Providence, Rhode Island, to New London, Connecticut Great American Railroad Journeys

I have crossed the Atlantic to ride the railroads of

North America with my faithful Appleton's guide.

Published in the late 19th century,

it will lead me to all that is magnificent, charming...

..confusing, invigorating,

and wholesome in the United States and Canada.

As I journey through this vast continent,

I'll encounter revolutionaries,

and feminists, pilgrims, and witches,

and ride some of the oldest and most breathtaking railroads in the world.

TRAIN HORN BLARES

Providentially, my rail journey through New England has brought me

to the smallest state of the Union and also the one with the longest

name, the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

It was, amongst the British colonies,

the first to renounce allegiance to the Crown but also, amongst the 13,

the last willing to cede any sovereignty by signing up to the

Constitution of the United States.

These are clearly independent-minded people.

I'll then travel on to Connecticut, which by contrast,

rejoices in the slogan, "The Constitution State".

My route across the Northeastern United States

and Canada began in Boston.

From there I travelled south to

Plymouth and the islands of Cape Cod.

I'll explore the New England

landscape on my way to Lake Placid

before heading into Canada,

bound for Montreal.

I'll visit the capital and the

Thousand Islands of the Saint Lawrence River,

and finish in Canada's largest city, Toronto.

On this trip, I'll start in Providence,

state capital of Rhode Island.

From there, I'll cross into Connecticut,

and visit the coastal city

of New London.

Along the way, I'll help to prepare

a traditional New England clambake...

Whoa, that looks good!

..explore the story behind one of America's greatest plays...

People are taken aback, because it's sad, it's harrowing,

and the locals were really shocked.

..and drill with cadets of the United States Coast Guard.

Right shoulder, arm!

Forward, march!

On my travels so far I've learned a lot about revolutionary battles.

But now I'd like to discover something about a weapon that is

supposedly mightier than the sword and is often wielded by the nation's

commander in chief.

My first stop is Providence on Narragansett Bay.

Founded in 1636, it's one of the oldest cities in the United States.

By the time of my guidebook, it had become a leading manufacturing

centre with an extensive railroad network.

After sharing the role of capital with nearby Newport,

it assumes sole status in 1900 and built this impressive

neoclassical Statehouse.

Being the tiniest state is no reason not to think big

architecturally,

and this magnificent capital with its elegant dome,

I think, could grace many a major country.

But beyond these corridors of power,

I'm on the trail of a company

that counts among its customers the White House.

-Hello, Andy. I'm Michael.

-Hello, Michael. Nice to meet you.

-Welcome to Cross.

-Thank you very much.

Andy Boss has worked at the pen makers AT Cross for 12 years.

Andy, who was your founder, Richard Cross?

So Richard Cross came from Birmingham, England.

Came to Rhode Island in the late 1830s.

And his family in England was already in the jewellery trade.

Rhode Island eventually became the jewellery capital of the

United States and so it was the perfect place for him to come.

And he started AT Cross in 1846,

making mechanical pencils and pencil cases to go over pencils.

So from the earliest times, the pencil business was a decorative

-craft, was it?

-His original writing instruments were actually very fancy

cases, like highly detailed pieces that would actually go over just a

small pencil.

That's lovely. It's got a pattern.

A little hook on the top here, presumably to hang it up.

And then he went into mechanical pencils, did he?

This is actually a version of one of his mechanical pencils.

This one was made in the 1880s and it's ten carat yellow rolled gold.

Amazing. Wow.

Now, what about that black number?

So this is our first kind of foray

into what's called a stylographic pen.

Initially it was known as an ink pencil.

This is from the late 1870s.

Well, what's astonishing to me is that looks so absolutely modern.

So already you're entering into the sort of the ballpoint pen era.

Right, right, right.

The company acquired its first US patent in 1876

and soon established itself as the country's leading maker of fine

writing instruments.

How did your connection

with Presidents of the United States begin?

We started making some pens for President Reagan, for his inauguration.

