public baths, established by

0:18:080:18:13

Adolph Sutro and water is drawn direct from the ocean.

0:18:130:18:16

But in this beautiful place, an ugly incident occurred.

0:18:160:18:19

And as so often in American history, it had to do with race.

0:18:190:18:23

I'm travelling to the western side of the peninsular on which

0:18:280:18:31

San Francisco sits, to a place known as Land's End.

0:18:310:18:35

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean,

0:18:370:18:39

it's the sight referred to in my Appleton's,

0:18:390:18:42

but what he described is no longer there.

0:18:420:18:45

I'm meeting National Parks Ranger Rick Penn.

0:18:510:18:54

What an amazingly beautiful spot.

0:18:590:19:01

Rick, we're looking down on what I suppose are the ruins

0:19:060:19:09

of the great Sutro Baths. What sort of facilities were there here?

0:19:090:19:13

Sutro was a hydraulic engineer,

0:19:130:19:15

and he could manipulate water like no-one.

0:19:150:19:17

That's how he made his millions of dollars, not so much as a gold

0:19:170:19:20

miner, but someone who provided the equipment for other people to get

0:19:200:19:24

gold or silver out of the ground.

0:19:240:19:25

He built four different pools, which were flooded by the ocean.

0:19:250:19:29

And one of the quotes in the San Francisco Examiner from 1897 said,

0:19:290:19:34

"Not since the glory days of Rome have there been baths like these."

0:19:340:19:37

As well as the swimming pools, the vast complex housed restaurants,

0:19:400:19:45

a museum, and viewing platforms to accommodate thousands of people.

0:19:450:19:50

The baths were open to the public,

0:19:530:19:54

but what was meant by "the public" in the 1890s?

0:19:540:19:57

Even though the newspaper article said that this was a gift to all

0:19:570:20:01

of San Francisco, I don't think the Chinese-Americans got the memo

0:20:010:20:04

on that, or the African-Americans, or the Mexicans,

0:20:040:20:07

because people of colour could come to the baths and they could go

0:20:070:20:10

and have a drink or a Sarsaparilla and view the sights,

0:20:100:20:13

but when it came to getting a swimsuit and going to swim,

0:20:130:20:16

they were denied that. And because of that denial,

0:20:160:20:19

a small fledgling group in San Francisco of African-Americans sued

0:20:190:20:23

-Adolph Sutro.

-Tell me about this discrimination case, then.

0:20:230:20:26

Oh, the John Harris versus Adolph Sutro case was a big deal in 1897.

0:20:260:20:30

It was in all the newspapers,

0:20:300:20:32

that an African-American would have the audacity to sue one of the most

0:20:320:20:35

politically-connected, richest families in Northern California for

0:20:350:20:39

discrimination at the Sutro Baths.

0:20:390:20:41

Across the United States,

0:20:410:20:43

segregation had become the law of the land.

0:20:430:20:47

But in 1897,

0:20:470:20:48

the relatively freethinking state of California passed

0:20:480:20:52

the Dibble Civil Rights Act which prohibited discrimination

0:20:520:20:56

in restaurants, bathhouses, public transport and movie theatres.

0:20:560:21:01

It was this legislation that formed the basis of the John Harris' case.

0:21:010:21:06

What was the incident that led to the case?

0:21:060:21:08

John Harris had come to Sutro Baths with a couple of friends.

0:21:080:21:12

They were white Americans. And they wanted to go and swim in the baths.

0:21:120:21:16

So they paid for their ticket, and when they went to get their bathing suit,

0:21:160:21:19

the attendant would give the bathing suit to the two Irish-Americans,

0:21:190:21:22

but not to John Harris. And they refused him.

0:21:220:21:25

Harris was embarrassed and he left and went back to his organisation,

0:21:250:21:30

and they asked him to go back again on July 4th,

0:21:300:21:32

a very patriotic day in American history.

0:21:320:21:35

He did go, he got rebuffed again, and then they decided they were

0:21:350:21:39

going to sue the Adolph Sutro organisation

0:21:390:21:41

-and Sutro Baths for 10,000.

-What was the result of the trial?

0:21:410:21:46

The jury heard the evidence, but the jury even asked the judge,

0:21:460:21:50

"Do we have to follow the law?"

0:21:500:21:52

And the judge said, "Of course you have to follow the law!"

0:21:520:21:55

And so they said, we hold for the plaintiff, he was discriminated against.

0:21:550:21:58

Now, when it came to the actual money,

0:21:580:22:01

the jury went back to the judge and said, "How little can we give him?"

0:22:010:22:05

And the judge says, "Well, according to the law,

0:22:050:22:08

"no less than 50 per incident."

0:22:080:22:10

So they gave him 100, not the 10,000.

0:22:100:22:14

But a precedent had been set, and this story, I think,

0:22:140:22:17

is more than just a legacy of beautiful ruins,

0:22:170:22:20

but something that came out of the ruins that is alive today

0:22:200:22:23

and with us today.

0:22:230:22:25

California's somewhat progressive civil rights laws would,

0:22:280:22:31

almost 70 years later, inform the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act,

0:22:310:22:37

which is still on the statute books today.

0:22:370:22:40

When San Francisco exploded as a city

0:22:520:22:55

on the back of the 1849 Gold Rush,

0:22:550:22:58

it had to establish civil institutions rapidly.

0:22:580:23:01

The San Francisco Police Department was founded in the same year.

0:23:030:23:07

And in 1864, a Marine Division was added.

