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Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip | |
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Written by | Dayton Duncan |
Directed by | Ken Burns |
Country of origin | United States |
Original release | |
Release | October 6, 2003 |
Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip is a 2003 documentary film directed by Ken Burns and written by Dayton Duncan. Its subject is the first cross-country automobile journey in the United States, which occurred during the summer of 1903. The documentary focuses primarily on Horatio Nelson Jackson and his Winton car, the Vermont, along with his companions Sewall K. Crocker, his pet pitbull Bud and frequent correspondence with Jackson's wife Bertha Richardson Wells (called "Swipes" by Jackson). The journey became a race among three teams, the winners being Jackson and Crocker.
The documentary has a companion book and audiobook, Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip, authored by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns, published by Knopf in 2003.
Several noted actors read the lines of various historical figures. They include:
Archival footage of Horatio Nelson Jackson is included.
A series of American university professors of history provided background information.
The soundtrack includes a variety of music, including some bluegrass instrumentals and a modern rendition by Bobby Horton of an old song called "He'd Have to Get Under – Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile)".
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. A driver's permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met, and drivers are required to follow the established road and traffic laws in the location they are driving. The word "driving" has etymology dating back to the 15th century. Its meaning has changed from primarily driving working animals in the 15th century to automobiles in the 1800s. Driving skills have also developed since the 15th century, with physical, mental and safety skills being required to drive. This evolution of the skills required to drive have been accompanied by the introduction of driving laws which relate not only to the driver but also to the driveability of a car.
Garden City is a town in northwestern Rich County, Utah, United States. The population was 602 at the 2020 census. Garden City sits on the shores of Bear Lake and is a popular summer resort destination town, thus nicknamed the "Caribbean of the Rockies”.
Kenneth Lauren Burns is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV or the National Endowment for the Humanities and distributed by PBS.
The Winton Motor Carriage Company was a pioneer United States automobile manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. Winton was one of the first American companies to sell a motor car. In 1912, Winton became one of the first American manufacturers of diesel engines.
Horatio Nelson Jackson was an American physician, Army medical officer, and automobile pioneer. In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States, a road trip from San Francisco to New York City, with additional miles travelled to his home in Vermont.
Drive or The Drive may refer to:
The Vermont is a name given to a 1903 Winton that became the first automobile to cross the United States. It traveled from San Francisco, California to Manhattan, New York. The crew was owner Horatio Nelson Jackson, mechanic Sewall K. Crocker and their dog Bud.
Geoffrey Champion Ward is an American editor, author, historian and writer of scripts for American history documentaries for public television. He is the author or co-author of 19 books, including 10 companion books to the documentaries he has written. He is the winner of seven Emmy Awards.
Sewall K. Crocker was an American bicycle racer and automobile pioneer from Tacoma, Washington, who became the mechanic and co-driver who partnered with Horatio Nelson Jackson in the first successful cross-country automobile trip in 1903.
A road trip, sometimes spelled roadtrip, is a long-distance journey traveled by automobile.
"He'd Have to Get Under – Get Out and Get Under " is one of the lengthier titles in the history of popular songs. The song was published in 1913, with music by Maurice Abrahams and lyrics by Grant Clarke and Edgar Leslie.
Overlanding or 4WD Touring is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal. Typically, but not exclusively, it is accomplished with mechanized off-road capable transport where the principal form of lodging is camping, often lasting for extended lengths of time and spanning international boundaries.
The National Parks: America's Best Idea is a 2009 television documentary miniseries by director/producer Ken Burns and producer/writer Dayton Duncan which features the United States National Park system and traces the system's history. The series won two 2010 Emmy Awards; one for Outstanding Nonfiction Series and one for Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming in Episode 2 "The Last Refuge". A companion book (ISBN 978-0307268969) was released alongside.
Dayton Duncan is an American screenwriter, producer and former political aide.
Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery is a 1997 television documentary miniseries about the Lewis and Clark Expedition directed and co-produced by Ken Burns. It is produced by Burns' Florentine Films for Washington, DC PBS station WETA-TV, first aired on PBS on November 4 and 5, 1997.
Tauck is an operator of guided tours and cruises and is based in Wilton, Connecticut. Founded in 1925, the company offers guided land journeys, small-ship ocean cruises, European river cruises, safaris, and family travel experiences. These tours take place in 70 countries and on all seven continents.
George Adams Wyman was the first person to make a transcontinental crossing of the United States by motor vehicle. In 1903, Wyman rode his 1902 California Motor Company motor bicycle from San Francisco to New York City in 51 days, finishing 20 days before Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson, the first person to cross the continent by automobile.
The Vietnam War is a 10-part American television documentary series about the Vietnam War produced and directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, written by Geoffrey C. Ward, and narrated by Peter Coyote. The first episode premiered on PBS on September 17, 2017. This series is one of the few PBS series to carry a TV-MA rating.
Country Music is a documentary miniseries created and directed by Ken Burns and written by Dayton Duncan that premiered on PBS on September 15, 2019. The eight-part series chronicles the history and prominence of country music in American culture.
Bud, a bulldog, was the mascot of Horatio Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker on the first automobile trip across the United States in 1903. The pair travelled in a Winton car, dubbed the Vermont, from San Francisco to New York City, and picked up Bud near Caldwell, Idaho.