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The Machines That Built America

The stories behind innovations such as TV, radio, phones, airplanes, motorcycles and power tools as well as the inventors including Nikola Tesla, William Harley, Alexander Graham Bell, Duncan Black and Alonzo Decker.

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N/A

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Genre

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Six West Media

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https://www.history.com/shows/the-machines-that-built-america

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‐ [Narrator] 50 Million
are sold every year, - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] 50 Million are sold every year,

‐ [Narrator] From
backyards to big ag, - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] From backyards to big ag,

‐ [Narrator] They are in
90% of American households - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] They are in 90% of American households

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] But
one century ago, - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] But one century ago,

If you want the fun, if
you want the freedom, - The Machines That Built America

If you want the fun, if you want the freedom,

‐ Farm life is grueling
in the 19th century. - The Machines That Built America

‐ Farm life is grueling in the 19th century.

‐ [Narrator] Until a poor
farm boy with a genius idea - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] Until a poor farm boy with a genius idea

‐ The ability to move equipment
through a field dependably, - The Machines That Built America

‐ The ability to move equipment through a field dependably,...

‐ [Narrator] But to rival
upstarts see a chance - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] But to rival upstarts see a chance

‐ [Narrator] As the
20th century approaches, - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] As the 20th century approaches,

Everything was on the
line and they knew - The Machines That Built America

Everything was on the line and they knew

‐ A year from now, - The Machines That Built America

‐ A year from now,

‐ [Narrator] It's an epic
battle of outsized egos, - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] It's an epic battle of outsized egos,

(gun firing) - The Machines That Built America

‐ They saw the opportunity - The Machines That Built America

‐ They saw the opportunity

‐ I want you to blow
Mr. Farnsworth's plans - The Machines That Built America

‐ I want you to blow Mr. Farnsworth's plans

‐ [Narrator] Their quest to
corner the market will produce - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] Their quest to corner the market will produce

‐ [Narrator] But with
billions at stake, - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] But with billions at stake,

‐ It was horrendously dangerous - The Machines That Built America

‐ It was horrendously dangerous

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

‐ These motorcycles did
truly help build America. - The Machines That Built America

‐ These motorcycles did truly help build America.

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

(intense upbeat music) - The Machines That Built America

(intense upbeat music)

‐ The tractor actually
changed the American landscape - The Machines That Built America

‐ The tractor actually changed the American landscape

‐ [Narrator] This is
"Tractor Empires." - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] This is "Tractor Empires."

While the decade that
will become known - The Machines That Built America

While the decade that will become known

‐ Entertainment that
everyone is sharing - The Machines That Built America

‐ Entertainment that everyone is sharing

(birds chirping) - The Machines That Built America

(birds chirping)

‐ [Narrator] Cinema
is still silent - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] Cinema is still silent

(steam engine chugging) - The Machines That Built America

(steam engine chugging)

At a time when Americans
earned about 16 cents an hour, - The Machines That Built America

At a time when Americans earned about 16 cents an hour,

‐ By the close of the Civil War, - The Machines That Built America

‐ By the close of the Civil War,

About half of Americans
worked in agriculture, - The Machines That Built America

About half of Americans worked in agriculture,

Most still think of radio only
as a way to send messages, - The Machines That Built America

Most still think of radio only as a way to send messages,

These primitive machines are
more like glorified bicycles - The Machines That Built America

These primitive machines are more like glorified bicycles

But that's gonna change rapidly - The Machines That Built America

But that's gonna change rapidly

‐ The notion that we would send - The Machines That Built America

‐ The notion that we would send

(dramatic music)
(steam blowing) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music) (steam blowing)

There are entrants from
dozens of companies all eager - The Machines That Built America

There are entrants from dozens of companies all eager

As people moved from
farms to the city, - The Machines That Built America

As people moved from farms to the city,

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

The real contest is a
David and Goliath battle - The Machines That Built America

The real contest is a David and Goliath battle

Somebody has to grow
your food for you. - The Machines That Built America

Somebody has to grow your food for you.

