Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,080
In Poland,
an imperial bastion
2
00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:12,680
provides the backdrop
for powerful propaganda in the US.
3
00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,040
A successful film
in favour of the Germans
4
00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:18,120
could really have changed
the course of the war.
5
00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:25,720
In New Jersey, a powder keg
of injustice set to explode.
6
00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,120
In those conditions it wouldn't
take much to kick off a riot.
7
00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:36,720
A remote outpost in Namibia
8
00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,360
built to exploit
the desert's riches.
9
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,640
A discovery in these dunes
changed this region for ever.
10
00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:49,800
And in England,
11
00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,960
a haven of privilege
harbours radical fugitives.
12
00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:58,000
It was a common occurrence to have
the police knocking on the door.
13
00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,760
Decaying relics,
14
00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:10,640
ruins of lost worlds,
15
00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:15,160
sites haunted by the past,
16
00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:19,680
their secrets
waiting to be revealed.
17
00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:33,800
In central Poland are the battered
remains of a once-feared complex.
18
00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:45,240
You've got this big walled facility
hulking over the river.
19
00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:47,880
Really what's striking
is the variety of styles.
20
00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:52,280
This was clearly something
that was worked on over the ages.
21
00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,600
You can see casemates designed
to protect gun emplacements
22
00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:58,880
and ammunition storage.
23
00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:04,160
We can see all of the signs
that this is military construction.
24
00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,480
Inside you have these rows of beds,
25
00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,120
and it's clear this place
could have really held
26
00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,200
thousands and thousands of people.
27
00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:18,080
You really are well prepared
to guard the entire region.
28
00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:24,240
This was once a key battleground
in an era-defining conflict,
29
00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,880
a place you wouldn't expect to find
a pair of outsiders from the US.
30
00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,840
Two Americans and their sports car
31
00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,640
happened to be pinned
right in the middle of a war
32
00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:39,880
between two great powers.
33
00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:45,520
Yet their mission could have
dramatically changed the outcome.
34
00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:47,640
It had the potential
35
00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:52,640
to bring the United States
into the First World War
36
00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:54,840
on the German side.
37
00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:05,840
Elzbieta Wiercinska knows the
secrets of this imposing structure.
38
00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,240
This is Modlin Fortress.
39
00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,520
Its origin dates back
to the early 1800s,
40
00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,560
when Europe's great powers
fought for control of this region.
41
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,480
Napoleon defeats
the Kingdom of Prussia in 1806
42
00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,920
and then he takes possession
of much of what is today Poland.
43
00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:45,680
As Napoleon's power grew, he looked
to dominate even further east.
44
00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:50,520
Napoleon is going to
invade Russia in 1812,
45
00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,400
and he needs a firm base
46
00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,440
to push off from, to attack.
47
00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,160
So he starts to build this fortress
48
00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:03,480
with all of the very best
French military technology.
49
00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:09,240
However, the Russians captured the
fort in 1813, only a year later,
50
00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:11,720
after pushing back
Napoleon's advance.
51
00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,320
And so this state-of-the-art
French fort
52
00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,720
suddenly becomes
a state-of-the-art Russian fort,
53
00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:20,520
and they modernise the fortress
54
00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,200
to oppose any reconquest
from the west.
55
00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:30,120
For the next century, Modlin
Fortress and its surrounding area
56
00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,960
remained firmly under the control
of tsarist Russia.
57
00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:39,360
But in 1914,
when the First World War broke out,
58
00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,400
it found itself on the front line
59
00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,000
between the warring
German and Russian empires.
60
00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:51,000
A year in to the global conflict,
this far-flung stronghold
61
00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,720
was thrust into
the international spotlight
62
00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:56,800
thanks to a brash journalist
from Chicago,
63
00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:58,840
Wilbur H Durborough.
64
00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,080
He was working for the Newspaper
Enterprise Association,
65
00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,320
and they decided they needed
a man on the front,
66
00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,320
and Durborough
leapt at that chance.
67
00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,680
He wants the new medium of cinema
68
00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:20,360
to become a tool of documentation.
69
00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,680
He is going to create a documentary
70
00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,240
about World War One
on the eastern front.
71
00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,800
But Durborough wasn't going to
cover the war from the perspective
72
00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,720
of the allied forces
of Russia, Britain and France.
73
00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,640
He was going to embed
with the Germans,
74
00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,680
who had their own motives
for granting him access.
75
00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,560
This was a really interesting time
in American history
76
00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:48,760
because the United States
was still neutral in World War One.
77
00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:53,560
American entry into the war on the
side of Britain is not guaranteed.
78
00:05:55,560 --> 00:06:00,400
But English-language propaganda
coming from London
79
00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,880
all about German war crimes,
80
00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,160
some of which are true,
81
00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:11,960
is turning American public opinion
against Germany.
82
00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,960
The last thing Germany needed
was for the US to join the war
83
00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:21,000
in support of Russia's ally,
Great Britain.
84
00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,520
The German government
wants American journalists
85
00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:29,680
to the tell the German side
of World War One in America.
