IT‘S KNOWN AS THE MOTHER OF ALL STATES,
AND WITH GOOD REASON--
THE HISTORY OF VIRGINIA IS THE HISTORY OF AMERICA.
VIRGINIA WAS HOME TO MANY LEADERS
OF A FLEDGLING YOUNG NATION--
AND THE STRUCTURES THEY BUILT
STAND TRIBUTE TO THEIR INGENUITY AND THEIR VISION.
ITS LUSH FIELDS HAVE BEEN THE SITE OF BLOODY BATTLES,
AS WELL AS MOMENTS OF GREAT TRIUMPH.
IT‘S THE SITE OF WHAT MAY BE
THE MOST AMBITIOUS HISTORY LESSON IN AMERICA...
AS WELL AS A SCHOOL
THAT CHARTED THE PATH FOR AMERICAN EDUCATION.
FROM ANCIENT NATURAL WONDERS TO MODERN CURIOSITIES,
AERIAL VIRGINIA TRAVELS ACROSS A DIVERSE AND RUGGED LANDSCAPE.
IT IS THE REALM OF PIRATES, THE SOURCE OF LEGENDS,
AND THE LAUNCHING PAD FOR AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.
THE JAMES RIVER.
IT‘S A VITAL WATERWAY THAT HANDLES MORE THAN 25,000 BARGES
FULL OF GRAVEL AND GRAIN EVERY YEAR.
AND IT‘S THE ARTERY THAT FIRST LED EUROPEAN SETTLERS
TO THE NEW AMERICAN CONTINENT.
LINED WITH MASSIVE ESTATES AND POCKETS OF WILDERNESS,
THE JAMES CUTS A WIDE SWATH THROUGH THE STATE.
BUT IT‘S HERE AT JAMESTOWN ISLAND
WHERE THE STORY OF VIRGINIA-- AND A NATION--BEGINS.
SETTLERS ARRIVED HERE IN 1607.
AND LOW WALLS MARK THE OUTLINES
OF THE FIRST PERMANENT ENGLISH SETTLEMENT IN NORTH AMERICA.
THE COMMUNITY WAS ANCHORED BY AN OLD FORT,
WHICH MOST PEOPLE BELIEVED
HAD BEEN WASHED INTO THE JAMES RIVER.
BUT IN 1994, ARCHAEOLOGISTS BEGAN TO UNCOVER
REMNANTS OF THE FORT,
INCLUDING MORE THAN 150,000 ARTIFACTS.
ALL OF THIS LAND WAS ONCE CONTROLLED
BY A COLLECTION OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES.
THEY WERE OFTEN AT WAR WITH THE SETTLERS
LED BY CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH.
IN DECEMBER 1607, SMITH AND SOME OF HIS MEN
WERE CAPTURED BY THE ALGONQUINS.
ACCORDING TO SMITH, THE TRIBE‘S CHIEF, POWHATAN,
WAS ON THE VERGE OF KILLING HIM
UNTIL THE CHIEF‘S DAUGHTER, POCAHONTAS, INTERVENED--
AND SAVED HIS LIFE.
MODERN HISTORIANS BELIEVE THIS SCENARIO IS UNLIKELY.
THEY ARGUE THAT SMITH‘S ACCOUNT
WAS PROBABLY BASED ON A CULTURAL MISUNDERSTANDING.
THE EARLY HISTORY OF THIS AREA IS FURTHER EXPLORED
AT THE NEARBY JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT.
THE SHIPS WE SEE IN THE HARBOR BELOW
ARE RECREATIONS OF THE VESSELS
THAT EARLY SETTLERS WOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER FROM ENGLAND.
THE BIGGEST OF THESE, THE SUSAN CONSTANT,
PROBABLY CARRIED 105 PASSENGERS AND 40 CREW MEMBERS
ON THE ARDUOUS FOUR-MONTH-LONG JOURNEY.
THE JAMES FORT AREA
FEATURES REPLICAS OF THATCHED-ROOF BUILDINGS
INCLUDING A CHURCH, A GUARDHOUSE,
AND THE GOVERNOR‘S HOUSE.
TO THE SOUTHEAST IS NORFOLK,
THE WORLD‘S LARGEST NATURAL HARBOR,
AND A CITY WITH A PROUD MILITARY TRADITION.
MANY WORLD WAR II VETERANS SERVED HERE--
AND IT‘S STILL A STOP FOR MANY SEAFARING MILITARY OFFICERS.
ON THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE CITY,
NORFOLK HOUSES THE LARGEST NAVAL INSTALLATION IN THE WORLD.
THE SEVEN MILES OF WHARF AND PIER SPACE
ARE HOME TO 75 SHIPS.
ANOTHER 3,000 SHIPS PASS THROUGH HERE EVERY YEAR.
ONE SHIP THAT‘S NOT GOING ANYWHERE IS THE USS WISCONSIN,
WHICH HAS BEEN DECOMMISSIONED AND TURNED INTO A MUSEUM.
ONE OF THE LARGEST BATTLESHIPS IN THE WORLD,
IT‘S ALSO ONE OF THE TOUGHEST.
COMMISSIONED IN APRIL 1944,
THE WISCONSIN WAS PART OF A FLEET
THAT DESTROYED HUNDREDS OF JAPANESE SHIPS AND PLANES
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
BUT AFTER SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL MISSIONS,
A FURIOUS TYPHOON SWEPT THROUGH,
SINKING THREE SUPPORTING DESTROYERS.
THE WISCONSIN WAS UNHARMED.
THE VESSEL‘S DURABILITY WOULD BE TESTED AGAIN AND AGAIN,
AS IT LATER HELD OFF ENEMY FORCES
IN THE KOREAN WAR AND THE GULF WAR.
THE OLD BATTLESHIP WAS FINALLY DECOMMISSIONED
AFTER 47 YEARS OF SERVICE IN SEPTEMBER 1991.
NORFOLK‘S MacARTHUR SQUARE
IS NAMED IN HONOR OF DOUGLAS MacARTHUR,
THE LARGER THAN LIFE FIVE-STAR GENERAL.
THE CENTERPIECE IS THE MacARTHUR MUSEUM,
FORMERLY THE NORFOLK COURTHOUSE.
WHEN IT ORIGINALLY OPENED IN 1850,
THIS CUPOLA WAS THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE CITY--
AND VISITORS USED TO CLIMB INTO IT
TO GET A BIRD‘S EYE VIEW OF THE HARBOR.
JUST NORTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY LIES HAMPTON ROADS.
IT‘S THE SITE OF THE OLDEST
CONTINUALLY ENGLISH-SPEAKING SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA--
AND AN AERONAUTICS AND COMMERCIAL FISHING HUB.
BUT IT ORIGINALLY MADE ITS NAME AS A HAVEN FOR PIRATES.
EVERY SUMMER, A FESTIVAL IS HELD HERE
IN HONOR OF ONE OF THE LEGENDARY FIGURES
WHO TERRORIZED THE HIGH SEAS-- BLACKBEARD.
WHEN BLACKBEARD WAS FINALLY CAPTURED,
HIS SEVERED HEAD WAS PUT ON A PIKE
AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE HAMPTON RIVER
TO DETER OTHERS FROM ENTERING A LIFE OF CRIME.
HAMPTON HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE
IN THE WORLD OF MODERN AIRCRAFT--
AND IN THE SPACE PROGRAM.
AIR WARFARE AS WE KNOW IT BEGAN AT LANGLEY FIELD IN 1921.
THIS IS WHERE BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM MITCHELL
LED THE FIRST TRIALS ON AIRPLANES
DESIGNED TO ATTACK BATTLESHIPS--
AN EXPERIMENT THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD
TO THE CREATION OF THE AIR FORCE.
AROUND THE SAME TIME,
SOME OF THE EARLIEST EXPERIMENTS IN AERONAUTICS
WERE BEING DONE HERE.
AND WHEN NASA DECIDED TO PUT A MAN ON THE MOON,
THEY BROUGHT THE FIRST ASTRONAUTS HERE TO TRAIN.
NEAR HAMPTON IS THE HOME
OF THE GIBRALTAR OF THE CHESAPEAKE,
BETTER KNOWN AS FORT MONROE.
NAMED FOR THE FIFTH PRESIDENT,
IT‘S THE LARGEST STONE FORT EVER BUILT IN THE U.S.--
AND THE MOAT THAT SURROUNDS IT
MAKES IT A REMNANT OF A LOST ERA.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THE FORT REMAINED IN UNION HANDS--
AND LATER, IT WAS THE HOME OF A VERY FAMOUS PRISONER--
CONFEDERATE PRESIDENT JEFFERSON DAVIS,
WHO WAS CAPTURED IN GEORGIA IN MAY 1865
AND IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT TO THIS STONE FORTRESS.
FOR MONTHS, DAVIS WAS KEPT IN CHAINS,
CUT OFF FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD, AND DENIED BAIL OR A TRIAL.
HE WAS FINALLY RELEASED ON PAROLE AFTER ALMOST TWO YEARS,
AND LATER RECEIVED AMNESTY FROM PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON.
LONG BEFORE IT WAS TORN APART BY CIVIL WAR,
AMERICA FOUGHT FOR ITS FREEDOM FROM ENGLAND.
AND HERE IN YORKTOWN,
TROOPS FOUGHT THE LAST MAJOR LAND BATTLE
OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON AND HIS ARMY--
ASSISTED BY FRENCH SOLDIERS--
WON A DECISIVE BATTLE HERE,
LEADING TO A SURRENDER OF BRITISH FORCES.
THERE‘S ONLY ONE RESORT ISLAND IN VIRGINIA,
AND IT SITS ALONG VIRGINIA‘S EASTERN SHORE.
CHINCOTEAGUE MEANS "BEAUTIFUL LAND ACROSS THE WATER,"
AND THAT‘S JUST WHAT THIS IS.
HOME TO JUST 4,000 PEOPLE,
IT HOSTS A MILLION VISITORS A YEAR.
CHINCOTEAGUE IS KNOWN FOR ITS OYSTERS, CLAMS, AND FISHING--
BUT IT‘S SURELY MOST FAMOUS FOR ITS FERAL HORSES.
CHINCOTEAGUE HORSES ARE NOTABLE FOR THEIR UNUSUALLY SMALL SIZE--
FULL-GROWN ONES ARE NO BIGGER THAN THE AVERAGE PONY
AND SEEM TO BE THE PERFECT RESTING PLACE FOR THESE BIRDS.
EVERY YEAR, ALL OF THE HORSES ARE TAKEN BY WATER
TO THE NEARBY ISLAND OF ASSATEAGUE,
WHERE THEY ARE AUCTIONED OFF
TO KEEP THE HERD FROM GETTING TOO BIG.
ASSATEAGUE IS A BARRIER ISLAND
THAT‘S BEEN DESIGNATED A NATIONAL SEASHORE.
THE GOAL IS TO PROTECT ITS 37 MILES OF BEACH,
AS WELL AS THE MANY DIFFERENT ANIMALS THAT LIVE HERE,
INCLUDING 320 SPECIES OF BIRDS.
MORE THAN HALF OF THE NATIONAL SEASHORE‘S 48,000 ACRES
IS NEAR THE COAST...
A LANDSCAPE THAT‘S CONSTANTLY CHANGING DUE TO WIND AND WATER.
TO THE SOUTH IS VIRGINIA BEACH,
THE MOST WELL-POPULATED CITY IN THE STATE
AND A PREMIERE TOURIST DESTINATION
WITH 28 MILES OF SURF, SAND AND GOOD TIMES.
IT‘S HARD TO IMAGINE TODAY,
BUT FOR MANY YEARS THIS WAS A QUIET SEASIDE TOWN.
ITS LONE HOTEL BURNED DOWN IN 1907--
AND IT WAS 20 YEARS BEFORE ANOTHER TOOK ITS PLACE.
IN ITS HEYDAY, THE CAVALIER WAS AS ELEGANT AS ITS NAME.
WHEN IT OPENED IN 1927,
THE $2-MILLION STRUCTURE FEATURED EVERY AMENITY.
ONE OF THOSE PERKS WAS RUNNING WATER IN EACH ROOM,
INCLUDING A SEPARATE TAP FOR SALT WATER,
WHICH WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE HEALING PROPERTIES.
F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, JUDY GARLAND
AND SEVERAL PRESIDENTS HAVE GRACED ITS HALLS--
AS DID ADOLPH COORS, THE FOUNDER OF COORS BREWERY.
IN 1929, THE 82-YEAR-OLD FELL TO HIS DEATH
FROM A SIXTH STORY WINDOW.
NO ONE KNOWS IF IT WAS AN ACCIDENT OR NOT--
BUT LEGEND HAS IT
THAT COORS‘ GHOST STILL HAUNTS THE GRAND OLD CAVALIER.
OVER THE YEARS,
AS VIRGINIA BEACH HAS BECOME MORE POPULATED,
A HUGE AMOUNT OF WASTE HAS PILED UP--
AND THE RESULT IS MOUNT TRASHMORE.
THE 68-FOOT-TALL PEAK IS MADE OF PURE GARBAGE,
ALL OF IT COVERED WITH GRASS AND CONVERTED INTO A CITY PARK.
ON APRIL FOOL‘S DAY IN 1992, SOME LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITIES
MADE MOUNT TRASHMORE THE BUTT OF A TOO-CLEVER JOKE.
THEY ANNOUNCED THAT THE GARBAGE HEAP
WAS ABOUT TO ERUPT FROM PENT-UP METHANE.
THE HUMOR WAS LOST ON SOME LISTENERS,
WHO FLOODED 911 WITH CALLS ABOUT WHETHER TO EVACUATE.
CAPE HENRY IS HOME TO THIS LIGHTHOUSE,
THE OFFICIAL SYMBOL OF VIRGINIA BEACH.
IT WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
WHEN GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS PRESIDENT,
AND BUILT WITH STONE FROM THE SAME QUARRY
USED FOR THE WHITE HOUSE, THE CAPITOL, AND MOUNT VERNON.
THE FISH OIL USED TO KEEP THE LIGHT GOING HERE
WAS ALWAYS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD.
THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE WAS REPLACED IN 1881
BY THIS SECOND LIGHTHOUSE JUST A FEW HUNDRED FEET AWAY.
IT‘S NEARLY TWICE AS HIGH AS THE ORIGINAL,
AND SHINES A LIGHT THAT‘S VISIBLE
UP TO 19 MILES FROM SHORE.
RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE LIGHTHOUSES,
BUT EASY TO MISS,
IS A REPLICA OF A CRUCIFIX
ERECTED BY A SHIP FULL OF ENGLISHMEN IN 1607.
THEY BUILT IT TO THANK GOD
FOR THEIR SAFE JOURNEY TO THE NEW WORLD.
BUT THEY WERE SOON SCARED OFF BY A GROUP OF NATIVE AMERICANS
AND FLED UPRIVER TO JAMESTOWN, WHERE THEY SETTLED.
OF COURSE, THOSE EARLY SETTLERS
WOULD HAVE BEEN AMAZED AND DUMBFOUNDED
TO SEE A BRIDGE STRETCHING RIGHT ACROSS THE CHESAPEAKE BAY.
THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE-TUNNEL
IS BOTH A TOURIST ATTRACTION AND A TRAVEL CONVENIENCE,
CONNECTING THE VIRGINIAN MAINLAND,
NEAR VIRGINIA BEACH, WITH THE EASTERN SHORE.
WHEN IT OPENED IN APRIL 1964,
THIS 17 1/2-MILE BRIDGE-TUNNEL COMPLEX
WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE SEVEN ENGINEERING WONDERS
OF THE MODERN WORLD.
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG IS PERHAPS
THE MOST AMBITIOUS LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM IN THE U.S.
THE FORMER CAPITAL OF VIRGINIA,
IT HOUSES 88 STRUCTURES FROM THE 1700s AND EARLY 1800s--
AND MORE THAN 300 ACRES OF PLANTS
THAT WOULD HAVE THRIVED HERE IN THE COLONIAL ERA.
VIRGINIA‘S LARGEST HISTORICAL PRESERVATION PROJECT
WAS ACTUALLY FUNDED BY A FAMOUS NEW YORKER--
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, JR.
ROCKEFELLER WAS BROUGHT INTO THE PROJECT
BY LOCAL PASTOR W.A.R. GOODWIN OF BRUTON PARISH CHURCH.
WHEN THEY BEGAN BUYING PROPERTIES,
ROCKEFELLER KEPT THE PROJECT SECRET
SO THAT RESIDENTS SELLING THEIR HOMES
WOULDN‘T DRIVE UP PRICES.
FINALLY, ROCKEFELLER REVEALED HIS INTENT
TO RESTORE THE TOWN TO ITS COLONIAL GLORY.
SOME RESIDENTS WERE SUSPICIOUS,
BUT MOST WERE INTRIGUED BY THE IDEA.
THE BUILDINGS ARE FULL OF INTERPRETERS
WHO DRESS, TALK AND ACT
AS THOUGH THEY‘RE LIVING IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
SOME ARE ACTORS OR HISTORIANS,
AND OTHERS JUST HAVE GREAT ENTHUSIASM FOR AMERICA‘S PAST.
AS A RESULT, WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A COLONIAL FOOTNOTE
IS A TOURIST MECCA.
A MILLION VISITORS COME HERE EVERY YEAR.
NOT ALL THE BUILDINGS HERE ARE ORIGINALS--
BUT IT CAN BE HARD TO TELL WHICH ARE AUTHENTIC AND WHICH AREN‘T.
THE MAGNIFICENT GOVERNOR‘S PALACE BURNED DOWN IN 1781.
THIS IS A RECONSTRUCTION
BASED ON FLOOR PLAN DRAWN BY THOMAS JEFFERSON.
AND A 1770 INVENTORY LISTED MANY OF THE ORIGINAL FURNISHINGS.
JUST NORTH OF WILLIAMSBURG, IN CHARLES CITY COUNTY,
THE TEN-ACRE BERKELEY PLANTATION IS LINKED TO MANY FIRSTS.
IT‘S THE BIRTHPLACE OF PRESIDENT WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON,
WHO DIED JUST ONE MONTH AFTER HIS INAUGURATION--
THE FIRST PRESIDENT TO DIE IN OFFICE.
AND IN JULY 1862,
WHEN UNION TROOPS OCCUPIED THE PLANTATION,
IT WAS THE FIRST SPOT
WHERE A NEW LIGHTS-OUT BUGLE CALL WAS PLAYED--
A SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL TUNE KNOWN AS "TAPS."
ACCORDING TO LEGEND,
"TAPS" WAS PLAYED OVER THE BURIAL OF A UNION SOLDIER.
["TAPS" PLAYING]
BUT THIS SITE IS PROBABLY MOST FAMOUS
FOR WHAT SOME CONSIDER THE FIRST THANKSGIVING.
ON DECEMBER 4, 1619,
MORE THAN A YEAR BEFORE THE PILGRIMS SET SAIL,
CAPTAIN JOHN WOODLIEF AND A GROUP OF ENGLISHMEN
LANDED ON THE JAMES RIVER.
HE SAID THAT THIS DAY "SHALL BE YEARLY AND PERPETUALLY KEPT HOLY
AS A DAY OF THANKSGIVING TO ALMIGHTY GOD."
BUT IT WAS ABRAHAM LINCOLN
WHO MADE THANKSGIVING AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY,
AND HE WAS HONORING THE PILGRIMS‘ FEAST
IN MASSACHUSETTS, NOT JAMESTOWN.
ANOTHER HISTORIC HOME ALONG THE JAMES RIVER
IS THE SHIRLEY PLANTATION.
ALTHOUGH IT‘S NOW A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK,
THE MAIN HOUSE IS STILL OWNED AND LIVED IN
BY DESCENDANTS OF THE ORIGINAL OWNER, EDWARD HILL.
THIS IS THE SITE OF ONE OF THE OLDEST FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES
IN NORTH AMERICA,
GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1638.
THAT‘S THE YEAR HILL ESTABLISHED A TOBACCO FARM
ON THIS 800-ACRE PROPERTY.
THE CURRENT HOUSE WAS BUILT A CENTURY LATER,
FOR HIS GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER.
FUTURE CONFEDERATE GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE
SPENT MUCH OF HIS CHILDHOOD HERE.
HIS MOTHER, ANN HILL CARTER,
WAS BORN, RAISED AND MARRIED AT SHIRLEY PLANTATION.
VIRGINIA‘S STATE CAPITOL, RICHMOND,
HAS AN ECLECTIC MIX OF NEIGHBORHOODS--
FROM JACKSON WARD, KNOWN AS THE HARLEM OF THE SOUTH,
TO CHURCH HILL, A 19th-CENTURY NEIGHBORHOOD
THAT OVERLOOKS DOWNTOWN.
THE HISTORY OF RICHMOND IS CLOSELY TIED
TO ITS CONFEDERATE PAST.
AFTER VIRGINIA SECEDED FROM THE UNION,
RICHMOND IMMEDIATELY BECAME THE NEW CAPITAL OF THE CONFEDERACY--
AND ITS HEADQUARTERS WAS THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING.
WHEN THOMAS JEFFERSON DESIGNED THE STRUCTURE 70 YEARS EARLIER,
HE MODELED IT AFTER A ROMAN TEMPLE.
NEARBY STANDS A HISTORIC BUILDING
THAT‘S NEARLY HIDDEN BY A GROUP OF TOWERING MODERN STRUCTURES.
IT‘S THE WHITE HOUSE OF THE CONFEDERACY.
IN AUGUST 1861, WHEN JEFFERSON DAVIS MOVED IN,
HE HAD NO IDEA HE WAS UNDER CLOSE WATCH--
BY ONE OF HIS OWN SLAVES.
MARY BOWSER WAS A UNION SPY-- WITH A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY.
BUT UNDER SUSPICION,
MARY ESCAPED FROM RICHMOND IN JANUARY 1865--
JUST MONTHS BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF UNION TROOPS,
WHEN DAVIS HIMSELF FLED.
ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF RICHMOND, IN NEIGHBORING HENRICO COUNTY,
IS THE LARGEST SPORTS VENUE IN VIRGINIA--
THE RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY.
ALTHOUGH THERE‘S LITTLE ACTIVITY ON OFF DAYS,
ON RACE DAYS THIS STADIUM REGULARLY PACKS SELL-OUT CROWDS
OF 110,000 SPECTATORS.
IT‘S GONE BY MANY NAMES OVER THE YEARS,
BUT ONE THING HAS REMAINED CONSTANT HERE,
AND THAT‘S THE PRESENCE OF THE PETTY FAMILY.