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

The outcome will
have a major impact - The Machines That Built America

The outcome will have a major impact

‐ [James] Farm labor was
incredibly challenging work - The Machines That Built America

‐ [James] Farm labor was incredibly challenging work

‐ [Narrator] But one
low‐level executive at RCA, - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] But one low‐level executive at RCA,

‐ [Narrator] 30 year
old David Sarnoff - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] 30 year old David Sarnoff

‐ [Narrator] Harvesting
a single five acre farm - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] Harvesting a single five acre farm

In the decades
following the civil war, - The Machines That Built America

In the decades following the civil war,

‐ When Sarnoff first got here, - The Machines That Built America

‐ When Sarnoff first got here,

‐ Society is changing, - The Machines That Built America

‐ Society is changing,

In 1875, one young farm
boy will do anything he can - The Machines That Built America

In 1875, one young farm boy will do anything he can

I mean the guy was a hustler. - The Machines That Built America

I mean the guy was a hustler.

‐ [Narrator] That hustle
got him a job at the company - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] That hustle got him a job at the company

When one day Sarnoff just
a teenage office boy, - The Machines That Built America

When one day Sarnoff just a teenage office boy,

‐ [Narrator] Cars
don't yet exist - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] Cars don't yet exist

‐ [Narrator] His
name is Henry Ford. - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] His name is Henry Ford.

May I be of assistance?" - The Machines That Built America

May I be of assistance?"

People are desperate
for a personal form - The Machines That Built America

People are desperate for a personal form

‐ Henry Ford grew up on a farm, - The Machines That Built America

‐ Henry Ford grew up on a farm,

He wanted to become a
great man like Marconi - The Machines That Built America

He wanted to become a great man like Marconi

He knows what arduous
work farming is. - The Machines That Built America

He knows what arduous work farming is.

‐ At the turn of the century, - The Machines That Built America

‐ At the turn of the century,

‐ [Narrator] One day,
Sarnoff will be known - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] One day, Sarnoff will be known

It allows for Americans
to be able to have freedom - The Machines That Built America

It allows for Americans to be able to have freedom

‐ He didn't like
farming in large part - The Machines That Built America

‐ He didn't like farming in large part

‐ [Narrator] As bicycles
become stronger, faster - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] As bicycles become stronger, faster

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

Back in July, 1921, - The Machines That Built America

Back in July, 1921,

When he was 12‐years‐old, - The Machines That Built America

When he was 12‐years‐old,

Racing fuels a massive boom in
sales and by the early 1890s, - The Machines That Built America

Racing fuels a massive boom in sales and by the early 1890s,

He took it apart and put it
back together so many times - The Machines That Built America

He took it apart and put it back together so many times

He's trying something
that's never been done, - The Machines That Built America

He's trying something that's never been done,

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

In Springfield, Massachusetts, - The Machines That Built America

In Springfield, Massachusetts,

American Jack Dempsey versus
George Carpentier of France. - The Machines That Built America

American Jack Dempsey versus George Carpentier of France.

And to pull it off, - The Machines That Built America

And to pull it off,

‐ [Narrator] By opening his
own manufacturing company. - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] By opening his own manufacturing company.

But for now, he's just a kid - The Machines That Built America

But for now, he's just a kid

‐ They just thought it's
this weird little thing - The Machines That Built America

‐ They just thought it's this weird little thing

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

So he had kind of
that name recognition - The Machines That Built America

So he had kind of that name recognition

‐ [Radio Announcer]
July 2nd, 1921, - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Radio Announcer] July 2nd, 1921,

(dramatic music) - The Machines That Built America

(dramatic music)

‐ George Hendee entered
300 bicycle races - The Machines That Built America

‐ George Hendee entered 300 bicycle races

‐ [Narrator] To make sure
a big audience can tune in, - The Machines That Built America

‐ [Narrator] To make sure a big audience can tune in,

The Machines That Built America poster

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The stories behind innovations such as TV, radio, phones, airplanes, motorcycles and power tools as well as the inventors including Nikola Tesla, William Harley, Alexander Graham Bell, Duncan Black and Alonzo Decker.

User Rating: 0.0 (0 ratings)

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Production: Six West Media

Genre: documentary

Year: 2021

MetaScore: N/A/100

ImdbRating: 7.6

BoxOffice:

Released: 18 Jul 2021

Awards: N/A

Homepage: https://www.history.com/shows/the-machines-that-built-america