86
00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,440
A successful propaganda film
in favour of the Germans
87
00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,240
could really change
the course of the war.
88
00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:44,240
In March 1915, Durborough and his
camera operator, Irving Guy Ries,
89
00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:46,360
set sail for Europe.
90
00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,920
When they arrived one week later,
91
00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,360
the pair drove to Berlin
in Durborough's beloved sports car
92
00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:54,360
that he insisted on
taking with him,
93
00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,080
complete with stars and stripes.
94
00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,200
Before long, arrangements were made
95
00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:04,240
to take the filmmakers
to the eastern front of the war.
96
00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:10,520
By July 1915, German forces
are pushing Russians back,
97
00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,680
and Durborough and Ries
are right there with them.
98
00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,600
We're getting a real glimpse
of everyday life
99
00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,560
of German armies in action
on the eastern front.
100
00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:26,600
But as the Germans advanced,
one thing stood in their way -
101
00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,240
Modlin Fortress.
102
00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,400
This was really one of the biggest,
most impressive,
103
00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,600
most modern fortifications
of its day.
104
00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,720
In theory, it should have been
an impregnable fortress.
105
00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:44,160
Modlin had been designed not only
to protect the soldiers inside
106
00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,920
but to withstand a drawn-out siege.
107
00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:52,000
They built this water tower
but they disguised it,
108
00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:57,320
using decorative facade to kind
of camouflage it from the enemy.
109
00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,360
They also built
a grain storage facility
110
00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,400
in the middle of the river,
111
00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:18,960
which was a really cool idea
112
00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:24,120
because this meant the grain
was safe from any invading forces.
113
00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,240
So the Russians
had provisioned this fortress
114
00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,640
to hold out against the Germans
for months.
115
00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:36,640
A victory at Modlin Fortress
116
00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:40,040
would be a massive military success
for Germany.
117
00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:42,200
But officers knew their troops
118
00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,280
could be stuck outside
in the trenches indefinitely,
119
00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,080
while a 90,000-strong
Russian garrison
120
00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:51,160
was secure inside the fortress.
121
00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:55,200
A long siege was the last thing
that the Germans wanted.
122
00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:59,400
They wanted to make their way
to Russia as quickly as they could.
123
00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,080
The stalemate was also bad news
124
00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:06,160
for the two US filmmakers
embedded with the German army.
125
00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,920
So Durborough and Ries
face the prospect
126
00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:17,760
of filming hundreds
of German soldiers sitting still,
127
00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:21,240
staring at hundreds
of Russian soldiers.
128
00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:28,360
The siege of a fortress
is going to be terrible film.
129
00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,160
German high command had hoped
130
00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:34,480
that compelling coverage
of their sophisticated manoeuvres
131
00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,000
would help their overall objective
132
00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:41,400
and convince the US
to stay out of the war altogether.
133
00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:46,160
As the siege wore on,
their hopes were fading fast.
134
00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:51,320
And then the Germans had the most
amazing stroke of good fortune.
135
00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:55,280
If you saw this sort of movie, you
would think it had gone too far.
136
00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:59,040
A Russian officer
was touring the outworks
137
00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,040
and is captured by a German patrol.
138
00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,800
Amazingly, he had
detailed plans of the fort
139
00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:10,240
with annotations marking
where the weakest spots were.
140
00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,640
I mean, you could not make this up.
141
00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:18,800
On the 10th of August, 1915, the
assault on Modlin Fortress begins.
142
00:10:20,680 --> 00:10:25,680
If the Germans had tried
to bombard the whole fortress,
143
00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:27,640
they'd have got nowhere.
144
00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:33,680
Because the Germans can focus,
they are able to blast a way in.
145
00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,480
The Germans pound
the two weakest parts of the fort,
146
00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,000
reducing them to rubble,
147
00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:44,120
and then they launch
an all-out assault.
148
00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:51,000
Thousands of German infantry
breached its innermost defences.
149
00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:55,080
In just ten days,
Modlin had fallen.
150
00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:13,520
It's a huge loss for the Russians,
and it spells the end of their plan
151
00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:17,280
to use this place
as a kind of hurdle,
152
00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:20,640
slowing up the advance
of the German army into Russia.
153
00:11:21,680 --> 00:11:24,720
The defeat was a coup
for the Germans,
154
00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,520
and the American filmmakers decided
to take some creative licence
155
00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,520
to cement the victory.
156
00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:35,400
They were instructed not to film
German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II,
157
00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,920
and they say, "The hell with that.
We're Americans" and they film him.
158
00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,800
Having taken the bizarre initiative
159
00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:47,000
of plunging themselves
into a warzone,
160
00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:51,520
these two fellows
are able to get back to America
161
00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,240
with their film and their car,
162
00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,040
and they're heroes.
163
00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:02,080
On The Firing Line With The Germans
premiered in Milwaukee
164
00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,160
in November 1915.
165
00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,680
While it received good reviews,
many people thought
166
00:12:08,680 --> 00:12:13,120
it was a piece of propaganda
that lacked objectivity.
167
00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,080
For a number of reasons,
but chiefly
168
00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,120
because of German submarine attacks
on American shipping
169
00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,400
that was crossing the Atlantic,
170
00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:22,800
this confluence of factors
leads the Americans
171
00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:24,760
to join the war against Germany
172
00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,600
despite the efforts
to make the Germans look
173
00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,600
like a heroic party
on the eastern front.
174
00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:33,920
When Germany was finally defeated,
175
00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:38,640
Modlin Fortress became
part of newly independent Poland.
176
00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,400
It remained key
to the nation's defences
177
00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:45,440
until it finally shut down in 1995.
178
00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:57,360
Wilbur H Durborough's film
lay forgotten until 2016,
179
00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,920
when it was restored
by the Library of Congress.
180
00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,200
This is a really foundational
piece of war documentary
181
00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,560
because today we take for granted
182
00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:12,760
that we're going to see all kinds
of video footage of combat.
183
00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,240
But it really begins over 100 years
ago in World War One.
184
00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:26,200
In the suburban streets
of Newark, New Jersey
185
00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:31,240
hide the decaying remains that, for
some, became a symbol of rebellion.
186
00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,680
We're just a half-hour
from downtown Manhattan.
187
00:13:38,680 --> 00:13:40,520
It's a pretty typical street
188
00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:44,560
with office buildings
and a hospital across the way.
189
00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:47,200
But you'll notice one block
190
00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:51,440
is a little bit more dishevelled
than all of the others.
191
00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,840
You can barely see in
through all the overgrown trees
192
00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,800
spilling out into the street.
193
00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:02,840
Through the foliage you can spot
the walls of an imposing building.
194
00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,360
The construction within
is falling apart,
195
00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,280
but evidence of its original
function still lingers.
196
00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,840
You can see different wings
and sections
197
00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,360
and the foundations
of a few structures.
198
00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:20,560
There's holes in the roof,
rusty metal bars,
199
00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,280
and vegetation is working its way
through the windows.
200
00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,440
Despite all this decay,
201
00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:29,240
you can still make out
what this building once was.
202
00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:34,160
It's the long corridors and barred
doors. They're a dead giveaway.
203
00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,760
During a decade of change,
204
00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:40,080
the violent struggles taking place
outside this jail
205
00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,440
would permeate its walls.
206
00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,800
New inmates were pouring in,
and the jail was full to the brim.
207
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:52,400
One of those new inmates, within
the course of one generation,
208
00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:57,520
his family's narrative arc
would go from solitary confinement
209
00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,840
to the mayor's office.
210
00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,320
I grew up four or five blocks
from here in downtown Newark.
211
00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:15,080
I was always really interested
in abandoned structures,
212
00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:19,240
particularly that speak to
moments in American history.
213
00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,440
Myles Zhang
is an urban historian and artist
214
00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,720
with a lifelong passion
for this building.
215
00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,080
When I think about
why this needs to be preserved,
216
00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:31,920
it's the story that this building
allows us to tell.
217
00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,640
It's a story of the common people
that are held behind bars.
218
00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:39,920
This is the Old Essex County Jail.
219
00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,320
It opened in 1836,
220
00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:47,320
a period when the population
of Newark was rapidly expanding.
221
00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:49,920
It cost about $70,000 at the time,
222
00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,320
and that was the largest
municipal expense.
223
00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,720
It makes this the oldest government
building in Essex County.
224
00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:58,360
It was designed to be
state-of-the-art
225
00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,920
by the famed architect,
John Haviland.
226
00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:04,040
He's known as the father
or the inventor
227
00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:05,800
of the form of the modern prisons.
228
00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:09,760
He designs a prison that isolates
people in individual cell blocks
229
00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,280
in confinement
for long periods of time
230
00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,840
in the hope that maybe
this makes them better people.
231
00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,200
In later years,
two additional wings and a hospital
232
00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,600
were added to his design.
233
00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,200
But as the population
of Newark grew,
234
00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:27,160
the jail would become
disproportionately overcrowded.
235
00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,040
Over the course
of the 20th century,
236
00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:30,880
over six million African Americans
237
00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:33,160
would leave the south
for the north and the west
238
00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:37,960
to escape the harsh reality
of Jim Crow laws and segregation.
239
00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:42,840
But in Newark, the predominantly
White population wasn't welcoming,
240
00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:48,480
and police arrests among African
American newcomers were high.
241
00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:53,560
By the 1930s, I believe
Newark is about 20% or so Black,
242
00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,520
but the prison population
is 70% Black.
243
00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:01,000
So you see increasing
incarceration of Black men.
244
00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:07,320
With more and more African
Americans coming north, by 1967
245
00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:11,080
Newark had become one of America's
first majority Black cities.
246
00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:16,960
Although Newark's population
was now mostly African American,
247
00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:21,800
the city's law enforcers
remained overwhelmingly White.
248
00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,800
This imbalance
would soon reach a tipping point,
249
00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:29,480
and the Old Essex County Jail
would be caught in the crosshairs.
250
00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:34,280
By the 1960s,
the jail had really deteriorated.
