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Alexander Armstrong embarks on a journey across the United States to explore how a nation founded on bold ideals became one of the world’s most powerful and complex countries. From the historic streets of Pennsylvania and the rugged hills of West Virginia to Florida’s sun-soaked coastlines, the neon spectacle of Las Vegas and the vast landscapes of Utah, the series crosses thousands of miles to meet the people and places that reveal a nation shaped by its past, constantly reinventing itself, and defined by bold ambition and striking contrasts.
Beginning in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, Alexander Armstrong sets out to discover how those founding ideals play out in modern America, before diving into local life with a lesson in the art of the Philly cheesesteak. In rural Pennsylvania, he discovers the state's crucial role in the fight against slavery, rides America's oldest steam railroad and learns about the devastating opioid crisis.
Alexander heads into the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, meeting a homesteader who has rejected modern life and now lives off-grid, while sharing his lifestyle with thousands of followers online. Alexander then uncovers the industries and traditions that helped shape the state, from the coal mines that powered America's industrial rise to the moonshiners whose illicit trade became part of Appalachian folklore and identity
Alexander travels from the mighty Hoover Dam to the bright lights of Las Vegas and the deserts of Utah, exploring the engineering that reshaped the American west. He uncovers Las Vegas's hidden stories, from homelessness beneath the Strip to the legacy of segregation, and meets craftsmen keeping neon alive, a British magician, and volunteers preparing for life on Mars, before taking on a spectacular rope swing over a vast desert canyon.
Alexander concludes his journey in Florida, visiting Miami to explore the legacy of the cocaine boom, its vibrant street art and Little Havana's Cuban community. He joins the 'Python Huntress' in the Everglades, checks out Tarpon Springs' fishing industry, and meets a former MAGA supporter who explains why he left the movement. He ends in a lively retirement community where growing older is celebrated with energy, humour - and dancing.
