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On Now
9-10am
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The Conquerors
In one of the most significant land grabs in US history, three charismatic leaders sought individual glory and national fulfillment in the conquest of California. The martial exploits and political controversies of John Charles Fremont, Commodore Robert Field Stockton, and General Stephen Watts Kearney make a great story. Eventually at odds with each other, their military actions and achievements resulted in annexation of California. But John C. Fremont stands out. Acting on what many believe were President Polk's secret orders, Fremont fomented the Bear Flag Rebellion in June 1846. On behalf of the US, he signed the Treaty of Cahuenga with Mexico, then served for a month as military governor. He also led an overland expedition west, camping at Las Vegas Springs in 1844. His name is remembered today in neon as well as history books. The Fremont Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas bears his name as does Fremont Street--the main thoroughfare through the heart of casino-lined Glitter Gulch.
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On Next
10-11am
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History Explorer
John Chatterton dives the remains of a ship recently found off Florida whose past is as illustrious as her demise was mysterious. The Eleanor Bolling was the workhorse that carried Admiral Richard Byrd on his 1928 Antarctic expedition. But after Byrd's return to a New York City tickertape parade, his historic ship was soon forgotten and eventually sold in 1937. Renamed the Vamar, she began service as a cargo carrier in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. In March 1942, as the Battle of the Atlantic raged and German U-boats savaged Allied shipping, the Vamar left Florida headed for Cuba. The weather was fair, the seas calm, when suddenly, she sank without warning. Was she torpedoed? Did she hit a mine? Or was her captain in reality a Nazi spy who sank her as an act of sabotage?
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