251
00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:36,040
Decades of overcrowding
252
00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:39,200
had led to poor, poor conditions,
253
00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:41,600
and it was about to get much worse.
254
00:17:43,120 --> 00:17:46,760
Tensions between law enforcement
and Newark's Black community
255
00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:48,280
were rising.
256
00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:52,240
During the long,
hot summer of 1967,
257
00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:56,760
over 150 urban rebellions broke out
all over the country,
258
00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:00,480
and in July
Newark reached a boiling point.
259
00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:02,040
During a traffic stop,
260
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,720
a Black cab driver
was arrested and brutally beaten,
261
00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:10,040
sparking a week
of protest and violence.
262
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:17,960
In total, 26 people were killed
by the National Guard
263
00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,040
and 1,400 were arrested
264
00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,680
in what became known as
the Newark Rebellion.
265
00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:27,280
Many of those people were taken
to the Essex County Jail.
266
00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:31,840
Activist Fredrica Bey
is a Newark resident
267
00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,280
who remembers the rebellion.
268
00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:36,920
Two of her siblings
were also incarcerated
269
00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:39,480
at Old Essex County Jail.
270
00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,720
The tombs,
it was called in Newark.
271
00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,400
Of course, tombs
is for dead people,
272
00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:52,240
and my brothers and the people
who were confined here...
273
00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,400
I mean, "We're in the tombs,"
274
00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:56,640
while they are living.
275
00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:02,680
And I had to come here and
put my head on this dirty screen.
276
00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,160
And when I left out every time,
277
00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:10,440
I'd have this dirty screen print
in my forehead.
278
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:17,040
And to think about it...
it makes me angry.
279
00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:22,120
On the first night
of the Newark Rebellion
280
00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:27,560
controversial writer Amiri Baraka
was also thrown in the jail.
281
00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:32,000
An influential poet, Black activist
and native of Newark,
282
00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,000
Baraka has attracted criticism
283
00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,920
for including anti-Semitic
elements in his work.
284
00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:41,520
To many, he was one of the greatest
Black writers of his generation,
285
00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:47,080
but to some his writings reflected
violence, misogyny and homophobia.
286
00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:50,920
Baraka had been pulled over
by the police, fiercely beaten
287
00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:54,040
and charged with carrying a weapon.
288
00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:59,800
Amiri Baraka got his head bashed in
by the Newark police.
289
00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:04,080
He shed blood
and was locked up in this place.
290
00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:10,360
And he did it while he was
advocating for us, for Black folk.
291
00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:15,360
To be willing to give your life
for your people...
292
00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:16,720
I honour him.
293
00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,840
Placed in solitary confinement
when he entered the jail,
294
00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:24,800
he detailed his experience
years later in his autobiography.
295
00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,120
He recounted
watching through a window
296
00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:30,520
while inmates screamed helplessly
297
00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:34,080
as police shot down people
in the streets outside.
298
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:37,360
After he was released,
299
00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:41,960
Baraka never stopped campaigning
for the people of Newark.
300
00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:44,320
That was a volatile time.
301
00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,520
The Newark rebellions,
I remember that.
302
00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:51,320
It definitely changed things,
the rebellions did.
303
00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:56,480
I remember I got my first real job
after the rebellion.
304
00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:58,280
Things opened up.
305
00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,080
But Newark's lawmakers
still hadn't addressed
306
00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:06,680
the injustices inside the jail.
307
00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:11,520
There was severe overcrowding
in the Essex County Jail.
308
00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,760
A jail designed
for 200 or 300 people
309
00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:17,120
at that point had over 500 people
confined here.
310
00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:18,840
In some of the cells right here,
311
00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:22,520
cells barely four feet wide
by six feet deep
312
00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:27,680
would have two people confined here
in rooms without electricity.
313
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:31,280
So people are locked in their cells
and in this narrow corridor here
314
00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,160
24 hours a day for weeks on end.
315
00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:38,400
In those conditions it wouldn't
take much to kick off a riot,
316
00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:43,520
and in 1968 the violence spilled
over into Essex County Jail.
317
00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,440
Several of the inmates
in the west part,
318
00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,920
when it's time to go back into
their cells at the end of the day,
319
00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,160
they said, "We're not going back.
We're spending this time outside."
320
00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,720
So they set fire to the place.
321
00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:58,920
Over the course of two hours,
322
00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:00,960
the inmates
clashed with the wardens,
323
00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,240
breaking furniture
and setting fires.
324
00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,200
They burn a hole in the roof and
the fire department is called in.
325
00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:11,600
In the aftermath of the riot,
326
00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,000
over 100 inmates
were transferred to other locations
327
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,040
in order to try to
ease the tensions.
328
00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:22,280
Finally the city was forced
329
00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:26,160
to deal with the jail's
overcrowding problem.
330
00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:30,240
It built a large, modern facility
on the outskirts of town,
331
00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:34,640
and in 1971
the original jail closed down.
332
00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:43,160
Today the Old Essex County Jail
stands as a powerful reminder
333
00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:46,640
of Newark's struggle
with injustice.
