dayman Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) Anyone watch this series? I would recommend it. Nothing groundbreaking and a bit repetitive (they feel the need to recap everything after each commercial break for some unknowable reason)...but all in all pretty good, pretty entertaining, and certainly worth a watch if you know nothing or only something about post-civil war business. Follows a number of story lines but mostly focuses on Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Morgan...tracking their rise as they crush their competition (through business practices now illegal) and the competition between themselves. It ends with the rise of the anti-trust movement and the new wave of business leaders that rise in that era (Ford, etc). Well worth the watch. Edited November 14, 2012 by TheNewBills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Yeah, but they didn't build America. Someone else made that happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I caught the part on Edison and Tesla. Never grew up being taught anything beyond Edison = lightbulb, and the details of the story was fascinating to me. By the time he created an electric chair using AC just to scare people into believing DC was better and AC will kill you, I was completely engrossed. Very well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted November 14, 2012 Author Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) I caught the part on Edison and Tesla. Never grew up being taught anything beyond Edison = lightbulb, and the details of the story was fascinating to me. By the time he created an electric chair using AC just to scare people into believing DC was better and AC will kill you, I was completely engrossed. Very well done. Agreed. I had basically the same knowledge as you...although I had a bare bones understanding Tesla died poor and was a bad business man and figured Edison won that little battle...which obviously was wrong as the show explained (his ideology having won, him having lost). I did find it hilarious the electric chair was allowed to proceed b/c hanging was perceived to be cruel and apparently after frying that guy they figured this new electric chair idea was something to continue on with. The way people manipulated stock and bought/blocked out competition back then is fascinating though. Good show. Edited November 14, 2012 by TheNewBills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck_dodgers007 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I caught the part on Edison and Tesla. Never grew up being taught anything beyond Edison = lightbulb, and the details of the story was fascinating to me. By the time he created an electric chair using AC just to scare people into believing DC was better and AC will kill you, I was completely engrossed. Very well done. Yes, that is a very good story! Killing animals to scare people. The commission at Niagara Falls settled the issue and decided on DC, and after that what could Edison do? Biggest electrical project in the country goes DC and Edison began switching over and working with Westinghouse. You can see the electrocution of the elephant from Cony Island on YouTube which was done by Edison and filmed by Edison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Excellent series. Highly recommend to any American history buffs The Edison/Tesla Current Wars always fascinated me. It's amazing everything that Tesla created or conceived that people just take for granted. An American Leonardo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted November 14, 2012 Author Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) Yes, that is a very good story! Killing animals to scare people. The commission at Niagara Falls settled the issue and decided on DC, and after that what could Edison do? Biggest electrical project in the country goes DC and Edison began switching over and working with Westinghouse. You can see the electrocution of the elephant from Cony Island on YouTube which was done by Edison and filmed by Edison. Watched it a little while ago but pretty sure they settled on AC not DC...then Morgan bought out Westinghouse and fired Edison lol (could be wrong on the exact details here) EDIT: And by "bought out" I mean threatened a law suit he knew he would lose but knew Westinghouse couldn't afford to take on Edited November 14, 2012 by TheNewBills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck_dodgers007 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Watched it a little while ago but pretty sure they settled on AC not DC...then Morgan bought out Westinghouse and fired Edison lol (could be wrong on the exact details here) EDIT: And by "bought out" I mean threatened a law suit he knew he would lose but knew Westinghouse couldn't afford to take on Oops, I think you are right, alternating so they can switch it to high and low current to send it a long distance and then make it go lower voltage when it goes into your house. I didn't know about the Morgan angle, I haven't seen that episode yet, but the series looks great. I watched the one on Carnegie and the steel strike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Yes I was home sick a couple of weeks ago. Good stuff. Got a damn good staff meeting out of it. Trained my staff how to !@#$ people over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I caught the part on Edison and Tesla. Never grew up being taught anything beyond Edison = lightbulb, and the details of the story was fascinating to me. By the time he created an electric chair using AC just to scare people into believing DC was better and AC will kill you, I was completely engrossed. Very well done. I didn't see the show but I knew Edison came from modest means and only had 3 months of formal education. I mean 3 months period like in the 2nd grade. Yet look what he did. Yet the liberals tell us only people with "help" can be successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) I didn't see the show but I knew Edison came from modest means and only had 3 months of formal education. I mean 3 months period like in the 2nd grade. Yet look what he did. Yet the liberals tell us only people with "help" can be successful. Rockefeller had to help support his family as a child by selling candy Carnegie came for a very modest family from Scotland Vanderbilt Worked on his father's ferry as a child Those damn rich guys had it all handed to them. The libs with "but they did it on the backs of others" in 3...2...1... Edited November 14, 2012 by Chef Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I caught the part on Edison and Tesla. Never grew up being taught anything beyond Edison = lightbulb, and the details of the story was fascinating to me. By the time he created an electric chair using AC just to scare people into believing DC was better and AC will kill you, I was completely engrossed. Very well done. So true... On Tesla's 75th birthday... He was thrown a party... Read what he said! The dude was amazing. BUT the dreamers (especially if one is a foreigner) get run over in our society... ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
