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- Previously,
on "The Men Who Built America:"
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00:00:04,004 --> 00:00:07,131
The country has bounced back
from a long civil war,
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00:00:07,216 --> 00:00:09,133
and is now
stronger than ever.
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00:00:10,427 --> 00:00:12,720
Cornelius Vanderbilt
used brute force
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00:00:12,805 --> 00:00:16,474
and intimidation to build
a railroad empire
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00:00:16,558 --> 00:00:18,142
that unites the country.
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00:00:20,604 --> 00:00:23,398
John D. Rockefeller rose
from humble beginnings,
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00:00:24,900 --> 00:00:27,944
and with complete
confidence and ruthlessness,
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created a total monopoly
of the oil industry.
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Then, a new product transformed
the American landscape.
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- CARNEGIE: I am convinced
that steel is the future.
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00:00:41,709 --> 00:00:44,794
- And thanks to
Andrew Carnegie's steel,
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00:00:44,878 --> 00:00:47,380
America's cities
now reach the sky.
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- Nothing's impossible.
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- But after his
name is linked
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00:00:54,138 --> 00:00:57,181
to one of the worst disasters
in American history,
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Carnegie's empire
begins to fray.
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His chairman, Henry Frick,
pushes his workers
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to the breaking point...
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- ...causing
them to fight back...
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- All of those
in favor of striking,
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raise your hands.
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- ...barricading
Carnegie Steel's flagship plant,
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and when Frick decides
to take it back by force...
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- Fire!
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- ... an attempt
is made on his life.
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- Mr. Frick!
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- Andrew
Carnegie is forced
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to rethink everything.
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00:02:13,425 --> 00:02:15,635
♪ When I got to Memphis ♪
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♪ To put my ol'
baby down ♪
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00:02:19,306 --> 00:02:22,934
♪ He said, "I can't
take you to Heaven" ♪
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00:02:24,311 --> 00:02:26,437
♪ "I can't save
your soul" ♪
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00:02:27,689 --> 00:02:29,941
♪ "I can't promise
forever" ♪
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♪ Whoa, yeah, got my
heart in your hands ♪
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♪ I can't feel ♪
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♪ Feel my soul ♪
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- With
his chairman shot,
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00:02:56,343 --> 00:03:00,054
and his workers rebelling,
Andrew Carnegie's back
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00:03:00,138 --> 00:03:01,639
is against the wall.
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00:03:03,141 --> 00:03:05,393
His company--
and his reputation--
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00:03:05,477 --> 00:03:06,978
are under threat.
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00:03:07,771 --> 00:03:10,731
And the empire he spent
a lifetime building
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is on the verge of collapse.
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Hoping to salvage
his legacy,
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Carnegie cuts short
his trip abroad,
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and returns to Pittsburgh.
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- Henry Frick
survives the attempt on his life.
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- FRICK: Ahh!
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- Only three days
after being shot and stabbed,
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00:03:50,731 --> 00:03:53,357
he's back in his
office at Carnegie Steel.
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- Frick's
brush with death only
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00:04:05,746 --> 00:04:07,371
strengthens his resolve.
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00:04:09,416 --> 00:04:12,084
But for his boss,
Andrew Carnegie,
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00:04:12,878 --> 00:04:16,547
it's a reminder that his
chairman is a liability.
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00:04:18,050 --> 00:04:19,300
- DAVID NASAW: There came
a time when Frick
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thought to himself,
"I'm running this business.
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I'm the one in Pittsburgh.
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I'm the one working
the twelve-hour days.
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00:04:26,391 --> 00:04:29,143
I'm the one taking the
bullet in the head.
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I deserve to
be number one."
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00:04:35,484 --> 00:04:37,652
- Carnegie's
relationship with Frick
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00:04:37,736 --> 00:04:38,819
deteriorates,
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00:04:40,989 --> 00:04:43,950
and he realizes he needs
to make a change.
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00:04:45,243 --> 00:04:47,203
- DAVID NASAW:
Carnegie isn't happy.
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00:04:47,287 --> 00:04:50,998
He whispers to newspaper
reporters in Pittsburgh
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00:04:51,083 --> 00:04:52,375
that if he had
have been around,
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it would've
been different.
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00:04:53,919 --> 00:04:56,212
That there wouldn't have
been this bloodshed.
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That he had more
respect for the workers.
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And he undercuts Frick.
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- But Frick
refuses to accept
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00:05:05,138 --> 00:05:06,514
any responsibility.
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00:05:07,307 --> 00:05:10,434
Outraged that Carnegie
has hung him out to dry,
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00:05:11,061 --> 00:05:14,772
he even goes behind his
back and attempts
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00:05:14,856 --> 00:05:17,441
to orchestrate a
hostile takeover.
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Carnegie Steel is eroding
from the inside out.
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00:05:33,792 --> 00:05:37,086
But the biggest challenge
to Carnegie's empire
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isn't coming from within.
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00:05:47,431 --> 00:05:49,640
A new threat is emerging.
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J.P. Morgan is a banker,
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who's made a fortune
consolidating broken industries,
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buying out
failing companies,
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and returning them
to profitability.
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Companies like
Carnegie Steel.
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00:06:09,995 --> 00:06:11,579
- DONALD TRUMP:
You look at J.P. Morgan,
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00:06:11,663 --> 00:06:13,539
the way he
controlled the banks.
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00:06:13,623 --> 00:06:16,876
Basically he's one man who
just literally dominated
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00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,378
the banking industry,
and, essentially,
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00:06:19,463 --> 00:06:21,589
dominated financing
in the country.
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00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:30,639
- Morgan most
recently consolidated
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parts of the broken
railroad industry,
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making them profitable
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by eliminating
unnecessary competition.
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- We need an answer.
- We'll win this war.
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- You wanna come to war?
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- I've heard enough.
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00:06:45,864 --> 00:06:47,615
This is what's
going to happen.
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There's going to be
an end to this war.
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The Morgan Bank will buy
the West Shore
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and lease it to the Central.
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00:06:54,748 --> 00:06:56,665
They'll also buy the
central stake in the South
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Pennsylvania in exchange
for a share in other railroads.
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00:07:01,254 --> 00:07:04,256
- MAURY KLEIN: He excelled
at taking warring parties,
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who were destroying
an industry,
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00:07:06,593 --> 00:07:10,262
and bringing peace on terms
that were suitable to them,
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profitable to him,
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and which gave him
leverage in the business itself.
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00:07:15,519 --> 00:07:19,021
Anyone who knew anything
about him realized that,
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like him or not,
he got things done.
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- Due to
Frick's callousness,
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00:07:29,032 --> 00:07:32,409
Andrew Carnegie fears he might
become Morgan's next target.
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He makes a bold move.
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One that's become
all but inevitable.
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- Andy?
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- CARNEGIE: Henry.
How are you?
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- Fine.
- CARNEGIE: Good.
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00:08:02,816 --> 00:08:05,109
The board of managers
met yesterday.
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- I was unaware.
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00:08:10,115 --> 00:08:12,658
- CARNEGIE: The board has
decided that it's best
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00:08:12,742 --> 00:08:15,619
if Carnegie Steel invoked
the provision
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00:08:15,704 --> 00:08:17,621
of their agreement with you.
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You will have to surrender
your interest in the company.
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00:08:37,726 --> 00:08:41,145
You will, of course,
receive full compensation
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00:08:41,855 --> 00:08:43,147
at book value.
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- Carnegie!
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- FRICK: Carnegie!
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- As Carnegie
struggles to repair
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00:09:12,219 --> 00:09:13,677
his broken empire,
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00:09:16,431 --> 00:09:19,850
J.P. Morgan continues
to target failing companies,
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00:09:22,062 --> 00:09:25,189
working alongside
his legendary father.
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00:09:26,816 --> 00:09:28,609
Junius Morgan is the founder
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00:09:28,693 --> 00:09:31,779
of one of the world's first
modern investment banks,
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00:09:32,405 --> 00:09:35,366
a financial empire that
will come to be known
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00:09:35,450 --> 00:09:37,326
as the House of Morgan.
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00:09:38,078 --> 00:09:39,787
- H.W. BRANDS:
J.P. Morgan was born
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00:09:39,871 --> 00:09:40,996
into the banking business.
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00:09:41,081 --> 00:09:43,249
His father was one of
the first generation
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00:09:43,333 --> 00:09:46,168
of trans-Atlantic bankers,
and as a result
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00:09:46,253 --> 00:09:49,630
he identified finance
as the industry
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00:09:49,714 --> 00:09:53,217
that was going to command
all other industries.
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00:10:03,687 --> 00:10:05,354
- From the
time he could count,
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00:10:05,438 --> 00:10:08,816
J.P. is taught there is only
one way to do business:
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00:10:09,526 --> 00:10:10,818
the Morgan way.
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00:10:13,363 --> 00:10:15,406
Investing other people's
money
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00:10:15,490 --> 00:10:17,533
to make a fortune
for yourself.
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00:10:20,287 --> 00:10:22,204
- I will return tonight.
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00:10:22,289 --> 00:10:24,415
See that these accounts
balance by then.
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00:10:29,838 --> 00:10:30,879
- JENNIFER TONKOVICH:
Morgan's father
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00:10:30,964 --> 00:10:32,756
had a controlling presence.
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00:10:33,091 --> 00:10:36,385
Junius really didn't sort
of take his eye off Morgan
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00:10:36,469 --> 00:10:37,970
for so many years.
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00:10:39,973 --> 00:10:42,224
It was very difficult
for him to bear.
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- Go ahead. Open it.
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00:10:51,443 --> 00:10:54,278
Now pick it up.
Feel the weight.
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You know what that is?
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That's what it feels like
to hold a million dollars.
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00:11:02,662 --> 00:11:03,620
Now,
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00:11:06,750 --> 00:11:08,459
learn to earn it yourself.
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00:11:10,795 --> 00:11:12,963
- J.P.
Morgan's strained relationship
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00:11:13,048 --> 00:11:14,715
with his father continues.
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And by age forty, he's
looking to create
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00:11:20,180 --> 00:11:21,847
an identity of his own.
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00:11:24,476 --> 00:11:27,311
- Is all this furniture
really necessary?
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00:11:28,813 --> 00:11:30,606
- That painting's four
hundred years old.
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00:11:30,690 --> 00:11:31,607
- Yes, sir.
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00:11:31,691 --> 00:11:33,275
- I don't see why
you feel the need
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00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:35,569
to pillage Europe
of its art.
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00:11:35,862 --> 00:11:37,321
- I bought a few
paintings, Father,
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00:11:37,405 --> 00:11:38,739
not a whole gallery.
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00:11:44,954 --> 00:11:46,705
- The bank of England have
asked me to handle
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00:11:46,790 --> 00:11:49,833
their next bond issue,
so I'm assuming
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00:11:49,918 --> 00:11:52,086
you're accompanying me
back to London?
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00:11:52,170 --> 00:11:54,505
- I have plenty of
work to do here.
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00:11:55,715 --> 00:11:58,509
- Just remember where our
loyalties lie, Pierpont.
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- I'll try not to forget.
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00:12:09,813 --> 00:12:11,855
- Let me know
how you get on.
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00:12:12,273 --> 00:12:15,359
I'll leave you in peace
to arrange your paintings.
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00:12:16,569 --> 00:12:17,486
- H.W. BRANDS: J.P.
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00:12:17,570 --> 00:12:19,321
Morgan understood
the game,
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00:12:19,406 --> 00:12:21,824
and at some point
he realized that,
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00:12:21,908 --> 00:12:24,326
as successful as
his father had been,
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00:12:24,411 --> 00:12:26,662
he could become even
more successful.
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00:12:26,746 --> 00:12:28,705
- Morgan's
father always taught him
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00:12:28,790 --> 00:12:30,999
to avoid taking
big risks,
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00:12:32,252 --> 00:12:36,463
but J.P.Morgan is tired of doing
things his father's way.
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00:12:39,884 --> 00:12:42,386
He doesn't want to
simply buy businesses,
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00:12:42,470 --> 00:12:45,389
he wants to build them
from the ground up.
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He's watched as John
Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie
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00:12:49,811 --> 00:12:51,895
have built empires
from nothing,
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00:12:53,940 --> 00:12:55,691
and he wants to be next.
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00:12:56,693 --> 00:12:59,027
But to do that, Morgan
needs to find
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00:12:59,112 --> 00:13:01,155
an innovation to
call his own.
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00:13:01,865 --> 00:13:05,993
He sets his sights on one of the
world's most famous inventors.
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00:13:08,830 --> 00:13:11,874
Thomas Edison has been
a renowned innovator
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00:13:11,958 --> 00:13:13,750
since the age of nineteen.
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00:13:14,461 --> 00:13:17,588
He first made his name by
perfecting the telegraph
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00:13:17,672 --> 00:13:20,632
before going on to
invent the stock ticker,
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00:13:20,717 --> 00:13:22,468
and the phonograph.
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00:13:23,636 --> 00:13:25,929
In his lifetime,
Edison will secure
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00:13:26,014 --> 00:13:27,931
over one thousand patents.
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00:13:30,852 --> 00:13:34,354
But now, at thirty-one,
Edison is on the verge
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00:13:34,439 --> 00:13:36,356
of his greatest
innovation yet.