334
00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,360
Some of the activists
that fought for change
335
00:22:49,360 --> 00:22:51,400
and were incarcerated here
336
00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,920
still inspire hope.
337
00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:59,040
Baraka's career would go on
to span some 52 years.
338
00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,800
Baraka's influence on Newark
lasted generations.
339
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,600
Almost 50 years after he was
locked up in Essex County Jail,
340
00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:11,320
his son, Ras Baraka,
was elected mayor of the city.
341
00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:13,120
NO SOUND
342
00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:17,720
Baraka went on to serve the people
of Newark for multiple terms.
343
00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:30,600
In Namibia, the desiccated remains
of a settlement sink into the sand.
344
00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:38,880
It's a foreboding landscape
345
00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,880
where the Namib desert
clashes with the Atlantic Ocean.
346
00:23:43,360 --> 00:23:45,880
You can just about notice
a train track,
347
00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:47,760
and just a few miles down the line
348
00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:51,480
a lone station
in the middle of nowhere.
349
00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,400
Why would anybody have any reason
350
00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:57,720
to run a small-gauge railroad
through this area?
351
00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:00,400
At the end of the line,
352
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,160
a series of ramshackle remains
may yield the answer.
353
00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:09,000
It's the last place in the world
you'd expect to see a town,
354
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,520
but there are signs
of a settlement.
355
00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:14,520
It's a collection of houses,
some of which are residential,
356
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,520
that have been taken over
by the sand to such an extent
357
00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:22,480
that there are sand drifts in the
inner hallways of these buildings.
358
00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,880
But there's also rusted machinery
littering the ground.
359
00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:30,040
When people come
to a desolate place like this,
360
00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:33,480
there's usually a very good reason
for them to be here.
361
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:42,360
Today, this site sits in an area
called Das Sperrgebiet,
362
00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:44,600
"the forbidden zone".
363
00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,880
Local historian Heinz Manns
has special permission
364
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,080
to access this restricted area.
365
00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:56,800
This railroad was built
366
00:24:56,800 --> 00:25:00,360
by the German government
for the German army
367
00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:03,560
to move their armament
to the interior of the country
368
00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:06,680
and to do business
with the interior,
369
00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:11,200
to do trade with the local people
of Namibia at that time.
370
00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,640
The railroad was completed in 1906
371
00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,080
and ran from the coast
into the heart of Namibia,
372
00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:22,000
which the Germans called
South West Africa
373
00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:24,640
and had controlled since 1883.
374
00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:27,640
The Germans established this colony
375
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,440
in an attempt
to counter the British,
376
00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:33,080
who had established
the South Africa colony.
377
00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,760
In 1907, a young railway surveyor
from Germany
378
00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,680
decided to come
to this desolate outpost
379
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:46,040
hoping the arid climate
would help to cure his asthma.
380
00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:50,080
August Stauch
worked for the railroad,
381
00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,480
and he had a team of workers
under him
382
00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,640
clearing the railroad track
of dune sand.
383
00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:02,000
He was the station master,
you can call it.
384
00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,680
He came here for health reasons,
385
00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:07,640
but soon
he found himself on a quest
386
00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:09,640
for something far more lucrative.
387
00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:15,160
There was supposed to have been
diamond finds in the area,
388
00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:17,520
but nothing was ever confirmed.
389
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,160
He just couldn't let go
of that idea
390
00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:25,840
that somewhere hidden in these
sands were precious gemstones.
391
00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:33,240
Stauch was scorned by geologists,
who'd already scoured the area.
392
00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:35,600
But he remained determined.
393
00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:37,160
He instructed his workers
394
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,960
to keep an eye out
for gemstones in the sands.
395
00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,600
Well, Zacharias Lewala
was one of the workers
396
00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,480
clearing the railroad track.
397
00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,200
He came to August in the morning
398
00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:55,360
and said, "Mr Stauch, look,
I found a pretty stone."
399
00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,680
Stauch took it and
scratched the glass of his watch.
400
00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:03,160
It left a deep cut.
401
00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,040
It confirmed
what he had long suspected -
402
00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:11,360
that there were diamonds
in the sands of Namibia.
403
00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:14,760
Stauch also had them tested
at a government laboratory.
404
00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,960
They all came back
confirmed as genuine,
405
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,080
and the diamond rush was on.
406
00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,480
Between June and December 1908,
407
00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,840
40,000 carats' worth of diamonds
were found
408
00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,840
and prospectors were buying up land
as fast as they could.
409
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:36,120
By 1912, the industry
had grown so quickly,
410
00:27:36,120 --> 00:27:39,520
a town was built to support
the flourishing trade.
411
00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,760
It was called Pomona.
412
00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:47,640
Over the next few years,
413
00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:51,720
prospectors would pull nearly
five million carats from the sand,
414
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,880
worth almost $20 billion
in today's money.
415
00:27:55,880 --> 00:28:00,760
Pomona was the richest area
in diamond mining.
416
00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:05,160
There were teachers here, there was
a doctor here, two hospitals,
417
00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,600
340 permanent employees.
418
00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:12,760
That included wives, children, everything.