0:23:080:23:11

150 years later, policing has continued to adapt.

0:23:130:23:17

I've arranged a rendezvous with Sergeant Daniel Laval.

0:23:190:23:23

Dan, what is your police boat doing along there by the walls?

0:23:250:23:28

So right now they're running along the pier face and they're conducting

0:23:280:23:32

a sonar sweep. And this particular sonar is a three-dimensional sonar.

0:23:320:23:36

-Well, they're coming ashore now. Shall we look at what they've captured?

-Absolutely.

0:23:360:23:41

-Hello, guys.

-Hello.

-How you doing?

0:23:490:23:51

This is Officer Mopar, Officer Mathe.

0:23:510:23:53

-Nice to meet you.

-Good to see you both.

0:23:530:23:56

-What are you looking for?

-If we have any of our Navy ships coming into

0:23:560:23:59

town, like we'll be having Fleet Week coming up soon,

0:23:590:24:02

what we'll do is we'll do a sweep of the pier, and we

0:24:020:24:05

keep records of what they looked like last year to what they look

0:24:050:24:08

like this year. And if we see any thing that's different or looks out

0:24:080:24:12

of place, then we can forward that over to our bomb techs, and then they'll take a look at it.

0:24:120:24:16

And if they determine they need to go underwater to take a look at it,

0:24:160:24:19

they will. It just gives you an amazing,

0:24:190:24:21

it's almost a picture-quality image of what's going on down there.

0:24:210:24:24

I'm astonished by how good these images are.

0:24:240:24:27

Oh, it's an unbelievable tool that can help keep the port safe.

0:24:270:24:31

Good work.

0:24:310:24:32

It's not just the harbour that they inspect.

0:24:340:24:37

They're charged with protecting the whole bay,

0:24:370:24:40

which they've been patrolling since the 1860s.

0:24:400:24:43

I'm taking to the water with Officer Stephen Hogan to see how this

0:24:430:24:47

strategically important port has been defended over the years.

0:24:470:24:51

Steve, when you get out on the water like this and you see the bay,

0:24:540:24:58

you begin to realise why the San Francisco Police has a Marine Division.

0:24:580:25:01

It must be a pretty important part of what you do.

0:25:010:25:04

Well, we have certain things, whether it's drug interdiction,

0:25:040:25:06

and just generally regulating commerce in the area.

0:25:060:25:10

One of our main missions is search and rescue, of course.

0:25:100:25:13

This must have been an area heavily fortified over the centuries.

0:25:130:25:16

From the beginning of the settlement,

0:25:160:25:18

this has always been a focal point for any kind of coastal defence or

0:25:180:25:21

defence of San Francisco Bay. Especially in the 1850s.

0:25:210:25:25

That's when most of the major fortifications were built in this area.

0:25:250:25:28

And the fort that we see here under the Golden Gate Bridge, what's that?

0:25:280:25:32

-That's Fort Point, and that was built and finished in the early 1860s.

-During the Civil War,

0:25:320:25:38

I suppose there was some perceived threat to San Francisco?

0:25:380:25:42

Definitely. The Confederacy could potentially raid any gold

0:25:420:25:46

-deposits here.

-The gold, of course, was valuable to San Francisco,

0:25:460:25:50

but also essential to the Union victory.

0:25:500:25:52

Definitely. This is kind of a bank or reserve for the Union Army.

0:25:520:25:56

Yes, so there's quite a lot to defend.

0:25:560:25:59

Definitely. It's always been a very wealthy port here.

0:25:590:26:02

All these batteries, all these gun emplacements.

0:26:020:26:04

But I suppose they were never fired in anger, were they?

0:26:040:26:07

No, nobody ever fired a shot here in anger, thankfully.

0:26:070:26:10

-But the motto was, be prepared.

-It's always be prepared.

0:26:100:26:13

It still is be prepared today.

0:26:130:26:15

And now we pass under this amazingly iconic bridge,

0:26:250:26:29

with its familiar rust red colour, built, what, in the 1930s, was it?

0:26:290:26:34

Yes, it was completed actually in 1937.

0:26:340:26:37

And that colour is known as International Orange.

0:26:370:26:39

I'm dressed for the occasion!

0:26:400:26:42

San Francisco began as a cosmopolitan melting pot,

0:27:000:27:04

and is today famously respectful of diversity.

0:27:040:27:08

But it's been a hilly journey. California joined the USA

0:27:080:27:13

as an anti-slavery state, not so much because it was liberal,

0:27:130:27:17

but because white workers feared being undercut by free labour.

0:27:170:27:21

The John Harris case was about segregation in this city,

0:27:210:27:26

and the law expressly discriminated against Chinese people.

0:27:260:27:31

Even San Francisco, the City of Love,

0:27:310:27:35

has been unable to avoid the racism which has poisoned the United States

0:27:350:27:40

since their foundation.

0:27:400:27:41

Next time, foundations are rocked...

0:27:470:27:50

The earthquake has begun.

0:27:500:27:51

Wow!

0:27:510:27:53

An incredibly sharp jolt that time.

0:27:530:27:56

..I try not to lose my footing...

0:27:570:28:00

-You scared of heights?

-Yes!

0:28:000:28:02

Does the rope make it all the way to the ground?

0:28:020:28:05

I don't know that!

0:28:050:28:06

..and end up in a flat spin.

0:28:070:28:09

Turning this two-tonne beast is hard work!

0:28:110:28:15

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS