Land of the Eagle

Episode 01

The Great Encounter

Oct 31, 2006

From Chesapeake Bay, the largest and most prolific estuary in North America, to the seemingly endless deciduous woods of the Appalachian Mountains, lies a rich tapestry of natural habitats, unparalleled in Europe. Yet many of the colonists starved to death.

Episode 02

Confronting the Wilderness

Nov 7, 2006

Trade rivalries eventually pushed the French south. Following the great Mississippi River, they laid claim to a land on behalf of their King - Louisiana.

Episode 03

Conquering the Swamps

Nov 14, 2006

The vast Spanish territory of Florida once stretched as far as the Mississippi. The wealth of this land was its wildlife, which thrived in sub - tropical swamps.

Episode 04

Across the Sea of Grass

Nov 21, 2006

Beyond the Mississippi, the explorers found the trees giving way to immense grasslands: the rolling prairies ablaze with a mass of flowers.

Episode 05

Into the Shining Mountains

Nov 28, 2006

The explorers searching for a safe trail through the Rocky Mountains found themselves locked in a maze of steep wooded valleys, rushing torrents, and harsh climates threatening storms and avalanches.

Episode 06

Living on the Edge

Dec 5, 2006

The Southwest of the continent is mostly desert - harsh, hot, inhospitable landscapes where plants and animals have developed very special means of survival.

Episode 07

The First and Last Frontier

Dec 12, 2006

Alaska, the northernmost mainland of America was the gateway for the native peoples that, 10,000 years ago, came from Asia to the New World.

Episode 08

Searching for Paradise

Dec 19, 2006

California's plant and animal communities were unrivalled elsewhere on the North American continent. But Americans soon began to realize the province's natural resources were not inexhaustible.