THREE GENERATIONS OF THE PETTY FAMILY--
LEE, RICHARD, AND KYLE--
HAVE ROARED TO VICTORY HERE, SOLIDIFYING THEIR REPUTATION
AS ONE OF THE FIRST FAMILIES OF NASCAR.
RICHMOND BOASTS THE ONLY STREET IN THE U.S.
THAT‘S A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK.
MONUMENT AVENUE RUNS THROUGH THE HEART
OF THE CITY‘S FAN DISTRICT.
THE TREE-LINED PROMENADE
IS NOTED FOR ITS EXTRAORDINARY ARCHITECTURE--
BUT MAY BE MOST FAMOUS FOR ITS STATUES,
INCLUDING ROBERT E. LEE...
AND OF COURSE JEFFERSON DAVIS.
IN 1996, THE CITY ADDED THE STATUE
OF A DIFFERENT KIND OF REBEL--
NATIVE SON ARTHUR ASHE.
IN THE 1950s,
WHEN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ASHE WAS LEARNING TO PLAY TENNIS
IN THIS SEGREGATED CITY,
HE WAS TURNED AWAY FROM THE WHITE COURTS
IN NEARBY BYRD PARK.
FINALLY, ASHE MOVED TO ST. LOUIS,
WHERE HE HAD THE CHANCE TO PLAY ON INTEGRATED COURTS
AND BE TRAINED BY A PROFESSIONAL COACH.
HE WOULD BECOME THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WINNER
OF WIMBLEDON.
ALTHOUGH VIRGINIA WAS ONE OF THE LAST STATES TO LEAVE THE UNION,
MORE THAN HALF OF THE BATTLES IN THE CIVIL WAR
WERE FOUGHT HERE-- INCLUDING AT PETERSBURG.
AFTER A FAILED ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE RICHMOND IN 1864,
GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT SET HIS SIGHTS ON PETERSBURG.
THE CITY HAD FOUR RAIL LINES
CRITICAL FOR BRINGING FOOD AND SUPPLIES TO RICHMOND.
IF HE COULD SHUT DOWN THE RAIL LINES AND ROADS HERE,
GRANT KNEW HE COULD OVERTAKE THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL--
AND SOON THE LONGEST SIEGE IN AMERICAN HISTORY HAD BEGUN.
OVER THE COURSE OF 292 DAYS, UNION AND CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS
EXCHANGED GUNFIRE FROM THEIR TRENCHES.
DESPERATE TO SNAP THE STALEMATE,
GRANT‘S MEN TUNNELED BEHIND ENEMY LINES
AND PACKED FOUR TONS OF GUNPOWDER
BENEATH ONE OF THE CONFEDERATE CAMPS.
THE EXPLOSION BLASTED THIS CRATER IN THE LANDSCAPE
AND CARVED A GAP IN THE CONFEDERATE‘S LINE.
BUT AS UNION TROOPS SURGED INTO THE CRATER TO ATTACK ON FOOT,
LEE‘S MEN REGROUPED AND LAUNCHED A COUNTER ASSAULT.
FIGHTING CONTINUED HERE AT PETERSBURG FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.
GRANT EVENTUALLY PREVAILED, BUT PAID A HEAVY PRICE.
DURING THE TEN-MONTH BATTLE AT LEAST 42,000 UNION SOLDIERS
WERE KILLED, WOUNDED OR CAPTURED.
FOR ALL THE EMPHASIS ON HISTORY,
VIRGINIANS STILL KNOW HOW TO HAVE FUN--
ESPECIALLY AT THE KING‘S DOMINION AMUSEMENT PARK,
WHICH HAS BEEN THRILLING KIDS OF ALL AGES SINCE 1975.
SOME OF THE ATTRACTIONS FROM ITS EARLY DAYS STILL REMAIN,
LIKE A ONE-THIRD SCALE VERSION OF THE EIFFEL TOWER.
AND THE CAROUSEL.
THE THEME PARK HAS REALLY MADE ITS NAME
WITH ADRENALINE-PUMPING RIDES LIKE THE DOMINATOR.
THE WINDING 4,000-FOOT STEEL TRACK
ANCHORS THE LONGEST FLOORLESS ROLLER COASTER IN THE WORLD.
AND THE 272-FOOT DESCENT ON THE PARK‘S DROP TOWER RIDE
IS THE STEEPEST IN NORTH AMERICA.
[PEOPLE SCREAMING]
THOSE WHO PREFER TO FIND THEIR THRILLS ON THE GREENS
MAY BE DRAWN TO THE NEARBY KINLOCH GOLF CLUB.
SINCE ITS OPENING IN 2001, THIS PAR-72 COURSE
HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE "AUGUSTA NATIONAL OF VIRGINIA."
AND IT‘S BEEN NAMED ONE OF AMERICA‘S HUNDRED BEST COURSES.
KINLOCH WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER
WHO FIRST WANTED TO PUT A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY HERE.
WHEN HE DECIDED TO CREATE
A WORLD-CLASS GOLF COURSE INSTEAD,
HE ENLISTED A LOCAL SPORTS AGENT
TO HELP MAKE HIS VISION A REALITY.
UNLIKE MANY COURSES, MOST OF THE FEATURES HERE
WERE MADE BY MOTHER NATURE, NOT THE COURSE DESIGNER.
MANY OF THE ORIGINAL TREES WERE ALSO PRESERVED
DURING THE CLEARING OF THE LAND,
GIVING THIS THE FEEL OF A MUCH OLDER COURSE.
TO THE NORTHWEST IS CHARLOTTESVILLE, A COLLEGE TOWN.
BUT IT‘S ALSO PART OF THE LIVING LEGACY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON.
JEFFERSON LIVED HERE, AT MONTICELLO.