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00:13:39,903 --> 00:13:43,197
- RICHARD PARSONS: Edison
had that unique ability
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00:13:43,281 --> 00:13:45,866
to sort of look
at this thing,
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00:13:45,950 --> 00:13:49,453
then figure out how
to use it in a way
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00:13:49,537 --> 00:13:52,414
that no one had thought
of to use it before.
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00:14:07,222 --> 00:14:09,389
- So this is where
genius resides.
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00:14:11,142 --> 00:14:13,560
- "Genius is
eternal patience."
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00:14:13,645 --> 00:14:14,853
- Michelangelo.
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00:14:15,730 --> 00:14:18,690
- One invention
catches Morgan's eye:
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00:14:18,775 --> 00:14:22,569
the light bulb, and the
electricity that powers it.
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00:14:24,822 --> 00:14:27,824
- A stream of invisible
energy that heat
214
00:14:27,909 --> 00:14:30,827
tiny filaments in the
bulbs that like magic,
215
00:14:30,912 --> 00:14:32,162
make them glow.
216
00:14:40,171 --> 00:14:43,882
- Electric light
will revolutionize the world.
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00:14:44,759 --> 00:14:49,888
Like fire, or the wheel, it will
transform human existence.
218
00:14:55,270 --> 00:14:58,480
J.P. Morgan sees the potential
in the revolutionary new
219
00:14:58,565 --> 00:15:00,649
technology immediately,
220
00:15:04,362 --> 00:15:05,946
and knows it's his chance
221
00:15:06,030 --> 00:15:07,739
to create his own legacy.
222
00:15:08,533 --> 00:15:11,076
One that will change
the world forever.
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00:15:18,543 --> 00:15:20,335
As the turn of the
twentieth century
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00:15:20,420 --> 00:15:24,673
approaches, America is
the most rapidly growing
225
00:15:24,757 --> 00:15:26,300
country on earth.
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00:15:27,969 --> 00:15:28,885
Rail,
227
00:15:29,804 --> 00:15:30,887
oil,
228
00:15:31,431 --> 00:15:32,389
and steel
229
00:15:32,890 --> 00:15:34,766
have driven the expansion.
230
00:15:36,811 --> 00:15:39,146
But a new technology
is emerging
231
00:15:40,523 --> 00:15:42,774
that may be
even more powerful.
232
00:15:44,694 --> 00:15:46,737
Electricity has
the potential
233
00:15:46,821 --> 00:15:48,822
to completely change the world,
234
00:15:50,158 --> 00:15:53,869
and J.P.Morgan sees it as
something he can own.
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00:15:55,496 --> 00:15:58,081
- RUSSELL SIMMONS: Most
people are too busy
236
00:15:58,166 --> 00:16:00,334
looking on the outside to
really check
237
00:16:00,418 --> 00:16:02,502
what their barometers
say inside,
238
00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:03,712
so as an entrepreneur,
239
00:16:03,755 --> 00:16:04,921
if you look inside,
you'll find things
240
00:16:05,006 --> 00:16:08,467
that they all need that could
become immensely popular,
241
00:16:08,551 --> 00:16:10,886
if someone had the
courage to promote.
242
00:16:11,262 --> 00:16:12,471
Or to build it.
243
00:16:14,682 --> 00:16:16,016
-
For years,
244
00:16:16,100 --> 00:16:18,602
J.P.Morgan has lived in
the long shadow
245
00:16:18,686 --> 00:16:20,437
of his legendary father.
246
00:16:24,108 --> 00:16:27,027
He's desperate for a way
to make his own mark,
247
00:16:30,198 --> 00:16:32,699
and electricity
might be it.
248
00:16:36,371 --> 00:16:39,039
Morgan is considering
an investment in Thomas
249
00:16:39,123 --> 00:16:42,125
Edison's company, and
his newly-developed
250
00:16:42,210 --> 00:16:43,835
electric light bulb.
251
00:16:45,963 --> 00:16:48,715
He hires Edison to install
electric lighting in his
252
00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,551
home on Fifth
Avenue, in New York.
253
00:16:53,429 --> 00:16:55,305
- Sometimes you've
got to take ownership.
254
00:16:55,390 --> 00:16:57,265
They call it "eating your
own dog food", right?
255
00:16:57,350 --> 00:16:59,893
If you aren't willing
to use your own product,
256
00:16:59,977 --> 00:17:03,230
then how is anybody else going
to trust it and have confidence?
257
00:17:03,314 --> 00:17:04,648
You know, some people
might call that being
258
00:17:04,732 --> 00:17:07,317
a showman, I call it
demonstrating trust
259
00:17:07,402 --> 00:17:10,195
in your product, which any
smart business has to do.
260
00:17:11,489 --> 00:17:13,448
- The Morgan
home quickly turns
261
00:17:13,533 --> 00:17:15,867
into a laboratory for
Thomas Edison's
262
00:17:15,952 --> 00:17:18,036
famous electric experiments.
263
00:17:20,707 --> 00:17:24,084
Edison installs a small
power plant in a shed
264
00:17:24,168 --> 00:17:25,752
on Morgan's property.
265
00:17:26,379 --> 00:17:29,005
He then runs four thousand
feet of wiring through
266
00:17:29,090 --> 00:17:31,133
the walls and ceilings
of the house,
267
00:17:32,552 --> 00:17:36,596
and installs nearly four
hundred electric light bulbs,
268
00:17:37,473 --> 00:17:40,392
some of the first
to ever be manufactured.
269
00:17:43,938 --> 00:17:46,106
After months of
trial and error,
270
00:17:48,985 --> 00:17:51,403
the home is ready
to be displayed.
271
00:17:52,071 --> 00:17:54,906
- JERRY WEINTRAUB: When
I believe in something,
272
00:17:54,991 --> 00:17:57,534
and I want to sell
it to somebody,
273
00:17:57,618 --> 00:17:59,703
I want to put it
in the best light.
274
00:17:59,787 --> 00:18:03,081
I don't just package it,
I creatively package it.
275
00:18:04,709 --> 00:18:07,836
- Morgan invites
many--including his father--
276
00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,005
to see the marvel
of electric lighting
277
00:18:10,089 --> 00:18:11,715
for the first time,
278
00:18:13,593 --> 00:18:15,927
knowing the demonstration
will put him
279
00:18:16,012 --> 00:18:18,472
at the forefront
of a new industry.
280
00:18:21,142 --> 00:18:22,768
- Ladies and gentlemen,
281
00:18:24,979 --> 00:18:27,439
behold the miracle
of modern science.
282
00:18:28,983 --> 00:18:30,734
The gas lamp is dead.
283
00:18:33,613 --> 00:18:35,280
Long live the
electric light.
284
00:18:53,007 --> 00:18:56,343
- Every light you see is
powered by electricity.
285
00:18:57,345 --> 00:19:00,096
There is no gas,
no oil, no flame.
286
00:19:01,265 --> 00:19:04,017
Just a invisible
stream of energy.
287
00:19:06,521 --> 00:19:08,271
- JILL JONNES:
Electricity was viewed
288
00:19:08,356 --> 00:19:11,650
as something miraculous,
and people were amazed.
289
00:19:11,734 --> 00:19:14,444
First of all, they didn't
understand how it worked,
290
00:19:14,529 --> 00:19:16,613
because you can't
see electricity,
291
00:19:16,697 --> 00:19:20,951
and so it was viewed as
something almost magical
292
00:19:21,035 --> 00:19:22,327
by most people.
293
00:19:22,703 --> 00:19:25,121
-
J.P. Morgan's home
294
00:19:25,206 --> 00:19:28,583
is the first
private residence in the world
295
00:19:28,668 --> 00:19:30,627
to be lit
with electricity.
296
00:19:33,548 --> 00:19:35,674
- Well Father,
what do you think?
297
00:19:36,968 --> 00:19:38,677
- You disappoint
me, Pierpont.
298
00:19:40,805 --> 00:19:42,639
I thought you knew better.
299
00:19:43,766 --> 00:19:45,183
- This is the future.
300
00:19:45,268 --> 00:19:48,061
- This is the stuff of
carnivals and fairs.
301
00:19:48,145 --> 00:19:50,355
And you've been
played for a fool.
302
00:20:00,741 --> 00:20:03,493
- Despite his
father's disappointment,
303
00:20:03,578 --> 00:20:05,912
Morgan's event
is a success.
304
00:20:09,584 --> 00:20:11,585
- You're about to
become a very busy man.
305
00:20:11,669 --> 00:20:14,504
Darius Ogden Mills wants
you to electrify his home.
306
00:20:14,589 --> 00:20:16,047
- He'll have to wait.
307
00:20:16,591 --> 00:20:19,009
The Vanderbilt family's
next on my list.
308
00:20:21,721 --> 00:20:23,847
- Electricity
becomes a must-have
309
00:20:23,931 --> 00:20:25,682
for the country's elite,
310
00:20:28,936 --> 00:20:30,896
with one notable exception,
311
00:20:33,316 --> 00:20:35,066
John D. Rockefeller.
312
00:20:39,655 --> 00:20:42,198
Rockefeller has created
the largest fortune
313
00:20:42,283 --> 00:20:46,161
in America by refining
oil for kerosene lamps.
314
00:20:47,330 --> 00:20:50,040
He realizes electric
light has the potential
315
00:20:50,124 --> 00:20:55,003
to replace kerosene as
America's primary light source.
316
00:20:58,382 --> 00:21:00,550
If the technology
goes mainstream,
317
00:21:00,635 --> 00:21:04,262
Rockefeller will face his
biggest challenge ever.
318
00:21:11,646 --> 00:21:15,231
Following the success of
his home lighting display,
319
00:21:15,316 --> 00:21:17,817
Morgan believes that
electricity could be
320
00:21:17,902 --> 00:21:20,278
the opportunity he's
been waiting for,
321
00:21:23,199 --> 00:21:27,077
his chance to control
a new business from its start,
322
00:21:29,580 --> 00:21:33,792
and become a pioneer
like Carnegie and Rockefeller.
323
00:21:36,754 --> 00:21:39,506
But investing in Edison
goes against everything
324
00:21:39,590 --> 00:21:42,133
J.P. Morgan's father has
ever taught him.
325
00:21:43,761 --> 00:21:46,388
- DONNY DEUTSCH: You have
to be able to take risk.
326
00:21:46,472 --> 00:21:49,599
You can't have greatness
in anything without
327
00:21:49,684 --> 00:21:51,393
putting it on the line.
328
00:21:51,477 --> 00:21:53,269
Otherwise, everybody
would have it.
329
00:21:53,354 --> 00:21:54,938
If there was no
apparent loss,
330
00:21:55,022 --> 00:21:57,440
if there was no chance
of tremendous failure
331
00:21:57,525 --> 00:22:00,318
or tremendous setback, you
can't have the upside.
332
00:22:15,751 --> 00:22:18,503
- To what do I owe the
pleasure, Mr. Morgan?
333
00:22:20,506 --> 00:22:21,965
- There's a noise
in the basement.
334
00:22:22,049 --> 00:22:23,633
It's upsetting my wife.
335
00:22:24,301 --> 00:22:25,635
- It's the generator.
336
00:22:26,345 --> 00:22:29,264
I'll send someone
around to soundproof it.
337
00:22:46,741 --> 00:22:49,284
- JUNIUS MORGAN: You
disappoint me, Pierpont.
338
00:22:49,368 --> 00:22:50,952
I thought you knew better.
339
00:22:54,206 --> 00:22:56,041
- J.P. MORGAN: This
is the future.
340
00:22:57,543 --> 00:23:01,171
- JUNIUS MORGAN: This is the
stuff of carnivals and fairs.
341
00:23:01,922 --> 00:23:04,049
And you've been
played for a fool.
342
00:23:22,610 --> 00:23:24,694
- How much competition
do you have, Edison?
343
00:23:24,779 --> 00:23:26,237
- Nothing worthy of note.
344
00:23:27,281 --> 00:23:29,699
You know, if you could
help me raise money
345
00:23:29,784 --> 00:23:31,993
to install a central
power station,
346
00:23:32,078 --> 00:23:33,703
there'd be no need to
have a generator
347
00:23:33,788 --> 00:23:34,996
in your basement.
348
00:23:35,790 --> 00:23:38,541
I could power anything
within a half-mile radius.
349
00:23:40,628 --> 00:23:44,339
- What would it take to light
all the homes in New York City?
350
00:23:44,423 --> 00:23:46,216
- I'd need a network
of power stations.
351
00:23:46,300 --> 00:23:47,842
- J.P. MORGAN: What
would the cost be?
352
00:23:47,927 --> 00:23:49,969
- EDISON: I'll have to
go through my figures.
353
00:23:50,638 --> 00:23:52,597
- Bring them to
me Monday morning.
354
00:23:55,851 --> 00:23:58,478
That model train set--
powered by electricity?
355
00:23:59,313 --> 00:24:00,271
- Yes.
356
00:24:01,982 --> 00:24:04,943
- I want one for my
daughter's birthday next week.
357
00:24:15,037 --> 00:24:18,498
- For Morgan, the
potential reward is too great.
358
00:24:21,836 --> 00:24:23,753
Against his
father's advice,
359
00:24:23,838 --> 00:24:26,297
he invests everything
in electricity,
360
00:24:28,592 --> 00:24:31,469
determined to create
his own legacy,
361
00:24:32,304 --> 00:24:34,806
even if it means going
against everything
362
00:24:34,890 --> 00:24:36,474
he's ever been taught.
363
00:24:42,857 --> 00:24:45,984
America is undergoing
amazing changes.
