Approved for All Ages
New York-Episode 1: 1609-1825
This dramatic and lyrical first episodes chronicles the rise of New York from its settlement by the Dutch in the early 17th century through thte explosion of commercial growth sparked by the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825. Beginning with a consideration of themes to be explored throughout the entire series, the episode goes on to treat five crucial chapters in New York's fascinating early history: The defining role of the British empire and the horrors of slavery, New York's strange and fateful role in the American Revolution, its brief tenure as the nation's capital, and the extraordinary burst of entreprenurial energy that in the early 19th century launched it on its course to becoming the greatest city on earth.