419
00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,960
Pomona was complete
with a mess hall, a school,
420
00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:20,480
even a bowling alley to make the
German employees feel more at home.
421
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:24,800
To get the right people
to work here, to get the expertise,
422
00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:27,000
you have to look after the people.
423
00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,480
This was a very well thought-out
mining town,
424
00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,640
not unlike the mining towns that
you'll see in the American West.
425
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:38,840
But not everyone who came to Pomona
found such comforts.
426
00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:45,240
This is part of
the labourers' quarters,
427
00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,520
the workers,
the two-year contractors.
428
00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:51,560
Each one had
his own little cubicle.
429
00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:55,520
They could park their stuff on top
there, their personal belongings.
430
00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,040
This is where they lived
for two years.
431
00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:02,960
800 local labourers
did the manual work,
432
00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:07,240
the brutal task of searching
for diamonds in the sand.
433
00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:12,160
These rickety sheds
and rusting machinery
434
00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,760
were designed
to assist the process.
435
00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:18,680
These are the classifiers.
436
00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:22,480
These were used to sift out
the diamond gravel.
437
00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:25,080
So these machines
were hand-operated.
438
00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:29,760
The first process worked with
the material shaking in the water,
439
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:31,600
so the heavy stuff
goes to the bottom.
440
00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:33,920
Diamond is
the heavier material around.
441
00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:36,400
That's what they were looking for.
442
00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,360
It was painstaking work,
443
00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:42,520
and for those who toiled
under the desert sun
444
00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,200
it exacted a punishing toll.
445
00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:48,240
The Germans
overseeing the operation
446
00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:51,800
treated the local labourers
with distrust.
447
00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,720
For the mine owners,
there was the constant paranoia
448
00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,680
of workers smuggling out diamonds
with them,
449
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:03,600
and they went to extreme lengths
to prevent this.
450
00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:05,440
They were checking you
inside and out
451
00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:08,040
to see whether or not
you were stealing the diamonds.
452
00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:12,640
Some suspect they forced
the workers to take laxatives
453
00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:14,680
to make sure, even if
they swallowed the diamonds,
454
00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:16,400
they couldn't hold on to them.
455
00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,200
By 1914, Germany was in control
456
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,920
of a third of the world's
diamond supply.
457
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:30,800
August Stauch,
the man who started it all,
458
00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:34,120
had become rich
beyond his wildest dreams.
459
00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:40,080
Germany's great diamond rush
would soon grind to a halt.
460
00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,240
On the night of August 4th, 1914,
461
00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:46,360
the radio station at Luderitz
received a report
462
00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:49,080
that Germany and Great Britain
were now at war.
463
00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,880
During the war they were allowed
to mine minimal scale
464
00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:56,440
just to sustain themselves.
465
00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:59,240
But the companies
didn't operate, really.
466
00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:02,880
Within the year,
467
00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:07,000
Britain's South African
colonial troops invaded Namibia,
468
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:10,040
forcing the Germans
to abandon the town.
469
00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:15,280
They took everything they could,
470
00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:17,360
and they also destroyed
a lot of stuff,
471
00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:19,040
the same with the railway line,
472
00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:21,880
so it didn't
fall into the enemy's hands.
473
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:24,480
By the end of the war,
474
00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:29,400
the defeated Germans had lost
control of Namibia and the mine.
475
00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:34,720
In 1919, the German-born
industrialist Ernest Oppenheimer
476
00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:36,760
took control of Pomona.
477
00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:43,600
Operations continued until
deposits ran out in the 1930s,
478
00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:46,240
and the town was left deserted.
479
00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:48,920
Pomona turned into a ghost town
480
00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,640
because, with the disappearance
of the people,
481
00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:55,080
the desert reclaimed
what belonged to it before.
482
00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:59,680
Meanwhile, the man who started
Namibia's diamond rush
483
00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:01,720
met a similar kind of fate.
484
00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:04,960
August Stauch
was a millionaire overnight,
485
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,360
but he did a lot of
wrong investments.
486
00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:11,640
He died a poor man.
He had no money.
487
00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:21,720
Today, prospectors in Namibia
have reached new frontiers
488
00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:25,040
in their continuing search
for diamonds.
489
00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:28,800
There is still mining
going on around, sporadic,
490
00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:32,520
but the main diamond mining
is happening in the sea now,
491
00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,600
so it's offshore.
492
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:36,920
After being uninhabited
for so long,
493
00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,080
today the region around Pomona
494
00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:42,840
has some of the highest
biodiversity in the country.
495
00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:44,880
Its unique desert plants,
496
00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:46,320
reptiles
497
00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:48,080
and herds of antelope
498
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:53,000
led to the area's preservation
as a national park in 2009.
499
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:03,480
To the northwest of London, England
500
00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:08,520
a ghostly manor house gives
little hint of its radical past.
501
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:14,480
It's a beautiful
sandstone building.
502
00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:19,200
It stands at the end of a quarter-
mile-long tree-lined driveway.
503
00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:23,320
The brickwork is crumbling
but you can still see
504
00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,120
that this place must have been
a real sanctuary.