And then it just kind of snowballed from there.

We did a black lacquer and rhodium version for President Obama,

and then a black lacquer and gold version for President Trump.

What does the President use these pens for?

When President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act

he had an entire tray of Cross pens next to him.

It was about 22 pens,

and he ended up using all 22 pens to sign just his one name.

He would do about half of a 'B', put it down, pick-up another pen,

finish the 'B', pick up another pen, do half of an 'A'.

By the time he was done signing just his one signature he will

have used all 22 of those pens.

And then he ended up giving them

away to the various people who helped him make it happen.

Call me old-fashioned but I find that my handwriting looks best when

I use a fountain pen.

Kerry Nixon makes the company's top of the range models by hand.

Kerry, what material is that pen?

This is 21 carat gold.

-What, solid?

-Solid gold.

-Amazing. What does this pen sell for?

-7,000.

7,000!

That's very elegant, isn't it?

OK, and this is your construction kit now?

Right, so this is the grip, this is the feed.

This is where the ink flows down.

Right. It's a very thin channel that goes down the length of the feed,

and that's where the ink travels...

-Right.

-..until it gets to the hole

and then it travels down the slit in the nib.

So, what is it we have to do to assemble this one now?

Now, the feed goes about an eighth of an inch down from the ball.

An eighth of an inch from the end of the nib would be about there?

-Right.

-And what am I try...

And then you push that into the end of the grip.

It's a little tight.

OK, the next thing, the ink cartridge.

Push that into the end of the...

-This bit I'm used to.

-Yeah.

There it goes. It's home.

All right,

-and you can thread that into the barrel.

-Yeah.

And...

That is a lovely pen.

I enjoyed writing that.

Built around three rivers,

Providence's rich architectural heritage has been well preserved.

And in the heart of the historic downtown is a little reminder of home.

What in the United States would be modelled on a Greek temple complete

with 14-metre high columns?

The answer is a shopping arcade built in 1828.

Appleton's tells me -

"It's the largest of its kind in the United States."

225ft long, three storeys high,

and also the first shopping mall ever to be built in America by

entrepreneur Cyrus Butler.

And sceptics called it - "Butler's Folly".

But they didn't understand the American propensity to shop

and shop until they drop.

Just five miles out of the city centre, in East Providence,

lies a rocky headland with splendid views of Narragansett Bay.

These old rail tracks run along the banks of the Providence River.

This is Squantum and it's owned by the Squantum club,

a noted resort for the private clambakes of the club

and its guests.

An association devoted to the open-air consumption

of cooked seafood.

Where do I apply?

Some say Squantum was named after

the famous Native American Chief Squanto,

who helped to teach Plymouth's pilgrim settlers to farm.

The area became known for its abundant shellfish.

By the late 1800s clambakes had become a New England tradition.

Jay Morris runs events here.

Michael, welcome to the Squantum Association.

-How are you today?

-Very well, it's great to be here.

I've come in search of a clambake.

-You are in the right place, let me show you the way.

-Thank you!

-Hello, guys.

-How are you?

Jay, this is on a spectacular scale.

I didn't realise it was as big as this.

And the seafood just goes on like that,

in its trays without more ado.

Lobsters first.

Clams and corn next.

Steam rising through the seafood.

And this method of cooking the lobsters and clams goes back to what?

This goes back to the Native Americans.

They actually taught the settlers here in America how to cook with

this style. It was done with seaweed and rocks.

Obviously, they didn't have canvas at the time

but this was the traditional way.

Where do you get the clams and the lobsters?

We source them from local purveyors

and they come right out of Narragansett Bay.

This dining club dates back to the 1840s

when a small group of well-heeled Providence gentleman began rowing

out to this tiny island to enjoy open air clambakes.

In 1872, they started the Squantum Association.

And 30 years later, membership had doubled.

They now own ten acres here at Squantum Point,

complete with an elegant clubhouse.

-Well, John, are they ready?