TO HIM, IT WAS MORE THAN JUST A HOME--
AND ACCORDING TO SOME HISTORIANS,
IT SERVES AS A KIND OF ARCHITECTURAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
THE NAME MONTICELLO MEANS "LITTLE MOUNTAIN" IN ITALIAN--
A FITTING DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCATION
WHERE THE SELF-TAUGHT ARCHITECT CHOSE TO BUILD HIS HOME.
CONSTRUCTION ON THE 43-ROOM MANSION BEGAN IN 1770,
SHORTLY AFTER JEFFERSON WAS FIRST ELECTED TO PUBLIC OFFICE.
IT WENT THROUGH MANY DESIGNS AND REDESIGNS,
AND WASN‘T FINISHED UNTIL 1809, THE LAST YEAR OF HIS PRESIDENCY.
JEFFERSON WAS INFLUENCED BY THE DESIGNS
OF THE LATE ITALIAN ARCHITECT PALLADIO.
AND HIS TRAVELS TO FRANCE INSPIRED HIM TO ADD SKYLIGHTS
AND THE FAMOUS DOME ROOM.
JEFFERSON, WHO VALUED HIS PRIVACY,
LEFT THE HOUSE SURROUNDED BY TREES.
HE DID CLEAR ENOUGH SPACE FOR SEVERAL GARDENS,
WHERE THE AVID HORTICULTURIST
GREW MORE THAN 250 KINDS OF VEGETABLES AND HERBS.
JEFFERSON ONCE SAID: "I AM AS HAPPY NOWHERE ELSE
AND IN NO OTHER SOCIETY,
AND ALL MY WISHES END, WHERE I HOPE MY DAYS WILL END,
AT MONTICELLO."
HIS DAYS DID END HERE ON JULY 4, 1826,
EXACTLY 50 YEARS AFTER AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE.
JEFFERSON LEFT INSTRUCTIONS
THAT HIS GRAVESTONE SHOULD BE AN OBELISK,
AND HE ALSO WROTE HIS OWN EPITAPH:
"HERE WAS BURIED THOMAS JEFFERSON,
AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE,
OF THE STATUTE OF VIRGINIA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM,
AND FATHER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA."
JEFFERSON--
WHO DIDN‘T EVEN MENTION BEING THE COUNTRY‘S THIRD PRESIDENT--
CLEARLY DIDN‘T WANT HIS WORK AT UVA TO BE FORGOTTEN.
JEFFERSON HAD HIS HAND
IN EVERY ELEMENT OF THE SCHOOL‘S CREATION.
HE DESIGNED THE BUILDINGS, CHOSE BOOKS FOR THE LIBRARY,
AND HELPED SHAPE THE CURRICULUM.
THE RETIRED STATESMAN
EVEN HOSTED A WEEKLY DINNER FOR STUDENTS,
INCLUDING A YOUNG WRITER NAMED EDGAR ALLAN POE.
THE AUTHOR OF "THE RAVEN" AND "THE TELL-TALE HEART"
NEVER EARNED HIS DEGREE HERE.
AFTER RUNNING UP TOO MANY GAMBLING DEBTS,
HE HAD TO LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY.
WHEN THE UNIVERSITY OPENED IN 1825,
IT SERVED A CLASS OF JUST 123 STUDENTS.
TODAY, IT REGULARLY HAS AN INCOMING CLASS
OF ABOUT 3,000 FIRST YEAR STUDENTS.
CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP PUBLIC COLLEGES IN THE NATION,
UVA IS STILL KNOWN AS "MR. JEFFERSON‘S UNIVERSITY."
THE CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA IS ALSO HOME TO SEVERAL WINERIES--
AND AGAIN, THEY TRACE THEIR HERITAGE BACK TO JEFFERSON,
KNOWN BY MANY AS THE FATHER OF AMERICAN WINE.
HE PLANTED DOZENS OF GRAPE VARIETIES HIMSELF.
AND WHEN A SMALL GROUP OF ITALIAN VINTNERS
ARRIVED IN VIRGINIA,
HE DONATED 200 ACRES OF LAND FOR THEM TO DO THE SAME.
AFTER PROHIBITION,
VIRGINIA‘S WINE PRODUCTION VIRTUALLY DISAPPEARED.
BUT IN THE LAST 20 YEARS,
THE NUMBER OF WINERIES HAS MULTIPLIED FROM SIX
TO MORE THAN A HUNDRED.
NORTHEAST OF CHARLOTTESVILLE IS MONTPELIER,
THE PLANTATION HOME OF FORMER JEFFERSON PROTEGE JAMES MADISON.
AFTER LEAVING OFFICE, THE FOURTH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
FOUND THAT HIS LAND HAD FALLEN IN VALUE--
AND HE WAS NEARLY BROKE.
THE PRIMARY AUTHOR OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
HELD BACK FROM PUBLISHING SOME OF HIS PAPERS.
HE HOPED THEY WOULD BRING CASH
TO HIS WIFE, DOLLY, WHEN HE WAS GONE.
BY THE SUMMER OF 1836,
THE LAST SURVIVING FOUNDING FATHER WAS GRAVELY ILL.
LEGEND HAS IT THAT A FRIEND URGED MADISON TO TAKE MEDICINE
THAT WOULD PROLONG HIS LIFE UNTIL JULY 4th.
MADISON REFUSED, AND DIED LESS THAN A WEEK
BEFORE THE 60th ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE.
SOON, HIS WIFE WAS FORCED TO SELL MONTPELIER
TO PAY OFF INCREASING DEBT.
APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE NATIONAL PARK,
20 MILES EAST OF LYNCHBURG,
IS WHERE THE LAST CHAPTER IN CIVIL WAR HISTORY
WAS WRITTEN.
THE 1,800-ACRE PARK HAS 27 RESTORED STRUCTURES,
INCLUDING THE McLEAN HOUSE.
IT WAS HERE ON APRIL 9, 1865, THAT GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE
HAD A 90-MINUTE MEETING WITH ULYSSES S. GRANT.