364
00:24:47,194 --> 00:24:50,113
Steel is building
futuristic cities
365
00:24:50,197 --> 00:24:55,034
of unimaginable height, and
kerosene is lighting homes
366
00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:56,578
across the country.
367
00:24:57,288 --> 00:25:00,707
But, a magical new
innovation is emerging,
368
00:25:01,167 --> 00:25:04,669
and J.P. Morgan is determined
to bring it to the world.
369
00:25:07,923 --> 00:25:09,299
- Electricity
has captured
370
00:25:09,383 --> 00:25:12,302
the public's imagination,
but the technology is
371
00:25:12,386 --> 00:25:15,847
still unproven, and
virtually unused.
372
00:25:17,474 --> 00:25:21,227
But partnered with
Thomas Edison, J.P. Morgan
373
00:25:21,312 --> 00:25:23,688
is convinced he can
bring electricity
374
00:25:25,232 --> 00:25:26,733
to the entire country.
375
00:25:28,986 --> 00:25:32,780
- There is no success
without risk taking,
376
00:25:33,115 --> 00:25:35,950
and I think that
is actually what distinguishes
377
00:25:36,035 --> 00:25:38,870
the captains
of industry from others.
378
00:25:40,581 --> 00:25:42,624
- Morgan gives
Edison what amounts
379
00:25:42,708 --> 00:25:45,043
to eighty-three million
dollars today,
380
00:25:45,753 --> 00:25:48,213
and together they
form a new business,
381
00:25:49,590 --> 00:25:51,883
the Edison Electric
Light Company.
382
00:25:54,511 --> 00:25:57,555
Funding Edison is a
huge risk for Morgan,
383
00:25:58,349 --> 00:26:01,142
and goes against everything his
father taught him.
384
00:26:04,772 --> 00:26:07,857
For years, Morgan was
instructed to avoid
385
00:26:07,942 --> 00:26:10,568
investing in new and
unproven industries.
386
00:26:13,447 --> 00:26:15,823
But where his father
sees risk,
387
00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:18,576
J.P. Morgan sees
opportunity.
388
00:26:20,287 --> 00:26:21,746
- STEVE CASE:
I think what's great
389
00:26:21,830 --> 00:26:24,540
about the truly transformative
inventions
390
00:26:24,625 --> 00:26:27,669
and the entrepreneurial ideas
that really end up having
391
00:26:27,753 --> 00:26:31,547
a significant impact is they
start relatively small
392
00:26:31,632 --> 00:26:33,383
and most people don't quite
understand
393
00:26:33,467 --> 00:26:36,427
even what you're talking about,
and they take some time
394
00:26:36,512 --> 00:26:39,347
before they get traction, but
eventually they break
395
00:26:39,431 --> 00:26:42,058
through and the impact's
far broader than anybody,
396
00:26:42,142 --> 00:26:43,685
you know, could
have imagined.
397
00:26:44,144 --> 00:26:46,688
- Morgan and
Edison get right to work,
398
00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:50,900
transforming a building in
Lower Manhattan
399
00:26:50,985 --> 00:26:53,653
into the world's first central
power station,
400
00:26:54,989 --> 00:26:58,283
a high-tech wonder filled
with massive generators
401
00:26:59,743 --> 00:27:02,161
capable of lighting
thousands of homes.
402
00:27:03,956 --> 00:27:06,499
- The idea was that from
this central station
403
00:27:06,583 --> 00:27:08,543
would flow all this
direct current,
404
00:27:08,627 --> 00:27:11,629
but it also meant that
it had to be transmitted.
405
00:27:11,714 --> 00:27:14,173
- MAURY KLEIN: The future
of electricity
406
00:27:14,258 --> 00:27:16,384
wasn't just illumination.
407
00:27:16,468 --> 00:27:20,596
It was power, and power
required transmission
408
00:27:20,681 --> 00:27:22,265
over long distance.
409
00:27:25,269 --> 00:27:28,855
- Edison's
workers labor day and night,
410
00:27:29,398 --> 00:27:32,817
digging a network of ditches
over fifteen miles long.
411
00:27:35,029 --> 00:27:37,947
They lay over one hundred
thousand feet of thick
412
00:27:38,032 --> 00:27:41,617
copper wire, connecting
Edison's power station
413
00:27:41,702 --> 00:27:45,204
to hundreds of homes and
businesses throughout New York.
414
00:27:46,248 --> 00:27:49,625
Edison's power grid becomes the
model for how electricity
415
00:27:49,710 --> 00:27:52,086
is transmitted in the
United States.
416
00:27:54,381 --> 00:27:57,175
- JILL JONNES: He had
never worked so long
417
00:27:57,259 --> 00:28:01,637
and so hard at any invention
to make it functional
418
00:28:01,722 --> 00:28:04,015
as he did with electricity.
419
00:28:05,768 --> 00:28:09,103
- With Edison's
power station up and running,
420
00:28:09,188 --> 00:28:10,688
a new era dawns.
421
00:28:12,107 --> 00:28:14,859
The city lights up for
the first time ever.
422
00:28:16,070 --> 00:28:19,822
And soon, Edison's power
grid covers half of Manhattan.
423
00:28:21,950 --> 00:28:24,702
Electric streetlights
line avenues,
424
00:28:26,413 --> 00:28:30,208
and homes throughout New York
are buzzing with electricity.
425
00:28:32,503 --> 00:28:34,420
- JIM CRAMER: Edison had
a big think approach
426
00:28:34,505 --> 00:28:39,342
which said that, "We can build
giant distribution centers
427
00:28:39,426 --> 00:28:41,677
and make it so that
electricity is cheap
428
00:28:41,762 --> 00:28:42,887
enough for the masses."
429
00:28:42,971 --> 00:28:44,347
What a brilliant idea.
430
00:28:47,893 --> 00:28:48,976
- J.P. Morgan
431
00:28:49,061 --> 00:28:51,646
and Thomas Edison
stand to make a fortune.
432
00:28:57,277 --> 00:28:59,362
But their success
is bad news
433
00:28:59,446 --> 00:29:01,948
for the most powerful
man in the country.
434
00:29:02,866 --> 00:29:05,326
Until now, John
Rockefeller has been
435
00:29:05,411 --> 00:29:08,413
virtually unchallenged
while providing light
436
00:29:08,497 --> 00:29:10,540
to homes from coast to coast.
437
00:29:14,253 --> 00:29:17,255
But as Edison's power grid
expands over a greater
438
00:29:17,339 --> 00:29:23,553
and greater area, he realizes
his kerosene empire is at risk.
439
00:29:25,681 --> 00:29:28,724
Every home Edison wires
with electricity
440
00:29:29,184 --> 00:29:32,645
is a lost customer for
John Rockefeller.
441
00:29:34,398 --> 00:29:37,108
- The great titans
of the late 1800s,
442
00:29:37,192 --> 00:29:41,154
like Rockefeller,
they tended to be very ruthless.
443
00:29:41,488 --> 00:29:44,115
They were interested in
dominating the market,
444
00:29:44,199 --> 00:29:47,618
and moved in every way
they could to get as big
445
00:29:47,703 --> 00:29:50,371
a chunk of the market as
they could in order to
446
00:29:50,456 --> 00:29:51,873
ensure their own profits.
447
00:29:52,708 --> 00:29:53,875
- JIM CRAMER: The
industrialists
448
00:29:53,959 --> 00:29:56,294
of that time are naked
capitalists.
449
00:29:56,712 --> 00:29:58,212
They absolutely
wanted to get rich,
450
00:29:58,297 --> 00:30:00,298
and they wanted to build
something that lasted.
451
00:30:00,382 --> 00:30:02,925
Rockefeller wanted
Standard Oil
452
00:30:03,010 --> 00:30:05,470
to be the greatest oil company
in the world.
453
00:30:11,477 --> 00:30:13,311
- Rockefeller
launches a targeted
454
00:30:13,395 --> 00:30:15,730
campaign against
electricity.
455
00:30:16,648 --> 00:30:19,358
Painting the new
technology as dangerous,
456
00:30:19,776 --> 00:30:23,779
even deadly, he warns of
mass electrocutions
457
00:30:24,615 --> 00:30:26,699
and out-of-control fires.
458
00:30:29,495 --> 00:30:32,413
Rockefeller knows if he
can frighten the public,
459
00:30:32,498 --> 00:30:36,375
kerosene will continue
to be the dominant light source.
460
00:30:38,003 --> 00:30:40,630
- JERRY WEINTRAUB:
I am not a good enemy.
461
00:30:40,714 --> 00:30:42,423
I'm a terrible enemy.
462
00:30:42,508 --> 00:30:46,511
So, if you screw around
with me, or you hurt me,
463
00:30:47,304 --> 00:30:49,138
I'm gonna hurt you back.
464
00:30:49,223 --> 00:30:52,934
Now that doesn't mean
physically, but I will,
465
00:30:53,018 --> 00:30:54,185
in the end, win.
466
00:30:54,269 --> 00:30:57,647
Because I'm a winner,
and I don't lose.
467
00:30:59,274 --> 00:31:01,901
- But
John D. Rockefeller
468
00:31:01,985 --> 00:31:05,696
is about to become the least
of Morgan's problems.
469
00:31:06,782 --> 00:31:09,033
A new competitor emerges.
470
00:31:09,117 --> 00:31:12,620
- ANNOUNCER: Ladies and
gentleman, Nikola Tesla!
471
00:31:13,997 --> 00:31:17,542
- A war over the
future of electricity is coming,
472
00:31:20,212 --> 00:31:23,589
and J.P. Morgan could be
the first casualty.
473
00:31:29,555 --> 00:31:32,640
America's explosive change
transforms
474
00:31:32,724 --> 00:31:34,767
the world's view
of the country.
475
00:31:35,352 --> 00:31:37,186
Where many once
saw failure,
476
00:31:38,897 --> 00:31:41,941
innovation is now leading
the nation into a new age.
477
00:31:43,110 --> 00:31:48,281
Railroads, oil, and steel
have rebuilt the country,
478
00:31:49,199 --> 00:31:53,953
and electricity is
creating unimagined advances.
479
00:31:59,501 --> 00:32:03,045
J.P. Morgan's attempt
to unseat John D. Rockefeller
480
00:32:03,130 --> 00:32:05,965
as the man
lighting America has led him
481
00:32:06,049 --> 00:32:08,801
to partner with Thomas
Edison to form
482
00:32:08,885 --> 00:32:13,306
one of the first electric
companies, and together,
483
00:32:13,390 --> 00:32:16,267
they're electrifying
homes throughout New York.
484
00:32:17,978 --> 00:32:21,522
- The inventions, the
things that literally
485
00:32:21,607 --> 00:32:23,482
almost come
out of nowhere,
486
00:32:23,984 --> 00:32:27,403
require incredible
vision and support
487
00:32:27,988 --> 00:32:31,991
from leadership, because
those are big leaps.
488
00:32:32,534 --> 00:32:34,827
If a leader doesn't take
that invention
489
00:32:34,911 --> 00:32:38,164
and really embrace it and own
it, it won't happen.
490
00:32:39,875 --> 00:32:41,876
- Morgan has
gone against his father's
491
00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:45,338
advice by backing Edison,
but he's maintained
492
00:32:45,422 --> 00:32:47,423
one of the rules he's learned.
493
00:32:48,091 --> 00:32:50,968
- How much competition
do you have, Edison?
494
00:32:51,053 --> 00:32:52,720
- Nothing worthy of note.
495
00:32:54,264 --> 00:32:55,848
- Edison
is ignoring what's
496
00:32:55,932 --> 00:32:58,309
potentially the biggest
challenge to his design
497
00:32:58,393 --> 00:33:02,730
for electricity, and it
comes from inside his own lab.
498
00:33:04,691 --> 00:33:07,443
His apprentice,
Nikola Tesla.
499
00:33:07,527 --> 00:33:10,071
- JILL JONNES:
Nikola Tesla,
500
00:33:10,155 --> 00:33:13,449
from a very young age, was
obsessed with electricity.
501
00:33:15,327 --> 00:33:17,703
And when he first
meets Thomas Edison,
502
00:33:18,038 --> 00:33:20,039
initially he
worships him...
503
00:33:20,749 --> 00:33:21,916
- Mr. Edison, sir.
504
00:33:23,418 --> 00:33:24,418
- What is it?
505
00:33:24,503 --> 00:33:26,671
- I was wondering if you
had chance to look
506
00:33:26,755 --> 00:33:28,381
at my AC motor design.
507
00:33:30,676 --> 00:33:33,469
- Nobody's interested
in your design, Tesla.
508
00:33:34,596 --> 00:33:36,639
Alternating current
is not safe,
509
00:33:36,723 --> 00:33:39,016
which is why we
use direct current.
510
00:33:47,776 --> 00:33:49,944
- Tesla has
developed a new form
511
00:33:50,028 --> 00:33:54,990
of electricity known as
"alternating current", or "AC".
512
00:33:57,411 --> 00:34:00,371
But Edison believes that
higher voltage AC
513
00:34:00,455 --> 00:34:03,833
is more dangerous than the
direct current electric standard
514
00:34:03,917 --> 00:34:05,251
he's pioneered.
515
00:34:05,836 --> 00:34:08,170
- JILL JONNES: I think
Edison probably saw Tesla
516
00:34:08,255 --> 00:34:09,714
as a junior employee.
517
00:34:09,798 --> 00:34:10,840
I mean, remember.