-Oh, yes.

OK.

With today's seafood lunch nearly ready,

I'm lending a hand with the final stages.

-Steamy and smoky as we go.

-Yes.

Whoa. That looks good.

We slide this basket down here to get it off the lobsters.

Here you go, you can put it right here.

Look at those lobsters, John.

They're ready, ready to eat!

They look good.

-Hi, everybody.

-Hi!

-Hello!

-Hey, how are you?

I'm lunching with the Association's 52nd President, Bill Russo.

Well, that does look good.

Yes. Here's what you do.

-Mm-hm.

-You take this off...

-Yeah.

And you see this little neck here, you have to pull that off,

you dunk it in here, take the sand out, and then in here,

and then down the old gullet.

LAUGHTER

There we go. So, into the broth.

-Delicious.

-Into the clarified butter and,

as the vernacular has it, down the gullet. Mm!

That's good.

Can you imagine how hungry the first person who ever ate

these must have been?

-Am I right?

-Absolutely!

So, Mr President, how often, now, do you have these clambakes?

We usually have these about, maybe, three times a year.

Wow.

We have one major one, which we call The Cannon Fire.

And we fire the cannon that came from the Battle of Bull Run,

-during the Civil War.

-The American Civil War, yes.

You got the hang of it now? You wash it...

Oh, I've got the hang of it. I've got the hang of it.

When it comes to food I'm a very fast learner.

Aren't we all?

The lobster may be very considerably trickier.

You rip off the tail, that's where all the meat is.

-See it?

-Ah, look at that.

That looks glorious.

I dedicate this mouthful to the culinary traditions of Rhode Island.

Yes. Thank you.

INDISTINCT SPEECH OVER TANNOY

My next stop will be New London, Connecticut.

Appleton's tells me that -

"It's pleasantly situated on the west bank of the River Thames.

"And it possesses one of the finest harbours in the United States."

A particular reason for the beauty of the New England coastline is its

many inlands and bays.

And for many Americans, the sea is their favourite playground,

but the waters also represent a danger for them.

And for the United States, the oceans are a vulnerability as well

as an asset. Who keeps the nation safe?

-Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

-Bye-bye.

This seaport is one of the smallest cities in Connecticut.

But it plays a vital role in the nation's security.

It's home to the United States Coast Guard's Elite Academy,

which was established around the time of my guidebook in 1876.

300 cadets enrol here every year, determined to make the grade.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Davis.

-Good morning, sir.

-Michael Portillo.

-What a pleasure.

-Pleasure to meet you.

-Do you want to head this way?

-Please.

One of the five armed services of the United States,

it defends more than 100,000 miles

of US coastline and inland waterways,

saves lives,

apprehends drug smugglers,

and provides first response during environmental and natural disasters.

I'm meeting Coast Guard Museum Curator Jennifer Gaudio.

So please take me back to the origin of the US Coast Guard.

Well, our founding father was Alexander Hamilton who was

Secretary of the Treasury under Washington.

And we were 70 million in debt at the end of the revolution.

And we needed to recoup those losses,

and we were created as federal law enforcement

to stop smuggling and to recoup finances of the country.

The Coast Guard is in fact the reason why America exists.

Because they actually collected the taxes that put money in the coffers

that allowed this experiment, as a federal country, to succeed.

So, the US Coast Guard owes its existence to this man -

-Alexander Hamilton.

-Yes, it does.

Set up in 1790, it became known as the Revenue Cutter Service,

named after its ships.

It merged with United States Life Saving Service

and became the US Coast Guard in 1915.

Over the years, the forces played a vital role in conflicts way beyond

American shores.

A United States Coast Guard cutter

patrolling the stormy North Atlantic.

Guarding convoys from lurking enemy raiders.

Suddenly off the port bow, a Nazi submarine breaks the surface!

The cutter's guns open fire.

The Coast Guard has been involved in every major engagement since before

the Navy was even founded.

Up until today.