LEE AND GRANT HAMMERED OUT THE TERMS
OF A SURRENDER OF LEE‘S TROOPS,
ENDING THE BLOODIEST WAR IN AMERICAN HISTORY
WITH A HANDSHAKE.
THERE WAS NEVER AN OFFICIAL PEACE TREATY SIGNED
BETWEEN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH.
THAT WOULD HAVE MEANT ACKNOWLEDGING THE CONFEDERACY
AS A SEPARATE COUNTRY,
SOMETHING THE UNITED STATES REFUSED TO DO.
VIRGINIA‘S SHENANDOAH VALLEY IS A 200-MILE-LONG SWATH
OF WIDE-OPEN GREEN SPACE.
BORDERED BY THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS ON ONE SIDE
AND THE ALLEGHENIES ON THE OTHER--
THIS LUSH SPACE IS DOTTED WITH HISTORIC VILLAGES AND TOWNS,
AND FILLED WITH MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE
OF NATURAL WONDERS.
THE VALLEY IS NAMED FOR THE MAJESTIC RIVER
THAT RUNS THROUGH IT.
THE NATIVE AMERICANS CALLED IT THE SHENANDOAH,
OR "DAUGHTER OF THE STARS,"
BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE LIGHT SPARKLES OFF IT.
EXPLORERS FIRST DISCOVERED THE AREA IN THE MID-1600s,
BUT THE FIRST EUROPEAN SETTLERS DIDN‘T PUT DOWN ROOTS HERE
UNTIL THE EARLY 1700s.
WITH ITS SCENIC COUNTRYSIDE,
LEXINGTON HAS ATTRACTED MANY TRANSPLANTS TO THE AREA--
INCLUDING STONEWALL JACKSON, WHO SPENT A DECADE HERE.
HE NOTED THAT, "LEXINGTON IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE
THAT I REMEMBER OF HAVING EVER SEEN
IN CONNECTION WITH THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY."
JACKSON LIVED HERE WHILE TEACHING
AT THE VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE.
THE NATION‘S OLDEST STATE-SUPPORTED MILITARY COLLEGE
HAS MORE THAN A THOUSAND STUDENTS.
THEY SERVE IN ROTC WHILE ENROLLED HERE,
BUT MAY GO INTO THE ARMED FORCES OR BECOME CIVILIANS
WHEN THEY GRADUATE.
WHEN STONEWALL JACKSON TAUGHT HERE,
HE WAS STILL KNOWN BY HIS GIVEN NAME, THOMAS.
BUT HE SOON EARNED HIS FIRST NICKNAME.
HE WAS SO UNPOPULAR THAT HIS STUDENTS CALLED HIM "TOM FOOL."
JACKSON LEFT TO FIGHT THE CIVIL WAR IN APRIL 1861
AND NEVER RETURNED.
HE WAS BURIED HERE IN MAY 1863
AFTER THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE.
THE FORMER TEACHER OF ARTILLERY TACTICS
DIED OF COMPLICATIONS FROM A GUNSHOT WOUND--
AFTER BEING ACCIDENTALLY SHOT BY HIS OWN MEN.
LEXINGTON IS ALSO THE FINAL BURIAL PLACE
OF GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE.
HIS REMAINS ARE AT WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY,
WHERE HE SERVED AS PRESIDENT.
NOT FAR AWAY, ONE OF THE OLDEST
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN THE NATION
SOARS ACROSS THE SKY.
NATURAL BRIDGE IS 90 FEET WIDE AND OVER 200 FEET TALL,
AND ESTIMATED TO WEIGH ABOUT 36,000 TONS.
THIS WAS A SACRED SITE FOR NATIVE AMERICANS,
WHO FIRST DUBBED IT "THE BRIDGE OF GOD."
IN THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURY,
EUROPEAN TOURISTS TRAVELING THE COUNTRYSIDE BY CARRIAGE
CONSIDERED THIS A FAVORITE DESTINATION.
AND IT WAS OFTEN LISTED
AS ONE OF THE SEVEN NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD.
THOMAS JEFFERSON BOUGHT THE SITE FROM KING GEORGE III OF ENGLAND
TO MAKE SURE THAT IT STAYED IN PUBLIC HANDS.
JEFFERSON FELT THAT IN THIS SPOT
"THE RAPTURE OF THE SPECTATOR IS REALLY INDESCRIBABLE."
NEAR NATURAL BRIDGE SITS A CURIOSITY
THAT‘S DEFINITELY MANMADE--
SEEMINGLY FAMILIAR, AND YET UNIQUE.
THIS REPLICA OF STONEHENGE, BUILT BY MARK CLINE,
OPENED ON APRIL FOOL‘S DAY 2004, AND IS KNOWN AS FOAMHENGE.
THE ORIGINAL IN ENGLAND WAS BUILT OVER HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
THIS REPLICA--WITH 16-FOOT-TALL PIECES OF STYROFOAM--
WENT UP IN LITTLE MORE THAN A DAY.
THE FIRST VERSION OF IT BLEW RIGHT OVER,
SO CLINE ADDED PIPES TO ROOT IT TO THE GROUND--
AND IT‘S BEEN STANDING TALL EVER SINCE.
THE VALLEY IS DOTTED WITH SMALL TOWNS,
EACH ONE MORE PICTURESQUE THAN THE LAST.
BUT RURAL VIRGINIA DOESN‘T GET MUCH MORE QUAINT THAN MAYBERRY.
MAYBERRY‘S PICTURESQUE MABRY MILL
IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SPOTS ON THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY--
AND ONE OF THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED SITES IN VIRGINIA.
BORDERING THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY IS A SCENIC STRETCH OF ROAD
THAT HUGS THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS,
RUNNING FROM FRONT ROYAL TO WAYNESBORO.