518
00:34:10,924 --> 00:34:14,844
Edison is world-famous,
and Tesla's just one
519
00:34:14,928 --> 00:34:19,098
of many very bright young
men who work for him,
520
00:34:19,182 --> 00:34:22,977
and the fact that he's
pushing AC is no big deal
521
00:34:23,061 --> 00:34:26,605
to Edison, because Edison
sees himself as the person
522
00:34:26,690 --> 00:34:29,900
who's really solved this problem
and made it commercial.
523
00:34:40,328 --> 00:34:41,495
- What's this?
524
00:34:41,955 --> 00:34:43,205
- My resignation.
525
00:34:46,293 --> 00:34:48,878
- You won't find anybody
else to employ you.
526
00:34:48,962 --> 00:34:50,671
- I'll set up
my own company.
527
00:34:52,299 --> 00:34:54,341
- Good luck finding
an investor.
528
00:35:13,612 --> 00:35:17,114
- Now free to
pursue his own ideas,
529
00:35:17,199 --> 00:35:19,575
Tesla begins looking
for an investor
530
00:35:19,659 --> 00:35:21,911
to back his AC technology.
531
00:35:22,746 --> 00:35:25,956
He finds one in
inventor-turned-businessman
532
00:35:26,041 --> 00:35:27,500
George Westinghouse.
533
00:35:29,211 --> 00:35:32,129
- TESLA: The magnetic
field, when it moves,
534
00:35:32,214 --> 00:35:34,590
it carries the
motor around.
535
00:35:35,759 --> 00:35:37,718
Motor powers itself.
536
00:35:40,055 --> 00:35:42,306
- How far do you
think you can take AC?
537
00:35:42,390 --> 00:35:44,308
I mean, what is
its potential?
538
00:35:44,392 --> 00:35:46,227
- TESLA: Build
one power plant,
539
00:35:46,311 --> 00:35:48,562
can supply enough
electricity to eastern
540
00:35:48,647 --> 00:35:50,189
part of United States.
541
00:35:53,902 --> 00:35:55,110
- That's amazing.
542
00:35:56,613 --> 00:35:59,698
- Morgan and
Edison may have lit up New York,
543
00:35:59,783 --> 00:36:02,660
but Westinghouse and
Tesla believe alternating
544
00:36:02,744 --> 00:36:05,579
current's greater power
is more effective...
545
00:36:05,664 --> 00:36:06,705
- Thank you.
546
00:36:08,083 --> 00:36:10,459
- ...and they
set out to prove it.
547
00:36:14,714 --> 00:36:16,340
- Good luck, Nikola.
548
00:36:17,008 --> 00:36:18,717
- Thank you,
Mr. Westinghouse.
549
00:36:21,763 --> 00:36:23,722
- ANNOUNCER: Ladies
and gentlemen,
550
00:36:23,807 --> 00:36:27,726
please welcome the new
wizard of electricity,
551
00:36:28,436 --> 00:36:29,562
Nikola Tesla!
552
00:36:34,860 --> 00:36:38,279
- My first demonstration
is for those amongst you
553
00:36:38,363 --> 00:36:41,740
who fear that AC and high
voltage will make
554
00:36:41,825 --> 00:36:43,284
the world unsafe.
555
00:37:04,890 --> 00:37:06,724
- Tesla
travels the country,
556
00:37:06,808 --> 00:37:09,143
showing AC pulsing
through him.
557
00:37:10,854 --> 00:37:13,397
The successful
demonstrations have orders
558
00:37:13,481 --> 00:37:16,233
for Westinghouse power
stations pouring in.
559
00:37:17,068 --> 00:37:20,696
- People who understood
the science of electricity
560
00:37:20,780 --> 00:37:23,949
realized that Tesla
was a new giant,
561
00:37:24,326 --> 00:37:26,744
and a significant rival.
562
00:37:32,584 --> 00:37:34,585
- J.P. Morgan
563
00:37:34,669 --> 00:37:38,464
suddenly finds himself in an
unfamiliar position.
564
00:37:41,176 --> 00:37:43,594
- I thought you didn't
have any competition.
565
00:37:43,678 --> 00:37:45,679
- None that are
worthy of note.
566
00:37:47,557 --> 00:37:50,476
- I have just seen the
drawings and descriptions
567
00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:53,270
of an electrical machine
lately patented by
568
00:37:53,355 --> 00:37:56,523
Mr. Tesla, which will
revolutionize the world's
569
00:37:56,608 --> 00:37:58,108
electrical business.
570
00:37:58,485 --> 00:38:01,403
- AC has a very high
voltage, and is lethal.
571
00:38:02,614 --> 00:38:04,698
A young boy touched a
straggling wire
572
00:38:04,783 --> 00:38:06,408
and was killed instantly.
573
00:38:07,077 --> 00:38:09,912
You, sir. You have DC running
through your home.
574
00:38:11,164 --> 00:38:13,207
None of your
family are at risk.
575
00:38:13,291 --> 00:38:17,086
- J.P. MORGAN: Edison, I see
that the electrical industry
576
00:38:17,170 --> 00:38:20,172
has two competing systems
right now: AC and DC.
577
00:38:20,882 --> 00:38:23,342
This world has room
for only one of 'em.
578
00:38:34,729 --> 00:38:36,814
- J.P. Morgan
579
00:38:36,898 --> 00:38:39,817
is staking
everything on Thomas Edison.
580
00:38:47,659 --> 00:38:50,786
But as the battle to
electrify the nation heats up,
581
00:38:51,621 --> 00:38:55,624
the pressure Morgan
puts on Edison sends him
582
00:38:55,709 --> 00:38:57,292
down a dark path.
583
00:39:13,393 --> 00:39:16,061
America's advancement in
the last three decades
584
00:39:16,146 --> 00:39:17,354
is staggering.
585
00:39:18,940 --> 00:39:22,443
Railroads have replaced wagon
trails to unite the nation,
586
00:39:23,820 --> 00:39:27,740
and the country's
cities stand tall on steel.
587
00:39:29,325 --> 00:39:32,119
First kerosene transformed
the night,
588
00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:35,289
and now,
589
00:39:35,373 --> 00:39:39,793
electricity is about to
light homes from coast to coast.
590
00:39:43,048 --> 00:39:45,424
Only John D. Rockefeller
isn't about to let
591
00:39:45,508 --> 00:39:48,969
J.P.Morgan and Thomas Edison
put him out of business.
592
00:39:50,555 --> 00:39:53,807
He's determined to keep
kerosene the leader
593
00:39:53,892 --> 00:39:55,225
in the light game.
594
00:39:58,146 --> 00:40:01,231
He begins a campaign to
stop electricity before
595
00:40:01,316 --> 00:40:05,736
it gains traction, though he
may underestimate the draw
596
00:40:05,820 --> 00:40:07,780
of this magical new power.
597
00:40:13,995 --> 00:40:14,787
- J.P. Morgan
598
00:40:14,871 --> 00:40:17,289
has more to worry
about than Rockefeller.
599
00:40:18,374 --> 00:40:20,667
Morgan's father always
told him to avoid
600
00:40:20,752 --> 00:40:22,544
competition at all costs.
601
00:40:24,672 --> 00:40:27,091
And now he and Thomas
Edison are locked in
602
00:40:27,175 --> 00:40:29,718
a heated battle over what
will become the dominant
603
00:40:29,803 --> 00:40:31,178
form of electricity.
604
00:40:36,017 --> 00:40:38,602
Nikola Tesla has developed
a whole new way
605
00:40:38,686 --> 00:40:43,148
to transmit electricity, and
his technology threatens
606
00:40:43,233 --> 00:40:46,443
to destroy everything
Morgan and Edison have built.
607
00:40:47,153 --> 00:40:49,321
- J.P. MORGAN:
The electrical industry
608
00:40:49,405 --> 00:40:52,533
has two competing systems
right now: AC and DC.
609
00:40:52,617 --> 00:40:54,868
This world has room
for only one of 'em.
610
00:40:58,289 --> 00:41:00,165
- If
Morgan loses,
611
00:41:00,250 --> 00:41:04,378
he risks ruining his
reputation, and his name.
612
00:41:09,926 --> 00:41:13,011
Morgan ratchets up the
pressure on Edison,
613
00:41:13,429 --> 00:41:17,015
telling him to take out the
competition in any way he can.
614
00:41:19,561 --> 00:41:22,646
- ALAN GREENSPAN:
J.P.Morgan was, really,
615
00:41:22,730 --> 00:41:25,149
an extraordinary character.
616
00:41:25,233 --> 00:41:29,027
He was steely-eyed,
determined, very smart,
617
00:41:29,112 --> 00:41:32,823
and somebody who had that
characteristic
618
00:41:32,907 --> 00:41:34,575
"I'll take charge".
619
00:41:35,326 --> 00:41:36,368
And he did.
620
00:41:39,747 --> 00:41:41,707
- Feeling the
pressure from Morgan,
621
00:41:41,791 --> 00:41:44,459
Edison sets out on a
mission to prove his
622
00:41:44,544 --> 00:41:47,880
direct current is
the safest form of electricity.
623
00:41:49,340 --> 00:41:52,217
- The War of the Electric
Currents is the dark side
624
00:41:52,302 --> 00:41:53,510
of Thomas Edison.
625
00:41:54,095 --> 00:41:57,222
The tactic that Edison
took was to persuade
626
00:41:57,307 --> 00:42:02,186
people that alternating
current was the killer current.
627
00:42:03,271 --> 00:42:06,440
It is a side of Edison
we don't normally see.
628
00:42:07,859 --> 00:42:09,526
-
He begins using Tesla's
629
00:42:09,611 --> 00:42:13,113
alternating current in a series
of demonstrations,
630
00:42:14,449 --> 00:42:17,534
hoping to scare the
public about AC's power.
631
00:42:19,078 --> 00:42:22,664
- Edison used all sorts
of dirty tricks
632
00:42:22,749 --> 00:42:24,833
to try to discredit AC.
633
00:42:26,085 --> 00:42:29,087
He killed animals
before an audience.
634
00:42:41,392 --> 00:42:45,103
- But nothing
seems to be slowing
635
00:42:45,188 --> 00:42:47,940
the enthusiasm for Tesla's
stronger current.
636
00:42:52,528 --> 00:42:55,572
Growing ever more
desperate to please Morgan,
637
00:42:55,657 --> 00:42:58,825
Edison is relieved
when a letter arrives
638
00:42:58,910 --> 00:43:01,036
that could be his opportunity.
639
00:43:02,997 --> 00:43:05,123
A New York state prison
has been looking
640
00:43:05,208 --> 00:43:09,044
to replace hanging as a
means of execution.
641
00:43:10,463 --> 00:43:12,923
Many have come to believe
that the medieval method
642
00:43:13,007 --> 00:43:15,008
is cruel and inhumane.
643
00:43:18,012 --> 00:43:21,306
Electricity could provide
a useful alternative.
644
00:43:27,689 --> 00:43:30,232
The design Edison
envisions is simple,
645
00:43:30,316 --> 00:43:31,692
yet groundbreaking.
646
00:43:45,289 --> 00:43:47,249
- America's
advancement
647
00:43:47,333 --> 00:43:50,919
in the last three decades
is staggering.
648
00:43:51,546 --> 00:43:55,716
Railroads have replaced wagon
trails to unite the nation.
649
00:43:56,968 --> 00:44:00,929
And the country's cities
stand tall on steel.
650
00:44:02,015 --> 00:44:05,100
First Kerosene
transformed the night.
651
00:44:06,686 --> 00:44:10,731
And now electricity is
about to light homes
652
00:44:10,815 --> 00:44:12,566
from coast to coast.
653
00:44:15,695 --> 00:44:18,238
Only John D. Rockefeller
isn't about to let
654
00:44:18,322 --> 00:44:21,783
J.P. Morgan and Thomas Edison
put him out of business.
655
00:44:23,161 --> 00:44:25,704
He's determined to
keep kerosene
656
00:44:25,788 --> 00:44:27,914
the leader in the light game.
657
00:44:30,752 --> 00:44:33,253
He begins a campaign
to stop electricity
658
00:44:33,337 --> 00:44:35,589
before it gains traction...
659
00:44:35,673 --> 00:44:38,425
...though he may
underestimate the draw
660
00:44:38,509 --> 00:44:40,677
of this magical new power.
661
00:44:46,559 --> 00:44:49,519
J.P. Morgan has more to worry
about than Rockefeller.
662
00:44:51,022 --> 00:44:53,440
Morgan's father always
told him to avoid
663
00:44:53,524 --> 00:44:55,317
competition at all costs.
664
00:44:56,819 --> 00:44:59,654
And now he and Thomas
Edison are locked
665
00:44:59,739 --> 00:45:01,782
in a heated battle over
what will become
666
00:45:01,866 --> 00:45:04,159
the dominant form
of electricity.
667
00:45:20,843 --> 00:45:23,303
♪ When I got to Memphis ♪
668
00:45:24,138 --> 00:45:26,515
♪ I put my old
baby down ♪
669
00:45:26,849 --> 00:45:30,519
♪ He said I can't
take you to Heaven ♪
670
00:45:31,854 --> 00:45:34,064
♪ I can't save
your soul ♪
671
00:45:35,233 --> 00:45:37,818
♪ I can't promise
forever ♪
672
00:45:37,902 --> 00:45:39,111
♪ Whoo ♪
673
00:45:39,862 --> 00:45:42,906
♪ With my heart
in your hands ♪
674
00:45:43,866 --> 00:45:48,078
♪ I can't feel,
fell my soul ♪
675
00:45:51,624 --> 00:45:54,501
- JILL JONNES: Edison
became very happy to help
676
00:45:54,585 --> 00:45:58,547
develop an electric chair,
as long as that electric
677
00:45:58,631 --> 00:46:03,176
chair used Westinghouse
alternating current generators.