And they're still in Bahrain and Iraq and some are still

in Afghanistan.

Right shoulder, arm!

These are among a thousand cadets undergoing four years of classroom

education and physical and military

training ready to serve their country.

-Attention!

-Good morning, cadets. ALL:

-Good morning, sir.

Parade, rest!

-Second Class Delp, good morning.

-Good morning, sir. Nice to meet you.

Michael Portillo. Very good to see you.

What made you want to be a US Coast Guardsman?

I've always wanted to be in the military, sir.

But the Coast Guard's humanitarian aspect appealed to me,

saving lives, going on search-and-rescue.

In the event of a war, the US Coast Guard would be absorbed

-by the US Navy, and you're ready for that?

-Yes, sir.

The Coast Guard handles a lot of the navy's near-shore operations.

Just because our ships are so much smaller,

we can get a lot closer to shore, a lot safer and more efficient.

World War II Coast Guardsmen piloted all of the landing ships on D-Day.

And in Vietnam,

a lot of river patrol boats were Coast Guard vessels.

-Would it be all right if I speak to one of the cadets?

-Absolutely, sir.

-Thank you.

Swab Robertson, do you mind if I ask you, how old are you?

-19 years old, sir.

-And what made you think of going into

-the US Coast Guard?

-Well, ultimately just to save lives and

-help the community and make an impact.

-Of the various roles that the US Coast Guard undertakes,

is there any one that appeals to you in particular?

Aviation, sir. The search-and-rescue helicopters.

That's the ultimate goal, sir.

Second Class Delp, this has all been most interesting. Thank you so much.

Would you like to try your hand at it now?

-Try my hand at the drill?

-Absolutely, sir.

It would be my privilege.

Port, arms!

Right shoulder, arms!

Order, arms!

Right, face!

Forward, march!

These first-year cadets will undoubtedly one day be entrusted

with vital missions. I wish them success.

As this is New London,

it's no surprise that the river running through it is the Thames,

or THA-mes, as it's known around here.

It inspired one of America's most renowned playwrights.

Around the time of my Appleton's,

European theatre audiences were being entertained by a new sort of drama.

It was earthy and domestic,

about unhappy families, anguish, resentment, disappointment.

But it took the son of an Irish immigrant to bring such realism to the United States,

and in the process to transform American theatre -

although his greatest triumph would be after his death.

His name was Eugene O'Neill,

and in an unhappy life, New London

would be the only place he'd call home.

O'Neill was born in 1888 in New York City

but spent the summers of his formative years here in the family's

riverfront cottage.

His output was prolific.

He wrote 51 plays,

many of them intensely personal,

dealing with human frailties and the struggles of modern life.

He's the only American dramatist to win the Nobel Prize for literature.

The house has been preserved as a museum.

-Lois, I'm Michael.

-I'm Lois McDonald.

Welcome to the Monte Cristo Cottage.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Yes.

Do come into the front parlour.

-Would these be Eugene O'Neill's parents?

-Yes.

James O'Neill, the father, was an actor and this is his famous role,

the Count of Monte Cristo, which is why the house is called

the Monte Cristo Cottage.

He was a matinee idol of the day.

She was a convent girl, Ella Quinlan,

she fell madly in love with him.

And, ultimately, they were married, they had one son, and then when

Eugene was born, she was very ill and they give her morphine.

So she became addicted to morphine.

And she was in and out of addiction during Eugene O'Neill's childhood.

So it didn't make for the happiest childhood, shall we say?

O'Neill was the youngest of three brothers,

one of whom died in infancy.

He spent his early years travelling on trains and living in hotel rooms,

as the family toured the country's theatres.

They moved to this cottage when he was 12 years old.

So this was Eugene O'Neill's bedroom when he was a boy.

What was his first inspiration to write plays?

Well, I think his father to a certain extent.

We had two or three theatres here in London.

This is where he saw his first real theatre at the Lyric Theatre.

And, of course, he would have seen his father.