505
00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:32,360
Inside there are trappings
of privilege and wealth.
506
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:38,200
We've got these fine plasterwork
ceilings, opulent woodcarvings,
507
00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,920
stone-framed windows.
508
00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:43,200
This might seem like a place
that would be a home
509
00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,120
for upper-class aristocrats
510
00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:48,960
who would resist
any kind of social change.
511
00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,360
But this mainstay
of the Establishment
512
00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:55,560
was once pivotal to a vicious
struggle for civil rights.
513
00:33:55,560 --> 00:34:01,040
It was a real hotbed for one of the
most important battles of its day.
514
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:05,920
It was a common occurrence to have
the police knocking on the door.
515
00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:17,400
Amanda Pitcairn
has a deep family connection
516
00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:19,880
to this sprawling estate.
517
00:34:20,720 --> 00:34:23,160
This house was owned
by my great-grandparents.
518
00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:26,560
When I was growing up, I heard
lots of stories about this place.
519
00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:29,200
I've never been here before.
This is my first time.
520
00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:31,320
It's really exciting
actually to see it
521
00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:34,440
because I recognise it
from photographs.
522
00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:40,520
This dilapidated mansion was once
home to Agnes and Henry Harben.
523
00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:42,560
Harben was very wealthy
524
00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,440
because he'd inherited a fortune
from his grandfather,
525
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:48,240
who had built up
the Prudential insurance company.
526
00:34:48,240 --> 00:34:51,400
At the time,
in the homes of the elite
527
00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:54,920
strict rules of etiquette
were still being followed.
528
00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:58,200
This is the room that was
pretty much a male preserve.
529
00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,840
Men would sit and drink port
and smoke cigars and tell bad jokes
530
00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:04,240
until they got very drunk.
531
00:35:04,240 --> 00:35:06,680
This is Newland Park,
532
00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:10,480
a 550-acre estate and 50-room house
533
00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:13,240
with rigidly manicured gardens.
534
00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:18,880
But, despite appearances, Henry
Harben was far from conventional.
535
00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:22,640
He was basically what my mother
calls a smoked-salmon socialist.
536
00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:24,280
He didn't see any contradiction
537
00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:28,320
between his lifestyle
and his political leanings.
538
00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:30,720
He made friends
with all sorts of radical people
539
00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:32,760
regardless
of their social background.
540
00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:36,960
Henry and Agnes Harben turned
their home into a kind of salon
541
00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:40,960
where people with new ideas,
people interested in social change,
542
00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:43,560
could gather and discuss
the kind of world
543
00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:46,080
they wanted to see in the future.
544
00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:48,560
The first decade
of the 20th century
545
00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:52,880
was a time of unprecedented
reform in society.
546
00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:57,800
This was a period of great
liberalising in social norms,
547
00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:02,480
an embrace of a more egalitarian
approach to life.
548
00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:08,200
So in the 1900s,
Henry and Agnes became involved in
549
00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:11,200
one of the biggest issues
of the day.
550
00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:14,840
All women,
regardless of social class,
551
00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:16,400
were still barred from voting.
552
00:36:18,720 --> 00:36:22,440
It's almost hard to remember today,
but the world's great democracies,
553
00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,600
like Britain, like the US,
554
00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,800
they weren't actually
all that democratic.
555
00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:29,760
In both Britain and America
556
00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:33,680
women had been fighting for the
right to vote, known as suffrage,
557
00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:36,520
since the mid-19th century.
558
00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:40,440
But after decades of
getting nowhere with politicians,
559
00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:46,560
a new, all-female group would
emerge and take Britain by storm.
560
00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:51,800
Emmeline Pankhurst was this very
dramatic leader of the movement,
561
00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:55,040
a real magnet for press attention.
562
00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:58,760
Emmeline had been an ardent
campaigner for women's suffrage
563
00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:00,560
for decades.
564
00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:03,680
But her increasing frustration
with peaceful tactics
565
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:07,360
had forced her to form
a more radical action group.
566
00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:10,000
This was a very different
type of organisation.
567
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,480
Fed up of broken promises
given from men in power,
568
00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:15,240
only women could join.
569
00:37:15,240 --> 00:37:18,120
They began a campaign
of direct action
570
00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:21,040
with the motto "Deeds, not words."
571
00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:24,560
In an attempt to belittle them,
572
00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,840
a journalist labelled them
"suffragettes",
573
00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:29,880
as opposed to "suffragists",
574
00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:34,320
which they sort of embraced
and took as a badge of honour.
575
00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:37,880
Agnes was a member
of the suffragette movement
576
00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:40,240
and totally committed to it.
577
00:37:40,240 --> 00:37:42,840
Henry funded the cause
to a great extent.
578
00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:46,920
The Harbens frequently played host
579
00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:49,800
to Emmeline Pankhurst
at Newland Park.
580
00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:55,640
Henry used his inherited assets to
bankroll the nationwide movement.
581
00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:58,880
But as women's rights
continued to be denied,
582
00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:02,120
the suffragettes became
increasingly militant.