678
00:46:04,095 --> 00:46:06,888
- Edison devotes
his lab's attention to the
679
00:46:06,973 --> 00:46:10,392
development of the world's
first electric chair.
680
00:46:13,646 --> 00:46:15,605
It's the perfect
opportunity to prove
681
00:46:15,690 --> 00:46:18,358
that Tesla's AC is dangerous...
682
00:46:19,986 --> 00:46:21,069
...even deadly.
683
00:46:27,493 --> 00:46:29,369
The prison invites the
press to witness
684
00:46:29,453 --> 00:46:32,706
the most sensational
demonstration imaginable.
685
00:46:34,041 --> 00:46:37,043
The world's first
human execution...
686
00:46:37,128 --> 00:46:38,420
...by electricity.
687
00:47:14,290 --> 00:47:15,165
- Is it ready?
688
00:47:15,249 --> 00:47:16,166
- Yes.
689
00:47:18,669 --> 00:47:20,295
- Goodbye, William.
690
00:47:44,612 --> 00:47:45,779
- He's dead.
691
00:47:48,241 --> 00:47:50,283
- PRISON OFFICIAL:
He's bleeding.
692
00:47:50,368 --> 00:47:51,952
- He's breathing.
693
00:48:08,511 --> 00:48:09,970
- I'm gonna be sick.
694
00:48:16,769 --> 00:48:19,104
- JILL JONNES: They
then essentially
695
00:48:19,188 --> 00:48:20,855
roasted this man alive.
696
00:48:21,899 --> 00:48:23,692
It was a botched
execution.
697
00:48:25,945 --> 00:48:29,906
- The gruesome
act backfires on Edison.
698
00:48:29,991 --> 00:48:33,451
The public doesn't
connect A.C. to Tesla.
699
00:48:34,912 --> 00:48:37,247
All they remember
is that electricity
700
00:48:37,331 --> 00:48:39,040
was used to kill a man.
701
00:48:39,959 --> 00:48:42,294
And that Edison
was behind it.
702
00:48:52,179 --> 00:48:55,724
The damage to his
reputation is massive.
703
00:48:56,976 --> 00:49:00,520
And J.P. Morgan endures
an even worse fate.
704
00:49:03,649 --> 00:49:05,358
- Now I have to read
in the newspaper
705
00:49:05,443 --> 00:49:07,861
my son is funding Edison.
706
00:49:07,945 --> 00:49:09,612
A latter-day Frankenstein.
707
00:49:17,955 --> 00:49:19,247
- He didn't
pull the switch.
708
00:49:19,332 --> 00:49:21,583
- Let me make a few
points clear to you.
709
00:49:21,667 --> 00:49:23,251
I do not want the
House of Morgan
710
00:49:23,336 --> 00:49:25,211
associated with electricity.
711
00:49:25,296 --> 00:49:27,213
Or any of the
devil's works.
712
00:49:28,883 --> 00:49:31,593
I have spent my life
making a name
713
00:49:31,677 --> 00:49:33,470
and I am not about to
let you destroy it.
714
00:49:33,554 --> 00:49:35,221
- I have a chance
to build here--
715
00:49:35,306 --> 00:49:36,306
- Pierpont!
716
00:49:38,601 --> 00:49:39,601
It's over.
717
00:49:46,734 --> 00:49:49,402
I set sail for
Monaco tomorrow.
718
00:49:49,487 --> 00:49:51,905
While I'm away, see
to it you sell
719
00:49:51,989 --> 00:49:55,700
whatever stakes you have
in these Edison companies.
720
00:50:01,165 --> 00:50:03,917
- Morgan set
out to become
721
00:50:04,001 --> 00:50:07,379
a legendary innovator
in his own right.
722
00:50:08,005 --> 00:50:11,633
But now his dream has
come crashing down.
723
00:50:14,261 --> 00:50:18,306
Edison has played directly
into John Rockefeller's hands.
724
00:50:18,849 --> 00:50:23,186
Demonstrating electricity
to be dangerous and deadly.
725
00:50:26,232 --> 00:50:29,109
Morgan knows that pulling
his funds from Edison
726
00:50:29,193 --> 00:50:31,820
would completely destroy
the electric industry.
727
00:50:32,822 --> 00:50:36,533
And leave Rockefeller at
the top of the light game.
728
00:50:40,204 --> 00:50:42,664
But despite his
father's objections...
729
00:50:42,748 --> 00:50:47,168
...Morgan is still convinced
that electricity is the future.
730
00:50:49,213 --> 00:50:54,217
And soon, news of a new
project reignites his ambitions.
731
00:50:55,845 --> 00:51:00,557
A project that will remove the
stain of Edison's experiments...
732
00:51:00,641 --> 00:51:04,602
...and restore the public's
trust in the electric industry.
733
00:51:06,021 --> 00:51:09,190
Electricity is about
to go national.
734
00:51:14,196 --> 00:51:17,157
A company at Niagara
Falls has begun work
735
00:51:17,241 --> 00:51:19,826
on one of the most ambitious
construction projects
736
00:51:19,910 --> 00:51:21,119
ever undertaken.
737
00:51:27,501 --> 00:51:30,837
The world's largest power
plant is being built.
738
00:51:32,756 --> 00:51:36,468
And 1 ,300 men are digging
a massive tunnel
739
00:51:37,761 --> 00:51:39,762
2.5 miles into bedrock.
740
00:51:43,684 --> 00:51:46,561
Once complete, the raw
power of the falls
741
00:51:46,645 --> 00:51:51,149
will generate a mind boggling
120,000 horse power.
742
00:51:53,861 --> 00:51:56,279
More than all the
electricity being produced
743
00:51:56,363 --> 00:51:57,947
throughout the country...
744
00:51:58,032 --> 00:51:58,990
...combined.
745
00:51:59,617 --> 00:52:03,203
- MAURY KLEIN: Niagara is
a watershed in the history
746
00:52:03,287 --> 00:52:04,954
of the electric industry.
747
00:52:05,414 --> 00:52:08,374
It shows that it is
not only feasible
748
00:52:08,459 --> 00:52:12,003
but practical to transmit
electricity over distance.
749
00:52:13,255 --> 00:52:15,715
- The Niagara
power station will be capable
750
00:52:15,799 --> 00:52:18,218
of generating
enough electricity to light
751
00:52:18,302 --> 00:52:20,094
the entire Northeast.
752
00:52:20,596 --> 00:52:23,806
- JILL JONNES: To take
such a incredibly famous place
753
00:52:23,891 --> 00:52:27,685
that's got this
extraordinary water power
754
00:52:27,770 --> 00:52:32,565
and harness it to
electricity was going to make
755
00:52:32,650 --> 00:52:35,318
the case to the world
that this was something
756
00:52:35,402 --> 00:52:36,736
you could do everywhere.
757
00:52:36,820 --> 00:52:39,906
- But the
Niagara Power Company
758
00:52:39,990 --> 00:52:42,909
hasn't yet decided
who will power the generators...
759
00:52:44,286 --> 00:52:48,206
...Morgan and
Edison's D.C. Or Tesla's A.C.
760
00:52:55,047 --> 00:52:57,632
The world's biggest power
station would be
761
00:52:57,716 --> 00:52:59,467
a huge game changer.
762
00:53:00,177 --> 00:53:02,679
J.P. Morgan knows it's
his opportunity
763
00:53:02,763 --> 00:53:05,473
to create the empire
he's always wanted.
764
00:53:06,016 --> 00:53:08,059
But he also knows that
getting the contract
765
00:53:08,143 --> 00:53:12,272
to power Niagara would require
a massive investment.
766
00:53:12,356 --> 00:53:14,774
One his father
would never allow.
767
00:53:17,987 --> 00:53:20,989
Morgan agonizes over
his next move...
768
00:53:22,616 --> 00:53:24,576
...until tragedy strikes.
769
00:53:25,202 --> 00:53:26,244
- Sir.
770
00:53:36,463 --> 00:53:38,590
- His
father has been
771
00:53:38,674 --> 00:53:40,717
in a horrible
carriage crash.
772
00:53:46,265 --> 00:53:49,392
Junius Morgan dies as a
result of his injuries.
773
00:53:51,979 --> 00:53:56,482
J.P. is now left in charge
of the House of Morgan.
774
00:54:09,079 --> 00:54:11,873
The empire includes a vast
portfolio of businesses
775
00:54:11,957 --> 00:54:16,961
invested in railroads,
real estate, shipping,
776
00:54:17,046 --> 00:54:18,504
manufacturing...
777
00:54:22,760 --> 00:54:24,218
...and electricity.
778
00:54:26,930 --> 00:54:30,892
With his father gone,
nothing is holding Morgan back.
779
00:54:31,894 --> 00:54:33,686
- JENNIFER TONKOVICH:
When Junius died it
780
00:54:33,771 --> 00:54:36,606
was truly a devastating
moment for Morgan.
781
00:54:37,107 --> 00:54:40,360
But also it ended up
being a bit of a relief,
782
00:54:40,444 --> 00:54:44,906
because after his father's death
he really came into his own.
783
00:54:44,990 --> 00:54:47,492
The freedom really helped
him realize
784
00:54:47,576 --> 00:54:49,619
the full potential
in some ways.
785
00:54:52,373 --> 00:54:57,126
- Morgan's
net worth more than quadruples.
786
00:54:58,671 --> 00:55:02,298
And instantly he has
hundreds of millions of dollars.
787
00:55:05,302 --> 00:55:07,387
Money he plans on using
788
00:55:09,348 --> 00:55:11,808
to win the Niagara contract.
789
00:55:27,241 --> 00:55:30,910
- The best time to buy is when
there's blood on the streets.
790
00:55:31,870 --> 00:55:34,163
- I'm not sure
I follow you.
791
00:55:35,207 --> 00:55:38,459
- It's advice Lloyd
Rothschild gave my father.
792
00:55:39,253 --> 00:55:40,962
It's advice he never took.
793
00:55:42,214 --> 00:55:44,882
I'm increasing my
investment to $4 million.
794
00:55:44,967 --> 00:55:46,801
I'll give you an extra
million dollars in cash
795
00:55:46,885 --> 00:55:48,761
to pursue other projects.
796
00:55:49,513 --> 00:55:51,305
- That shouldn't
be a problem.
797
00:55:51,390 --> 00:55:56,978
- Good. The Niagara Falls Power
Company is inviting bids
798
00:55:57,062 --> 00:56:00,148
for the new Niagara Falls
central power station.
799
00:56:00,232 --> 00:56:02,567
They haven't yet decided
if they want to go
800
00:56:02,651 --> 00:56:04,026
with A.C or D.C.
801
00:56:04,820 --> 00:56:07,488
I want you to prepare
a bid, Edison.
802
00:56:07,573 --> 00:56:09,323
This is now a race.
803
00:56:11,577 --> 00:56:12,869
You better win.
804
00:56:22,421 --> 00:56:27,133
- RICHARD PARSONS: Timing
is everything in business.
805
00:56:27,217 --> 00:56:29,552
Everybody wants to
be the first mover.
806
00:56:29,636 --> 00:56:32,180
Everybody wants to be
on the bleeding edge,
807
00:56:32,264 --> 00:56:33,431
or the cutting edge.
808
00:56:33,515 --> 00:56:35,516
You have to be on the
pulse of the moment.
809
00:56:35,601 --> 00:56:38,311
Timing in business is
just like timing in life.
810
00:56:38,395 --> 00:56:41,731
It is perhaps as important
as any other single factor.
811
00:56:46,528 --> 00:56:50,031
- Construction
of the Niagara Power Station
812
00:56:50,115 --> 00:56:52,492
is continuing
at a blistering pace.
813
00:56:55,329 --> 00:56:57,455
Workmen are almost
finished
814
00:56:57,539 --> 00:57:00,166
with a 2.5-mile-long tunnel.
815
00:57:01,210 --> 00:57:04,962
And it won't be long until
water shoots through it...
816
00:57:05,047 --> 00:57:07,757
...powering turbines
the size of houses.
817
00:57:13,096 --> 00:57:14,764
Those turbines will
generate enough
818
00:57:14,848 --> 00:57:18,309
electricity to light up
the entire northeast.
819
00:57:22,648 --> 00:57:25,233
Morgan knows that
to win the contract,
820
00:57:25,317 --> 00:57:28,152
he'll need to eliminate
the competition.
821
00:57:32,908 --> 00:57:35,827
Tesla and Westinghouse
are making headway
822
00:57:36,328 --> 00:57:37,954
with alternating current.
823
00:57:41,667 --> 00:57:44,836
But after their company's
rapid expansion,
824
00:57:44,920 --> 00:57:47,755
Westinghouse is
drowning in debt.
825
00:57:47,840 --> 00:57:50,842
And his business is
struggling to stay afloat.
826
00:57:52,845 --> 00:57:56,013
J.P. Morgan sees an opportunity
to take advantage
827
00:57:56,098 --> 00:57:57,723
of his vulnerability.