He also was inspired by New London. This was a seaport town.

He could look out and see the clipper ships going up and down the river.

He goes to sea three times, he's an able-bodied seaman.

And he comes back and gets tuberculosis and in 1912 goes to the

sanatorium. He's there briefly,

but at that point he decides he is going to be a playwright.

And in his earliest work, is he already writing realism?

Yes. He was very influenced by Strindberg,

and by Ibsen and by Chekhov.

And he wanted to write the kind of plays that Europe was writing.

And that was not happening here.

When is he first successful with a play?

In 1920, Beyond The Horizon is done, and he gets the Pulitzer Prize.

It was about ordinary farmers and a sailor that were off to sea.

Two brothers, interestingly, very much based on his own family.

O'Neill won a further three Pulitzer Prizes for his plays,

including the tragic autobiographical

Long Day's Journey Into Night.

Set over a single day in the living room of the cottage,

it tells how his family fell apart,

under the struggle of coping with addiction, alcoholism, and illness.

Lois, I remember a production of Long Day's Journey Into Night

with Laurence Olivier many, many years ago.

It was very long and deeply harrowing.

In what does its greatness lie?

The play is about family.

And that's universal.

All people in the world can relate to this.

The reaching out and missing.

The saying things and saying, "Oh, my goodness,

"we never should have said that."

It was only in 1956, three years after Eugene O'Neill's death,

that the play was first seen.

He wrote it in blood, sweat, and tears.

And he left a stipulation that it should never be published in this

country for 25 years after his death.

Nor should it be produced in this country.

However, his third wife, Carlotta, by the time '56 comes round -

Eugene has been dead for three years -

gives permission for it to be done.

Long Day's Journey Into Night laid bare the misery of O'Neill's family

and the impact of his mother's addiction.

It opened on Broadway to rave reviews

and won a Tony Award for best play.

It was performed in theatres across the world and became a movie.

How was the play received?

People were taken aback.

Because it's sad, it's harrowing, and the locals were really shocked,

because they don't remember Mrs O'Neill that way at all.

I can tell you. But it's a great play.

And it touches everybody.

Actors have visited the cottage for inspiration.

And a couple of miles down the river,

they flock to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center

to practise their art.

Preston Whiteway is the executive director.

Preston, what is it that you do here at the O'Neill Center?

We invented the model of play development,

that there would be a step before full production for a play.

And we're focused on making the script and the piece itself

the best it can be.

Ever since our founding in the 1960s, many around the world have

gotten their careers started with us.

So whether that's actors like Michael Douglas and Meryl Streep

or writers like Bobby and Kristen Lopez,

who created Avenue Q with us early in their career

and go on to write Frozen, the movie.

And so pieces that are formed in these modest surroundings later go

on to grander venues, do they?

Exactly right. Not worrying about lights and sets and costumes

we are able to really make the piece as strong as it can be.

And are you all inspired by Eugene O'Neill?

Absolutely, we take our namesake's spirit very seriously.

He innovated new forms in the American theatre.

He was the first great American playwright.

So in his memory, in his legacy,

we are trying to create new great American work.

For the United States, the two oceans that bound it are a source of

plenty, such as lobsters and clams,

but also of dangers, against which

the US Coast Guard offers protection.

Along this coast, Eugene O'Neill wrote his first pieces,

going on to demonstrate as much as anybody the power of the pen.

US presidents have inked their signatures on epoque-making legislation,

but perhaps today the might of the pen

has been trumped by the presidential tweet.

Next time, I'll try to master one of America's oldest sports...

Whoops! I got that one very wrong!

LAUGHTER

..discover the perils of New England's

most exposed mountaintop...

We recorded a wind gust of 231mph.

For almost 60 years, that was our claim to fame,

it is the highest wind ever known by mankind.

..and hold on tight

on one of the steepest railroads in the world.

We roared into action!

And the track stretches ahead of me like a giant roller-coaster.

This is going to be a fun ride.