583
00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:06,880
Emmeline Pankhurst proclaimed that
it was her duty to break the law
584
00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:10,800
in order to bring attention
to their plight.
585
00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:14,280
Women started smashing windows,
586
00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:16,760
setting post-boxes on fire.
587
00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:20,920
They even chased after Winston
Churchill with a horsewhip.
588
00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:27,120
Then it escalated, and the fight
got very intense and ugly.
589
00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:30,360
Bombs were sent to the homes
of government officials.
590
00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:35,200
In their minds, their actions
were completely justified.
591
00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,680
In response, many hundreds of women
were arrested and imprisoned.
592
00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:44,320
In protest, the women began
a campaign of hunger strikes.
593
00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:47,600
If one of these women
were to die of starvation,
594
00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:51,560
it would be a political disaster
for the country.
595
00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:57,160
So the government began a policy
of force-feeding the women.
596
00:38:57,160 --> 00:38:59,680
A warden would restrain a woman,
597
00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:03,400
take a rubber tube, put it down
her nostrils into her throat,
598
00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,600
sometimes directly
into her stomach.
599
00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:08,960
Women broke teeth.
They were injured.
600
00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:11,520
Emmeline Pankhurst's sister
actually died
601
00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:14,040
after being force-fed in prison.
602
00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:16,640
This was exactly
the kind of attention
603
00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:18,880
the government wanted to avoid.
604
00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:21,200
So they changed their tactics.
605
00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:25,680
So hunger strikers would be kept
until they were extremely weak,
606
00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:29,320
and then they'd be released
long enough to recover,
607
00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:31,360
and then they would
get picked up again
608
00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:33,680
and serve out
the rest of their sentence.
609
00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:38,840
Emmeline Pankhurst herself was
constantly arrested and released,
610
00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:42,440
as many as 12 times
in the space of 12 months.
611
00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:50,120
Once released, many suffragettes
escaped to Henry and Agnes's home.
612
00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:52,440
My great-grandparents
would have felt angry
613
00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:54,480
about the treatment
of the suffragettes
614
00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:57,440
and the way
they had been brutalised,
615
00:39:57,440 --> 00:39:59,480
and they would do anything to help.
616
00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:01,880
And these poor women
were in a bad way.
617
00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:06,600
They had this huge place and there
were women with nowhere to go,
618
00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:09,120
so they offered their home.
619
00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:11,520
Newland Park became a place
620
00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:16,080
for the malnourished women
to hide out and recover.
621
00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:20,160
For the suffragettes,
fresh out of prison,
622
00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:23,960
coming here was like
stepping into another world.
623
00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:27,960
The suffragettes were
from a different class, basically,
624
00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:30,600
and they would not
have been used to
625
00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,120
the sort of lifestyle
that was led here.
626
00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,520
This is a testament
to my great-grandmother,
627
00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:40,080
who would have done her utmost
to make them feel welcome.
628
00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:44,680
But rumours of the Harbens'
involvement in the movement
629
00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:47,600
led police right to their doorstep.
630
00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:53,200
A well-timed tip-off allowed Agnes
and Henry to conceal the fugitives.
631
00:40:54,240 --> 00:40:56,320
This is where, in the cellars,
632
00:40:56,320 --> 00:41:00,880
is where they hid Emmeline
Pankhurst and more suffragettes.
633
00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:05,120
The story was that they hid them
rolled up in lino in the cellar.
634
00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:11,920
Well, it feels so much like a...
like a cell, actually,
635
00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:15,840
that they must have felt
they were back into jail.
636
00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:19,720
Thanks to their hideout
at Newland Park,
637
00:41:19,720 --> 00:41:23,920
the suffragettes were spared
a return to prison.
638
00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:27,600
A year later, the outbreak
of the First World War
639
00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:30,560
transformed society's view of women
640
00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:34,600
and confirmed their place
in a changing world.
641
00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:36,720
Male politicians
could no longer claim
642
00:41:36,720 --> 00:41:39,480
that women were unfit to vote.
643
00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:43,960
If they could work in munitions
factories and drive ambulances,
644
00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:47,360
why couldn't they
walk into a voting booth?
645
00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:51,440
In 1918, the government
finally conceded
646
00:41:51,440 --> 00:41:55,240
and the process of
allowing women the vote began.
647
00:41:56,280 --> 00:42:00,360
But life at Newland Park
wasn't so successful.
648
00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:02,560
Agnes and Henry separated
649
00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:05,600
and their home changed hands
several times
650
00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:08,120
before it eventually
fell into disrepair.
651
00:42:14,240 --> 00:42:18,000
Today, developers are turning
this valuable real estate
652
00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:20,440
into a complex of luxury homes.
653
00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:24,360
It'll feature Harben Drive
654
00:42:24,360 --> 00:42:27,800
and a central statue
of Emmeline Pankhurst,
655
00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:32,120
ensuring the importance of this
site to a vital social movement
656
00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:33,960
will not be forgotten.
657
00:42:57,160 --> 00:43:00,680
Subtitles by Red Bee Media
55862
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.