828
00:58:07,359 --> 00:58:08,651
- JILL JONNES: J.P. Morgan
829
00:58:08,735 --> 00:58:12,238
was a huge power on
the stock market
830
00:58:12,322 --> 00:58:14,907
when it was not
at all regulated.
831
00:58:14,992 --> 00:58:17,660
In the case of
George Westinghouse,
832
00:58:17,744 --> 00:58:21,038
his company on a
number of occasions,
833
00:58:21,123 --> 00:58:25,835
was assaulted on the stock
market by Morgan entities.
834
00:58:29,006 --> 00:58:31,465
- Morgan
capitalizes on a downturn
835
00:58:31,550 --> 00:58:32,925
in the economy.
836
00:58:34,136 --> 00:58:37,388
...launching a smear
campaign designed
837
00:58:37,472 --> 00:58:41,517
to trigger a sell-off of
Westinghouse stock.
838
00:58:42,603 --> 00:58:44,312
- JOURNALISTS: Mr. Morgan!
839
00:58:44,396 --> 00:58:45,479
Mr. Morgan!
840
00:58:45,564 --> 00:58:47,148
- What is to be done
about the panic?
841
00:58:47,232 --> 00:58:48,441
- There's no
need to panic.
842
00:58:48,525 --> 00:58:50,651
- Mr. Morgan, are we on the
verge of a depression?
843
00:58:50,736 --> 00:58:51,986
- Not if we act wisely.
844
00:58:52,070 --> 00:58:55,406
- Now how many more companies
will go bust, Mr. Morgan?
845
00:58:57,951 --> 00:58:59,243
- The only companies at risk
846
00:58:59,328 --> 00:59:03,289
are those fast expanding
capital intensive,
847
00:59:03,373 --> 00:59:04,707
debt-ridden ventures.
848
00:59:08,670 --> 00:59:09,921
Thank you, gentlemen.
849
00:59:10,005 --> 00:59:11,631
- Mr. Morgan!
Mr. Morgan!
850
00:59:14,593 --> 00:59:16,969
- Morgan's
remarks are subtle.
851
00:59:17,054 --> 00:59:19,722
But his influence on
Wall Street is so great,
852
00:59:19,806 --> 00:59:21,682
their effect
is devastating.
853
00:59:23,101 --> 00:59:25,978
Over the next few weeks,
investors sell off
854
00:59:26,063 --> 00:59:29,023
Westinghouse's stock,
sending the company
855
00:59:29,107 --> 00:59:30,483
into a tailspin.
856
00:59:30,943 --> 00:59:33,903
Within days, it's
almost bankrupt.
857
00:59:34,696 --> 00:59:36,113
- DONNY DEUTSCH: You get
successful at something
858
00:59:36,198 --> 00:59:38,240
and all of a sudden you
make a lot of money
859
00:59:38,325 --> 00:59:40,201
and the world says
you're successful.
860
00:59:40,285 --> 00:59:41,494
There's no margin
for failure anymore.
861
00:59:41,578 --> 00:59:43,579
There's only
degrees of success.
862
00:59:43,956 --> 00:59:46,123
With
Westinghouse driven into debt,
863
00:59:46,208 --> 00:59:48,042
Morgan is convinced
there's no longer
864
00:59:48,126 --> 00:59:51,379
any competition to win the
contract for Niagara.
865
00:59:56,593 --> 00:59:59,053
Unable to raise
additional funds,
866
00:59:59,137 --> 01:00:01,931
Westinghouse is ready
to admit defeat.
867
01:00:03,058 --> 01:00:06,227
- Tesla, the reason I'm
here is to tell you
868
01:00:06,311 --> 01:00:09,271
my company is on the
verge of bankruptcy.
869
01:00:09,898 --> 01:00:11,565
- You have my
A.C. motor designs,
870
01:00:13,193 --> 01:00:14,443
- It's the opposite.
871
01:00:14,528 --> 01:00:16,070
Nobody will lend me money
872
01:00:16,154 --> 01:00:18,739
because of your royalty
deal on your patents.
873
01:00:21,493 --> 01:00:23,828
- The benefits that will
come to civilization
874
01:00:23,912 --> 01:00:25,496
from my polyphase system
875
01:00:25,580 --> 01:00:27,915
will mean more to me
than money involved.
876
01:00:28,000 --> 01:00:32,003
Mr. Westinghouse, you
will save your company
877
01:00:32,087 --> 01:00:33,754
to develop my invention.
878
01:00:39,678 --> 01:00:43,806
This is my contract, and
I will tear it to pieces,
879
01:00:43,890 --> 01:00:46,183
and you will no longer
have any troubles
880
01:00:46,268 --> 01:00:47,810
from my royalties.
881
01:00:56,653 --> 01:00:58,112
- Thank you, Nikola.
882
01:00:58,196 --> 01:01:01,449
Tesla gives
Westinghouse control of A.C.
883
01:01:01,533 --> 01:01:04,744
and forgoes all
claim to his patents.
884
01:01:05,537 --> 01:01:07,913
Investments soon pour in.
885
01:01:08,248 --> 01:01:11,500
And Westinghouse
Electric is viable again.
886
01:01:13,879 --> 01:01:16,088
Westinghouse knows
that to beat Morgan,
887
01:01:16,173 --> 01:01:18,049
he needs a bold move.
888
01:01:21,720 --> 01:01:25,222
And soon, he has the
perfect opportunity.
889
01:01:25,891 --> 01:01:27,641
Chicago is about
to host
890
01:01:27,726 --> 01:01:30,311
one of the globe's
landmark events--
891
01:01:30,395 --> 01:01:31,979
the World's Fair.
892
01:01:35,192 --> 01:01:37,860
Organizers want it to be
the most stunning display
893
01:01:37,944 --> 01:01:39,820
of technology ever seen.
894
01:01:42,532 --> 01:01:47,036
They decide to light the entire
event using electricity.
895
01:01:47,996 --> 01:01:49,830
- JILL JONNES: The
managers and the creators
896
01:01:49,915 --> 01:01:53,709
of the Chicago World's
Fair of 1893 want to have
897
01:01:53,794 --> 01:01:55,836
an entirely electric city.
898
01:01:55,921 --> 01:01:58,089
They want to be
cutting edge.
899
01:01:58,632 --> 01:02:00,716
They invite companies
to bid
900
01:02:00,801 --> 01:02:03,511
on this contract to
electrify the fair.
901
01:02:03,595 --> 01:02:05,721
- Morgan assumes
that he and Edison
902
01:02:05,806 --> 01:02:08,390
are a lock to light the fair.
903
01:02:09,101 --> 01:02:11,560
But Westinghouse
has other plans.
904
01:02:13,772 --> 01:02:16,524
He drastically
underbids the project...
905
01:02:16,608 --> 01:02:18,651
...claiming the can light
the fair for less
906
01:02:18,735 --> 01:02:21,987
than a quarter of what Morgan
and Edison have bid.
907
01:02:23,657 --> 01:02:25,950
The bold move
secures the contract,
908
01:02:27,077 --> 01:02:29,870
and Westinghouse and Tesla
immediately get to work
909
01:02:29,955 --> 01:02:31,497
wiring the fairgrounds.
910
01:02:34,960 --> 01:02:37,378
And finally, on
opening night,
911
01:02:37,462 --> 01:02:40,172
with the eyes of the
world on Chicago,
912
01:02:40,257 --> 01:02:42,049
they flip the switch.
913
01:02:44,636 --> 01:02:49,265
And instantly, over 200,000
light bulbs come to life.
914
01:02:55,647 --> 01:02:58,649
- JILL JONNES: 27 million
people came to this Fair
915
01:02:58,733 --> 01:03:01,360
and saw an
electrified world.
916
01:03:01,987 --> 01:03:04,572
And that had a huge,
huge impact
917
01:03:04,656 --> 01:03:06,532
on spreading
this technology.
918
01:03:06,616 --> 01:03:10,578
People realized there was a
whole electrical future coming.
919
01:03:10,662 --> 01:03:11,829
- It's a display
920
01:03:11,913 --> 01:03:14,248
unlike any the world
has ever seen.
921
01:03:14,332 --> 01:03:17,042
And it's all powered using
George Westinghouse
922
01:03:17,127 --> 01:03:20,588
and Nikola Tesla's
alternating current electricity.
923
01:03:21,673 --> 01:03:24,216
The fair forever
demonstrates the safety
924
01:03:24,301 --> 01:03:26,135
and viability of A.C.
925
01:03:31,474 --> 01:03:34,268
Westinghouse and Tesla's
incredible display
926
01:03:34,352 --> 01:03:36,562
has another consequence.
927
01:03:37,397 --> 01:03:40,274
A decision is made on who
will power
928
01:03:40,358 --> 01:03:42,193
the Niagara Falls station.
929
01:03:45,530 --> 01:03:47,239
Two letters go out...
930
01:03:51,203 --> 01:03:54,538
...but only one man
can win the contract.
931
01:04:02,547 --> 01:04:05,257
America is now the most
technologically advanced
932
01:04:05,342 --> 01:04:07,009
nation on the planet.
933
01:04:08,136 --> 01:04:12,848
Trains, oil, and steel
have built the country,
934
01:04:14,267 --> 01:04:17,561
and the newest sensation,
is electric light.
935
01:04:19,356 --> 01:04:22,024
Showcased at the
Chicago World's Fair,
936
01:04:22,108 --> 01:04:24,693
electricity is about
to go national.
937
01:04:26,988 --> 01:04:28,864
But a battle
has broken out.
938
01:04:29,574 --> 01:04:30,824
Pitting J.P. Morgan
939
01:04:30,909 --> 01:04:33,869
and Thomas Edison
against George Westinghouse
940
01:04:33,954 --> 01:04:35,371
and
Nikola Tesla.
941
01:04:36,081 --> 01:04:40,042
In a fight for control of the
world's largest power plant...
942
01:04:41,294 --> 01:04:43,003
...at Niagara Falls.
943
01:04:44,256 --> 01:04:46,173
- STEVE CASE: If you're
really trying
944
01:04:46,258 --> 01:04:48,509
to not just to create a company,
but to create a new industry
945
01:04:48,593 --> 01:04:50,177
and change the world
in a fundamental way,
946
01:04:50,262 --> 01:04:52,680
you really need to believe
in the idea and stick
947
01:04:52,764 --> 01:04:54,431
with it through
thick and thin
948
01:04:54,516 --> 01:04:56,892
because it's going
to be a tough road.
949
01:04:57,811 --> 01:04:59,436
- J.P. Morgan
has invested
950
01:04:59,521 --> 01:05:01,897
millions into
the electric industry...
951
01:05:04,067 --> 01:05:06,360
...hoping to
replace John D. Rockefeller
952
01:05:06,444 --> 01:05:08,654
as the man
lighting America...
953
01:05:11,116 --> 01:05:13,575
...and the Niagara Power
Plant could give him
954
01:05:13,660 --> 01:05:16,996
control over the
future of electricity.
955
01:05:18,999 --> 01:05:21,625
- JILL JONNES: Whoever
wins this contract
956
01:05:21,710 --> 01:05:26,380
is going to be the preeminent
electrical company--
957
01:05:28,383 --> 01:05:31,427
not just in America,
but the world.
958
01:05:41,730 --> 01:05:45,899
- The plant at Niagara
Falls reaches a decision.
959
01:05:45,984 --> 01:05:48,152
And two letters go out.
960
01:05:59,581 --> 01:06:02,041
But there can only
be one winner.
961
01:06:10,467 --> 01:06:12,176
In a shocking twist...
962
01:06:15,513 --> 01:06:17,806
...George Westinghouse
wins the contract
963
01:06:17,891 --> 01:06:19,683
for the power station.
964
01:06:20,435 --> 01:06:21,894
- JACK WELCH: You
always want to be
965
01:06:21,978 --> 01:06:23,687
in the winning locker
room.
966
01:06:25,315 --> 01:06:26,982
You don't want to be in
the loser's locker room,
967
01:06:27,067 --> 01:06:29,026
with a towel around your head.
968
01:06:45,418 --> 01:06:48,712
- J.P. Morgan
has been badly defeated.
969
01:06:48,797 --> 01:06:50,672
His dream of building
an industry
970
01:06:50,757 --> 01:06:53,133
from the ground up is over.
971
01:06:53,218 --> 01:06:56,136
His attempt to make
his own name...
972
01:06:56,221 --> 01:06:57,221
...ruined.
973
01:06:58,640 --> 01:07:01,850
- JUNIUS: This is the
stuff of carnivals and fairs.
974
01:07:01,935 --> 01:07:04,436
And you've been
played for a fool.
975
01:07:05,772 --> 01:07:07,272
- He realizes
his father
976
01:07:07,357 --> 01:07:09,525
may have been right all along.
977
01:07:11,611 --> 01:07:14,196
But never willing
to admit defeat...
978
01:07:14,280 --> 01:07:19,284
...J.P. Morgan sees a way to
turn failure into opportunity.
979
01:07:21,538 --> 01:07:22,413
- DONALD TRUMP: J.P. Morgan
980
01:07:22,497 --> 01:07:24,665
made a mistake backing
Thomas Edison.
981
01:07:24,749 --> 01:07:27,209
I mean, they all
make mistakes.
982
01:07:27,293 --> 01:07:29,711
And I always say that you
have to guard
983
01:07:29,796 --> 01:07:31,380
against the downside.
