"GARDENS IN THE WILDERNESS" A Bicentennial Film (In Progress)

In the chaotic years after the American Revolution, many of the same Americans who were striving to shape the new nation were also reshaping the land itself. It was "a generation willing to move on."

This one-hour film tells the story of the New England migration west after 1790; and the settlement, over the next 50 years, of the ever-moving Yankee frontier. The yeoman farm families who drove their cattle and carried their dishes, hoes, and Bibles over the mountains or across the frozen lakes brought New England ideas and institutions to these new settlements as well. The houses, churches, schools, and towns they built still bear the imprint of that Yankee heritage.

This is a story of cultural transfer—and transformation. As Yankees joined the throng on the Mohawk Trail or the Old Forbes Road, they were beginning the dynamic process of building a democratic and diverse American West. The land they cleared was still an Indian hunting ground. The new legal framework of the Northwest Ordinance prohibited slavery and guaranteed the separation of church and state, liberties not yet enjoyed in some of the Eastern states.

Today, 200 years later, as towns and villages celebrate their bicentennials, visitors from all over the world are reviving this nearly forgotten collective past by traveling the scenic roads and hiking trails, canals and railroads, Main Streets and village greens of "New England Extended." This meticulously researched historical documentary—combining beautifully photographed architecture, nature images, and living history re-enactment with the music, letters, and diaries of the time—is the best possible starting point for your own New England heritage tour.

Take a look behind the scenes.