Skip to main content
Back to Show
In the Americas with David Yetman

The Estrada Real ̶ Brazil's Highway Of Gold

Season 12 Episode 1207

In the late 17th century, after Portuguese explorers discovered rich gold deposits far inside Brazil's interior, the King ordered a highway built to transport the precious treasures to the coast. Towns, then cities exploded with miners, slaves, and a new generation of Brazilians of immense wealth. Today we can follow that same road from the coast to towns now recognized as colonial gems.

Support Provided By
Season
Puerto Rico: The Colony and its Emergence
26:46
Puerto Rico is a U.S. colony in the tropical Caribbean with its distinct history and culture.
Turquoise in the Southwest
26:46
For millennia turquoise has been the choice for indigenous Southwestern jewelers, and others.
African and Indigenous Heritage in Oaxaca’s Coast
18:51
In coastal Oaxaca runaway slaves joined indigenous folk in their communities and culture.
Popolocas and Their Heritage in Mexico
26:46
Popolocas of southern Mexico preceded their Aztec conquerors in their rich desert environment.
Copán, Honduras: Chronicles Of The Maya Kings
26:46
2000 years ago, kings of the ancient Mayas at Copán, Honduras, carved their history in rock.
Summer Mardi Gras: Caribbean Carnival in Toronto
26:46
Toronto explodes as summer Carnival festivities begin, safe from the wintry blasts.
Arizona Volcanoes
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Arizona's landscape is the product of millions of years of volcanic explosions.
Mexican Carnival
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Mexico has two Carnival parades like no others in the states of Puebla and Morelos.
Brazil’s Butantan Institute: Where Venomous Critters Find a Welcome
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
The Butantan Institute in São Paulo houses venomous creatures that protect human lives.
Re-claiming the Gulf in Baja California
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
The arrival of crowds and developers threaten unusual features of Baja California.
Snakes and Culture in the Amazon
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Native cultures view snakes as spiritually significant elements of nature.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park: Wilderness of Ice, Salmon, and Human History
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Our largest national park has become an important natural laboratory.
Active loading indicator