984
01:07:31,714 --> 01:07:34,716
Because it can be the
greatest deal you've ever seen,
985
01:07:34,801 --> 01:07:37,886
and there is a chance that
that deal won't work out.
986
01:07:37,971 --> 01:07:39,930
Don't let a deal like
that take you down
987
01:07:40,014 --> 01:07:41,598
if it doesn't work.
988
01:07:42,392 --> 01:07:45,060
- Morgan is
determined to gain control
989
01:07:45,145 --> 01:07:46,979
of the electric industry.
990
01:07:48,440 --> 01:07:51,567
And he's going to do
it the Morgan way.
991
01:07:52,235 --> 01:07:55,279
- JILL JONNES: If you
were on his bad side,
992
01:07:55,363 --> 01:07:57,448
or he coveted
your company,
993
01:07:58,825 --> 01:08:02,161
or the technology
that your company had,
994
01:08:02,579 --> 01:08:05,622
you did not want to
be in that position.
995
01:08:08,501 --> 01:08:11,962
- Morgan returns
to the lessons of his father.
996
01:08:12,046 --> 01:08:16,258
He's going to intimidate
the competition into submission.
997
01:08:16,718 --> 01:08:19,887
He starts his attack by
going after Westinghouse,
998
01:08:19,971 --> 01:08:21,722
and everything he owns...
999
01:08:21,806 --> 01:08:25,476
...including Tesla's
A.C. electricity patents.
1000
01:08:29,189 --> 01:08:32,191
- MORGAN: Congratulations,
Westinghouse.
1001
01:08:32,275 --> 01:08:35,444
I hear you won the
Niagara Falls contract.
1002
01:08:36,613 --> 01:08:39,239
I'll be taking you
to court for patent
1003
01:08:39,324 --> 01:08:41,658
infringement over A.C. designs.
1004
01:08:42,577 --> 01:08:44,161
- Why would you start a
legal case
1005
01:08:44,245 --> 01:08:47,039
that will cost millions--
a case that you will lose?
1006
01:08:47,123 --> 01:08:48,373
- Because you don't have
the resources
1007
01:08:48,458 --> 01:08:51,585
to fight such a case--
and you'll go under.
1008
01:08:54,047 --> 01:08:55,631
- What is it you want?
1009
01:08:58,051 --> 01:09:00,427
- You know the
answer to that.
1010
01:09:04,724 --> 01:09:07,017
- My first demonstration
1011
01:09:07,101 --> 01:09:09,311
is for those amongst
you who fear...
1012
01:09:10,438 --> 01:09:12,981
- Westinghouse
has no choice but to give in
1013
01:09:13,066 --> 01:09:14,691
to Morgan's demands.
1014
01:09:14,984 --> 01:09:17,152
Knowing that the cost of
a lawsuit will put him
1015
01:09:17,237 --> 01:09:21,031
out of business, he's forced
to sign over the patents
1016
01:09:21,115 --> 01:09:23,325
for Tesla's A.C. electricity.
1017
01:09:25,203 --> 01:09:28,163
But Morgan doesn't
stop with Westinghouse.
1018
01:09:29,707 --> 01:09:32,543
With the loss of the
Niagara contract,
1019
01:09:32,627 --> 01:09:37,005
the company Morgan started
with Thomas Edison is broken.
1020
01:09:38,883 --> 01:09:42,886
And Edison's D.C. electricity
looks like a failure.
1021
01:09:44,430 --> 01:09:46,890
- MAURY KLEIN: Thomas
Edison is probably
1022
01:09:46,975 --> 01:09:50,852
the most brilliant inventor
America every had.
1023
01:09:50,937 --> 01:09:54,606
And like many brilliant
men he was capable
1024
01:09:54,691 --> 01:09:57,401
of spectacularly
wrong choices.
1025
01:09:59,153 --> 01:10:01,989
- As far as
Morgan's concerned,
1026
01:10:02,073 --> 01:10:05,158
there's only one way
to fix Edison Electric.
1027
01:10:06,452 --> 01:10:08,996
He's going to streamline
the company.
1028
01:10:10,164 --> 01:10:14,001
And his first step is to
eliminate Thomas Edison.
1029
01:10:17,797 --> 01:10:22,092
Morgan buys up additional shares
of Edison Electric stock...
1030
01:10:23,136 --> 01:10:26,221
...until he has complete
control of the company.
1031
01:10:33,813 --> 01:10:37,357
- It's a device that
shows moving pictures.
1032
01:10:38,776 --> 01:10:41,278
We'll put the Niagara
business behind us,
1033
01:10:41,362 --> 01:10:43,196
and Edison General
Electric will move forward
1034
01:10:43,281 --> 01:10:44,740
to greater things.
1035
01:10:45,199 --> 01:10:47,409
- The name of the company
has been changed--
1036
01:10:47,493 --> 01:10:48,910
to General Electric.
1037
01:10:48,995 --> 01:10:50,954
- But it's my company.
1038
01:10:51,497 --> 01:10:52,998
Surely I have a say.
1039
01:10:53,082 --> 01:10:57,002
- Not anymore--you no
longer have a majority stake.
1040
01:11:06,512 --> 01:11:09,765
Morgan's new
electric company--
1041
01:11:09,849 --> 01:11:12,726
general electric--is instantly
one of the most powerful
1042
01:11:12,810 --> 01:11:14,603
corporations on earth...
1043
01:11:14,687 --> 01:11:18,482
...valued at $50 million,
or the modern equivalent
1044
01:11:18,566 --> 01:11:20,317
of over one billion.
1045
01:11:22,945 --> 01:11:24,821
With Edison
out of the way,
1046
01:11:24,906 --> 01:11:28,659
Morgan converts
the company to A.C. electricity.
1047
01:11:29,285 --> 01:11:32,329
The standard that's
still used today.
1048
01:11:32,413 --> 01:11:34,122
- STEVE CASE: With
General Electric,
1049
01:11:34,207 --> 01:11:38,126
you could tell they were
building a big company
1050
01:11:38,211 --> 01:11:41,546
and something that was really
going to change the world.
1051
01:11:41,881 --> 01:11:44,174
They were really
trying to position
1052
01:11:44,258 --> 01:11:46,760
it in the marketplace
as a significant,
1053
01:11:46,844 --> 01:11:48,845
lasting company.
1054
01:11:53,935 --> 01:11:56,770
General Electric
will go on to become
1055
01:11:56,854 --> 01:11:59,815
one of America's biggest
corporations.
1056
01:12:00,274 --> 01:12:03,276
- DONNY DEUTSCH: The players
change, the stakes change,
1057
01:12:05,571 --> 01:12:08,198
but the essence of the game
stays the same.
1058
01:12:10,451 --> 01:12:13,328
Whether it's understanding
who it is that you have
1059
01:12:13,413 --> 01:12:16,832
to kind of massage, who it
is you gotta knock on the head,
1060
01:12:16,916 --> 01:12:20,001
who it is you have
to buy off to do this.
1061
01:12:23,131 --> 01:12:24,381
That's the game.
1062
01:12:25,800 --> 01:12:28,635
- With
the creation of G.E.
1063
01:12:28,720 --> 01:12:31,805
J.P. Morgan has consolidated
the electric industry.
1064
01:12:33,975 --> 01:12:36,643
Just like he did
with the railroads.
1065
01:12:39,188 --> 01:12:40,689
And Wall Street.
1066
01:12:44,152 --> 01:12:46,486
It's a move he learned
from his father.
1067
01:12:46,571 --> 01:12:49,239
A move J.P. Morgan
has now made his own.
1068
01:12:51,701 --> 01:12:53,744
- STEVE WYNN: There's
always a reason
1069
01:12:53,828 --> 01:12:57,372
why you can't do something,
but if deep inside you
1070
01:12:57,457 --> 01:13:01,626
it's what you want very badly,
you take chances,
1071
01:13:02,670 --> 01:13:06,923
you measure opportunity
and get where you want to go.
1072
01:13:12,513 --> 01:13:15,974
- J.P. Morgan
joins Rockefeller and Carnegie
1073
01:13:16,058 --> 01:13:18,977
as one of the most powerful men
in the country.
1074
01:13:22,940 --> 01:13:25,567
But Morgan's rapid
rise to the top
1075
01:13:25,651 --> 01:13:27,819
makes him hungrier than ever.
1076
01:13:31,699 --> 01:13:33,867
And as his power grows...
1077
01:13:33,951 --> 01:13:36,787
...his rivals are
forced to adjust.
1078
01:13:41,876 --> 01:13:45,337
America is the fastest
growing country on the planet.
1079
01:13:46,631 --> 01:13:49,800
Linked by railroads,
fueled by oil,
1080
01:13:50,510 --> 01:13:52,219
and built on steel.
1081
01:13:52,845 --> 01:13:54,805
The nation has become a
battleground
1082
01:13:54,889 --> 01:13:57,307
for magical new innovation.
1083
01:13:59,894 --> 01:14:02,562
Electricity is
transforming the world.
1084
01:14:03,648 --> 01:14:05,357
And with General Electric,
1085
01:14:05,441 --> 01:14:09,486
J.P. Morgan is the uncontested
leader in the industry...
1086
01:14:09,570 --> 01:14:11,947
...using his millions to
build power stations
1087
01:14:12,031 --> 01:14:13,615
from coast to coast.
1088
01:14:14,951 --> 01:14:18,662
Bringing electricity to
the masses for the first time.
1089
01:14:18,746 --> 01:14:20,789
- STEVE CASE:
Entrepreneurs want to
1090
01:14:20,873 --> 01:14:23,041
change the world, want to
have a significant impact,
1091
01:14:23,125 --> 01:14:24,793
don't want to just
build a company.
1092
01:14:24,877 --> 01:14:26,002
They want to
build an industry.
1093
01:14:26,087 --> 01:14:28,213
They don't want to just create
another product or service,
1094
01:14:28,297 --> 01:14:29,798
they really want
to fundamentally improve
1095
01:14:29,882 --> 01:14:31,633
aspects of people's lives.
1096
01:14:31,717 --> 01:14:33,969
- But J.P. Morgan
1097
01:14:34,053 --> 01:14:37,097
doesn't want to be confined
to just one industry.
1098
01:14:39,058 --> 01:14:41,184
He wants to own them all.
1099
01:14:44,522 --> 01:14:47,524
As the head of the biggest
investment bank in the world,
1100
01:14:47,608 --> 01:14:50,777
Morgan has unrivaled power
and influence,
1101
01:14:50,862 --> 01:14:53,405
and he's
returned to his old ways.
1102
01:14:55,032 --> 01:14:59,786
Only now he's taken the House
of Morgan to another level.
1103
01:15:01,455 --> 01:15:03,748
- MAURY KLEIN: Morgan's
reach was very broad
1104
01:15:03,833 --> 01:15:05,500
in American industry.
1105
01:15:05,918 --> 01:15:07,961
He becomes the
most respected,
1106
01:15:08,045 --> 01:15:10,171
reliable and
trusted figure,
1107
01:15:10,256 --> 01:15:14,342
not only because of the
power and wealth that he wields,
1108
01:15:14,427 --> 01:15:16,595
but just because
of his character.
1109
01:15:23,728 --> 01:15:27,355
- After a two
year depression,
1110
01:15:27,440 --> 01:15:31,484
the U.S. Treasury has become
perilously close to bankruptcy.
1111
01:15:32,570 --> 01:15:36,072
And there is only one man
the government can turn to.
1112
01:15:36,699 --> 01:15:40,160
J.P. Morgan is called
to Washington to help.
1113
01:15:40,620 --> 01:15:42,203
- JIM CRAMER: We think
of bankers now
1114
01:15:42,288 --> 01:15:45,123
as just greedy
bankster-gangsters.
1115
01:15:45,207 --> 01:15:48,084
Morgan was maybe one of
the greediest of all,
1116
01:15:48,169 --> 01:15:49,711
but he also really had
this side of him
1117
01:15:49,795 --> 01:15:51,880
which just said I have
faith in men,
1118
01:15:51,964 --> 01:15:55,467
I have faith in the country,
and I am going to lend it.
1119
01:15:56,928 --> 01:15:59,554
- Morgan puts
together a loan
1120
01:15:59,639 --> 01:16:03,934
worth over $100 million,
almost $3 billion today,
1121
01:16:04,977 --> 01:16:07,604
and bails out the
federal government.
1122
01:16:08,481 --> 01:16:12,484
Saving the American
economy from complete collapse.
1123
01:16:12,568 --> 01:16:13,944
- DONALD TRUMP: J.P. Morgan
1124
01:16:14,028 --> 01:16:15,695
was really
the country's banker.
1125
01:16:15,780 --> 01:16:17,656
Today when you think of
that, it's inconceivable.
1126
01:16:17,740 --> 01:16:20,659
But he would loan
the country money,
1127
01:16:20,743 --> 01:16:22,661
when the country
was in trouble.
1128
01:16:23,663 --> 01:16:25,830
- ALAN GREENSPAN: Morgan
obviously was looking
1129
01:16:25,915 --> 01:16:30,627
at the national interest in
the context of his own,
1130
01:16:30,711 --> 01:16:33,672
that is, saving
the U.S. Treasury
1131
01:16:33,756 --> 01:16:36,841
was an act of
basic self interest,
1132
01:16:36,926 --> 01:16:39,427
but it was an act
of nationalism.