PRESIDENT HERBERT HOOVER WAS KNOWN TO FISH IN THE AREA,
AND LEGEND HAS IT THAT HE LIKED THE VIEW SO MUCH
HE WANTED OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE IT--BY CAR.
THE ROAD WAS FINALLY APPROVED BY PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT.
THE 105-MILE ROAD WAS BUILT BY LOCAL FARMERS,
SOME OF WHOM WERE DISPLACED BY PRESERVATION EFFORTS HERE.
THE EVENTUAL COST WAS ABOUT $40,000 A MILE.
BUT THE VIEW--PRICELESS.
SOUTH AND WEST OF THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY
LIES THE REGION KNOWN AS APPALACHIA.
THIS IS A PLACE WITH A RICH CULTURE ALL ITS OWN,
AND A LONG TRADITION OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE.
FORGED BY WIND AND WATER,
CUMBERLAND GAP IS ONE OF THE FEW MAJOR BREAKS
IN THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CHAIN.
THIS 20-MILE-LONG NATIONAL PARK
CONTAINS 20,000 ACRES OF WILDERNESS
EXTENDING INTO TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY.
ADVENTURERS LIKE DANIEL BOONE
HELPED TO FORGE THE WAY THROUGH THE GAP FOR EARLY PIONEERS.
IT CONTINUED TO BE THE BEST ROUTE TO THE WESTERN U.S.
UNTIL THE EARLY 1800s.
AT VIRGINIA‘S SOUTHERN BORDER SITS THE CITY OF BRISTOL.
BUILT ON THE SITE OF A FORMER CHEROKEE VILLAGE,
THE TOWN WAS A POPULAR STOP FOR PEOPLE HEADING WEST
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DANIEL BOONE.
BUT BRISTOL MAY BE BEST KNOWN FOR A VICIOUS BORDER DISPUTE
WITH THE NEIGHBORING TOWN OF BRISTOL.
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE, THAT IS.
THE STATE LINE RAN RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF MAIN STREET.
IN 1889, A TENNESSEE MAN WAS ARRESTED
FOR TRYING TO PUT A WATERLINE
IN WHAT VIRGINIA OFFICIALS CLAIMED WAS THEIR LAND.
WITH TEMPERS FLARING,
ARMED MILITIAS HEADED OUT FROM EACH STATE.
BUT THE BATTLE ENDED UP IN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT,
WHICH ORDERED THE BORDER TO BE FINALIZED ONCE AND FOR ALL.
IN A SHOW OF GOOD FAITH,
THE TWO BRISTOLS ERECTED A MASSIVE SIGN
OVER THE APTLY RENAMED STATE STREET:
ONE HALF OF IT IN VIRGINIA, THE OTHER HALF IN TENNESSEE.
BACK IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
CIVIL WAR BUFFS CAN VISIT A SPOT THAT REVEALS HISTORY TIMES TWO.
MANASSAS NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD
IS THE SITE OF A PAIR OF DEADLY ENCOUNTERS--
THE FIRST AND SECOND BATTLES OF BULL RUN.
ON JULY 21, 1861, THE CIVIL WAR WAS JUST GETTING UNDERWAY.
WHEN UNION TROOPS ARRIVED HERE, THEY EXPECTED A QUICK VICTORY--
AND A SHORT WAR.
AT FIRST, THE UNION ARMY SEEMED TO HAVE THE UPPER HAND
ON HENRY HILL.
BUT ONE GROUP OF SOLDIERS MANAGED TO HOLD THEIR GROUND
BEHIND GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.
A FELLOW OFFICER SHOUTED,
"LOOK! THERE IS JACKSON STANDING THERE LIKE A STONE WALL."
AND FROM THAT DAY ON, HE WAS KNOWN AS STONEWALL.
AS THE BATTLE RAGED ON, THE SOUTHERNERS MANAGED
TO PUSH BACK THEIR NORTHERN COUNTERPARTS.
BUT THE TWO SIDES HAD LOST A TOTAL OF 900 MEN.
AND ANY HOPE FOR A FAST END TO THE WAR HAD VANISHED.
HERE ON BATTERY HEIGHTS,
THE TWO ARMIES FACED OFF AGAIN IN AUGUST 1862.
BY THEN, THEY WERE MUCH MORE SEASONED--
AND THE STAKES WERE EVEN HIGHER.
UNION GENERAL JOHN POPE SET UP HEADQUARTERS BEHIND THIS HOUSE,
AND PLOTTED A RETURN STRIKE AGAINST JACKSON.
A SERIES OF UNCOORDINATED ATTACKS
DID LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE CONFEDERATE ARMY.
FINALLY, AFTER THREE DAYS OF FIGHTING,
THE UNION ARMY FLED OVER STONE BRIDGE.
THE RESULT WAS ONE OF THE SOUTH‘S GREAT TRIUMPHS.
THEIR VICTORY WAS SHORT-LIVED.
LESS THAN A MONTH LATER,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN UNVEILED THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION--
A DECISIVE MOMENT IN ENDING SLAVERY AND THE CIVIL WAR.
FROM ITS PRE-REVOLUTIONARY ROOTS TO ITS CIVIL WAR BATTLES,
FROM ITS CELEBRATION OF ARCHITECTURE
TO ITS PRESERVATION OF NATURAL SPLENDOR--
VIRGINIA HAS BEEN CRITICAL IN THE SHAPING OF MODERN AMERICA.
BY CELEBRATING THE TRADITIONS OF ITS FOUNDING FATHERS
WITHOUT LOSING ITS SENSE OF FUN--
VIRGINIA REMAINS A PLACE WELL ROOTED IN THE PAST
YET FIRMLY GROUNDED IN THE PRESENT,
AND WELL POSITIONED FOR THE FUTURE.