Great American Railroad Journeys S01E11 - Baltimore to Fort Mchenry

Michael Portillo continues his American rail journey from Philadelphia to Jamestown. In Baltimore, home of the first railroad in the United States - the Baltimore and Ohio - he discovers how the first American steam engine, the Tom Thumb, owed much to pioneering British technology. He investigates race relations in the troubled city, taking a drive downtown with a former drug dealer, now a teacher.

On the city's beautiful east coast, Michael discovers the impressive star-shaped Fort McHenry and learns how the Star-Spangled Banner national anthem was born. Medics at the city's Johns Hopkins Hospital show Michael how their institution has grown from its 19th-century foundation by the railroad magnate into a world-leading centre for healthcare. And at the city's Lexington Market, Michael learns what gives a Maryland crab cake the edge.