....lybob Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I didn't see the show but I knew Edison came from modest means and only had 3 months of formal education. I mean 3 months period like in the 2nd grade. Yet look what he did. Yet the liberals tell us only people with "help" can be successful. Edison took a job as a newsboy on the new Grand Trunk Railway service that had recently begun operating between Port Huron and Detroit, selling candy and refreshments.2 He made good use of his free time in Detroit by reading at the public library. He had set up a laboratory in the baggage car of the train where he performed experiments during his free time. An accidental fire on the train caused by one of his experiments led to his firing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I didn't see the show but I knew Edison came from modest means and only had 3 months of formal education. I mean 3 months period like in the 2nd grade. Yet look what he did. Yet the liberals tell us only people with "help" can be successful. So you side with Edison in the "Current War" debate. ?? Granted, Edison was the businessman and Tesla the dreamer and showman. Some really debate that Marconi invented the radio... It was behind alot of Tesla's patents that Nikola was easy aboout people using... He'd put Steve Jobs to shame! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 So you side with Edison in the "Current War" debate. ?? Granted, Edison was the businessman and Tesla the dreamer and showman. Some really debate that Marconi invented the radio... It was behind alot of Tesla's patents that Nikola was easy aboout people using... He'd put Steve Jobs to shame! "The Great Radio Controversy." Tesla did invent the radio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 So you side with Edison in the "Current War" debate. ?? Granted, Edison was the businessman and Tesla the dreamer and showman. Some really debate that Marconi invented the radio... It was behind alot of Tesla's patents that Nikola was easy aboout people using... He'd put Steve Jobs to shame! IIRC, Tesla was posthumously awarded the patent for the radio But like what Steve Jobs did and (adding spoiler tag in case somebody hasn't seen the series finale) what Ford did with ALAM , sometimes it takes one person to create something and another person to understand it's potential Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck_dodgers007 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Rockefeller had to help support his family as a child by selling candy Carnegie came for a very modest family from Scotland Vanderbilt Worked on his father's ferry as a child Those damn rich guys had it all handed to them. The libs with "but they did it on the backs of others" in 3...2...1... Why didn't any of these guys fight in the Civil War? Answer...poor people went for them! I admire Carnegie and Vanderbilt and Edison, great men, but they can't be used as a measure for ordinary people to be measured by, few people are that great. And no, they did not do it themselves. Vanderbilt didn't build a steam engine, Carnegie didn't invent the Bessemer Steel process and well, edison was so great no argument there, he deserved whatever the world could give him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 "The Great Radio Controversy." Tesla did invent the radio. Amazing how many books are written on him... A bunch a years ago my son was doing a project for school and he wanted to do Tesla (our cat is named Tesla) and our 85 year old neighbor grew up about 12km from where Tesla was born... After the war he escaped Tito and came to live here (retired from Ford over 30 years ago... Betcha they are waiting for him to kick over)... Anyway, before I get side tracked... I helped my son build a small Tesla Coil for his 4th grade 'Living Museum' science fair... It powers a small Fl bulb wirelessly! LoL... Kids were lining up up with the quarters to see the demo! Boy did I have to put the Catholic school he attends at ease during setup! LoL... Catholic church progressed much in 100 years, yet they were still hestitant! The quarters helped with their fears! Something Tesla never quite grasped! LoL... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck_dodgers007 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 So you side with Edison in the "Current War" debate. ?? Granted, Edison was the businessman and Tesla the dreamer and showman. Some really debate that Marconi invented the radio... It was behind alot of Tesla's patents that Nikola was easy aboout people using... He'd put Steve Jobs to shame! Marconi actually had to move to Nova Scotia or Newfoundland because the big telegraph companies in the UK wouldn't allow it there. Amazing how many books are written on him... A bunch a years ago my son was doing a project for school and he wanted to do Tesla (our cat is named Tesla) and our 85 year old neighbor grew up about 12km from where Tesla was born... After the war he escaped Tito and came to live here (retired from Ford over 30 years ago... Betcha they are waiting for him to kick over)... Anyway, before I get side tracked... I helped my son build a small Tesla Coil for his 4th grade 'Living Museum' science fair... It powers a small Fl bulb wirelessly! LoL... Kids were lining up up with the quarters to see the demo! Boy did I have to put the Catholic school he attends at ease during setup! LoL... Catholic church progressed much in 100 years, yet they were still hestitant! The quarters helped with their fears! Something Tesla never quite grasped! LoL... Ya!!! Did the project go well?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Why didn't any of these guys fight in the Civil War? Answer...poor people went for them! I admire Carnegie and Vanderbilt and Edison, great men, but they can't be used as a measure for ordinary people to be measured by, few people are that great. And no, they did not do it themselves. Vanderbilt didn't build a steam engine, Carnegie didn't invent the Bessemer Steel process and well, edison was so great no argument there, he deserved whatever the world could give him. Edison... Assembled a team... That he was good at! He had a workman like system to churn out the inventions. Tesla did do it all himself... The AC thing yeah... Funny how we talk about Apple and Google, VHS and beta, etc... etc... I like the part were Westinghouse/Tesla weren't allowed to use Edison's patent for the screw in lightbulb... So for the Columbian Expo... Tesla came up with the plug in bulb... Take that Apple! Ooops, I mean Edison! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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