1133
01:16:41,222 --> 01:16:43,890
- Morgan's
newfound power is a huge
1134
01:16:43,975 --> 01:16:45,892
wakeup call to his rivals.
1135
01:16:49,689 --> 01:16:53,024
They see Morgan as a
threat they need to deal with.
1136
01:16:54,235 --> 01:16:56,611
Before he deals with them.
1137
01:17:03,452 --> 01:17:05,495
John Rockefeller feels
the pressure
1138
01:17:05,579 --> 01:17:08,540
to keep his empire intact
like never before.
1139
01:17:12,795 --> 01:17:16,172
Despite his best efforts
to stop it in its tracks...
1140
01:17:17,758 --> 01:17:20,552
...electricity has
gone mainstream.
1141
01:17:23,139 --> 01:17:25,181
- STEVE WOZNIAK: The people
started these great companies,
1142
01:17:25,266 --> 01:17:28,435
they just think out solutions
on their own to problems.
1143
01:17:28,519 --> 01:17:30,353
You don't do it the
way it's been done before--
1144
01:17:30,438 --> 01:17:31,521
that's in a book.
1145
01:17:31,605 --> 01:17:34,149
You go out and you try
something new cause you think
1146
01:17:34,233 --> 01:17:36,609
it'll, that you'll be
able to make it work...
1147
01:17:39,405 --> 01:17:42,032
- To keep
Standard Oil profitable,
1148
01:17:42,116 --> 01:17:45,618
Rockefeller needs to find a
product to replace kerosene.
1149
01:17:49,248 --> 01:17:50,915
And the answer
may have been
1150
01:17:51,000 --> 01:17:53,168
in front of him
the entire time.
1151
01:17:59,133 --> 01:18:02,343
- Just over 100 degrees
you get a mixture of alkanes.
1152
01:18:04,430 --> 01:18:06,848
Sadly it can't be
used for anything.
1153
01:18:10,311 --> 01:18:11,728
- ROCKEFELLER: Why not?
1154
01:18:11,812 --> 01:18:13,313
- ANDREWS: Too volatile.
1155
01:18:25,493 --> 01:18:29,579
- Rockefeller targets
a byproduct of refining oil
1156
01:18:29,663 --> 01:18:32,332
that for years has been
thrown away.
1157
01:18:33,584 --> 01:18:36,836
The highly flammable
runoff is soaking fields
1158
01:18:36,921 --> 01:18:38,546
and polluting rivers.
1159
01:18:40,633 --> 01:18:43,802
The toxic substance
is called gasoline...
1160
01:18:45,262 --> 01:18:49,432
...and so far, no one has
figured out a use for it.
1161
01:18:49,517 --> 01:18:51,935
- DONALD TRUMP: Oftentimes
I'm asked
1162
01:18:52,019 --> 01:18:54,771
do you have to be ruthless
to be very successful?
1163
01:18:54,855 --> 01:18:57,190
And I say, you do not
have to be ruthless,
1164
01:18:57,274 --> 01:18:58,608
you have to be smart.
1165
01:18:58,692 --> 01:19:00,110
Smart is the key word.
1166
01:19:00,194 --> 01:19:01,528
You have to be smart.
1167
01:19:03,197 --> 01:19:05,782
- Rockefeller
hires a team of scientists
1168
01:19:05,866 --> 01:19:08,576
to try to find a use
for the toxic substance.
1169
01:19:09,495 --> 01:19:11,913
First they create
small products...
1170
01:19:11,997 --> 01:19:15,125
...like synthetic beeswax
and petroleum jelly.
1171
01:19:16,460 --> 01:19:19,337
But Rockefeller becomes
convinced gasoline
1172
01:19:19,421 --> 01:19:21,005
has a bigger potential.
1173
01:19:26,053 --> 01:19:29,222
The quest to create a
more powerful motor
1174
01:19:29,306 --> 01:19:33,518
leads to the development of the
internal combustion engine.
1175
01:19:35,729 --> 01:19:38,815
The exact properties
that make gasoline so dangerous,
1176
01:19:38,899 --> 01:19:42,527
also make it the perfect fuel
to power this engine.
1177
01:19:44,572 --> 01:19:45,780
- JACK WELCH: You're
always looking
1178
01:19:45,865 --> 01:19:47,448
for the next innovation.
1179
01:19:47,533 --> 01:19:48,908
The next niche.
1180
01:19:48,993 --> 01:19:50,827
The next product
improvement.
1181
01:19:50,911 --> 01:19:52,662
The next service
improvement.
1182
01:19:52,746 --> 01:19:54,831
You're always trying
to get better.
1183
01:19:56,584 --> 01:19:59,669
- The timing is
perfect for Rockefeller.
1184
01:19:59,753 --> 01:20:02,505
Already in possession of
the world's largest supply
1185
01:20:02,590 --> 01:20:05,675
of gasoline, he starts
using gasoline powered
1186
01:20:05,759 --> 01:20:08,553
engines to run machines
in his refineries.
1187
01:20:10,097 --> 01:20:12,849
The efficiency and power
of the engine quickly make
1188
01:20:12,933 --> 01:20:16,561
it the standard in
factories across the country.
1189
01:20:17,062 --> 01:20:19,480
But when the engine
is put on wheels...
1190
01:20:19,565 --> 01:20:23,067
...creating what's being called
"the horseless carriage"...
1191
01:20:25,279 --> 01:20:28,406
..Rockefeller realizes
that gasoline could be
1192
01:20:28,490 --> 01:20:30,825
even bigger than kerosene.
1193
01:20:35,915 --> 01:20:37,415
But right when
Rockefeller sees
1194
01:20:37,499 --> 01:20:40,043
the future of the
oil industry...
1195
01:20:40,127 --> 01:20:42,045
- WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN:
No man could earn a
1196
01:20:42,129 --> 01:20:43,963
million dollars honestly.
1197
01:20:44,048 --> 01:20:47,425
- An outside
threat emerges.
1198
01:20:48,469 --> 01:20:51,262
- WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN:
I will tear down these trusts!
1199
01:20:51,347 --> 01:20:53,890
- ...who could
destroy everything he--
1200
01:20:53,974 --> 01:20:56,392
and his rivals--have built.
1201
01:20:56,477 --> 01:20:58,394
- WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN:
Do you hear me Carnegie?
1202
01:20:58,479 --> 01:21:00,480
Do you hear me
Rockefeller?
1203
01:21:06,612 --> 01:21:09,822
- As the 20th
century approaches.
1204
01:21:10,699 --> 01:21:14,285
J.P. Morgan and John
Rockefeller have been locked
1205
01:21:14,370 --> 01:21:18,915
in a battle pitting
electricity against kerosene.
1206
01:21:20,501 --> 01:21:22,543
Their rival,
Andrew Carnegie,
1207
01:21:22,628 --> 01:21:24,796
has stayed out
of the fray.
1208
01:21:25,256 --> 01:21:29,300
He's been quietly building his
steel empire bigger than ever.
1209
01:21:29,385 --> 01:21:31,761
Including landing
lucrative contracts
1210
01:21:31,845 --> 01:21:35,431
with the U.S. Navy to provide
steel for warships.
1211
01:21:35,516 --> 01:21:39,352
Making him one of the country's
first defense contractors.
1212
01:21:41,855 --> 01:21:44,899
- DONNY DEUTSCH: The great
business icons--it's not
1213
01:21:44,984 --> 01:21:47,193
that they were worth
hundreds of millions,
1214
01:21:47,278 --> 01:21:48,778
or billions, or
trillions of dollars,
1215
01:21:48,862 --> 01:21:51,114
it's that they moved
society forward.
1216
01:21:52,032 --> 01:21:53,908
Whatever their
motivations,
1217
01:21:53,993 --> 01:21:56,995
whatever it was,
they--being here
1218
01:21:57,079 --> 01:22:01,541
and their lust for success,
for power, for money,
1219
01:22:01,625 --> 01:22:03,710
for fame--moved
us forward.
1220
01:22:10,050 --> 01:22:12,343
- But now,
J.P. Morgan
1221
01:22:12,428 --> 01:22:15,763
is about to take
business to a whole new level.
1222
01:22:18,559 --> 01:22:21,644
He begins looking for
other ways to make money.
1223
01:22:22,896 --> 01:22:25,440
Building on his
father's business model.
1224
01:22:25,524 --> 01:22:28,067
He creates a tactic
that's so innovative,
1225
01:22:28,152 --> 01:22:30,945
it becomes known
as "Morganization."
1226
01:22:31,905 --> 01:22:33,740
- "Morganization," in effect,
1227
01:22:33,824 --> 01:22:37,535
means taking companies
that were fighting each other,
1228
01:22:37,619 --> 01:22:39,495
bringing them together,
1229
01:22:39,580 --> 01:22:43,166
and managing the company
in such a way that
1230
01:22:43,250 --> 01:22:46,586
competition is reduced,
profits are increased.
1231
01:22:46,670 --> 01:22:49,756
In other words, trying
to impose order on these
1232
01:22:49,840 --> 01:22:52,091
fiercely competitive
industries.
1233
01:22:53,594 --> 01:22:56,179
- Morgan starts
restructuring companies
1234
01:22:56,263 --> 01:22:58,514
in industries across
the country.
1235
01:22:58,599 --> 01:23:01,893
Firing workers
and eliminating inefficiencies.
1236
01:23:01,977 --> 01:23:05,521
While prioritizing profits
over everything else.
1237
01:23:09,610 --> 01:23:13,988
And soon, Morgan's rivals
adopt the same approach.
1238
01:23:16,992 --> 01:23:21,496
- STEVE WYNN: The private
sector--greed, ambition,
1239
01:23:21,580 --> 01:23:25,458
dreamers, the stuff
of entrepreneurs;
1240
01:23:26,752 --> 01:23:29,420
look at it too closely,
you may not admire it
1241
01:23:29,505 --> 01:23:31,589
as much as you do
after the fact.
1242
01:23:34,218 --> 01:23:35,468
- Carnegie
and Rockefeller
1243
01:23:35,552 --> 01:23:37,929
begin Morganizing
their own companies.
1244
01:23:39,223 --> 01:23:43,101
Maximizing profits by
slashing their workforce.
1245
01:23:45,813 --> 01:23:47,563
Those who still
have a job...
1246
01:23:47,648 --> 01:23:49,941
...are forced to
work longer hours.
1247
01:23:50,025 --> 01:23:51,651
For even less pay.
1248
01:23:54,071 --> 01:23:57,573
- JIM CRAMER: What we saw
during this golden age
1249
01:23:57,658 --> 01:24:00,368
of capitalism was the
unregulated side
1250
01:24:00,452 --> 01:24:03,371
of capitalism that make
us feel, these days,
1251
01:24:04,331 --> 01:24:06,290
glad for federal
government,
1252
01:24:06,375 --> 01:24:09,627
because no one else was
keeping an eye on things.
1253
01:24:12,005 --> 01:24:14,424
- Conditions for
workers across the country
1254
01:24:14,508 --> 01:24:16,676
become almost
unbearable...
1255
01:24:16,760 --> 01:24:18,845
...as going to work
for many Americans,
1256
01:24:18,929 --> 01:24:20,930
becomes a dangerous
proposition.
1257
01:24:21,932 --> 01:24:24,142
- STEVEN WATTS: You
had a working class
1258
01:24:24,226 --> 01:24:27,562
or even the unemployed who
had a very hard time of it.
1259
01:24:27,646 --> 01:24:31,524
They had low paying jobs,
if any at all in this
1260
01:24:31,608 --> 01:24:35,153
period, a little bit
above starvation wages,
1261
01:24:35,237 --> 01:24:36,237
many of them.
1262
01:24:36,321 --> 01:24:37,989
So, there's a growing
disparity of wealth
1263
01:24:38,073 --> 01:24:40,450
in this period that
was very striking.
1264
01:24:40,534 --> 01:24:42,660
- DONNY DEUTSCH:
What people defined
1265
01:24:42,744 --> 01:24:45,663
as haves and have-nots, super
rich, hedge fund guys,
1266
01:24:45,747 --> 01:24:47,457
and people just trying
to pay their mortgage.
1267
01:24:47,541 --> 01:24:49,959
It's still nowhere near
what was going on
1268
01:24:50,043 --> 01:24:51,961
in the old days as far
as, you know,
1269
01:24:52,045 --> 01:24:54,130
truly abusive
conditions for workers.
1270
01:24:58,385 --> 01:25:00,011
- The gap
between the rich and the
1271
01:25:00,095 --> 01:25:01,846
poor continues to grow...
1272
01:25:02,431 --> 01:25:04,015
...at a staggering rate.
1273
01:25:07,769 --> 01:25:10,438
While the working
class struggles...
1274
01:25:11,565 --> 01:25:13,357
...profits for
Carnegie, Morgan,
1275
01:25:13,442 --> 01:25:16,152
and Rockefeller are
better than ever.
1276
01:25:17,070 --> 01:25:19,614
To millions of workers
around the country,
1277
01:25:19,698 --> 01:25:22,658
the titans of industry
are a symbol of everything
1278
01:25:22,743 --> 01:25:24,327
wrong with America.
1279
01:25:26,580 --> 01:25:29,874
A seething undercurrent
of anger takes hold.
1280
01:25:31,919 --> 01:25:34,587
One that quickly
bubbles to the surface.
1281
01:25:37,382 --> 01:25:39,842
With an election
year on the horizon,
1282
01:25:39,927 --> 01:25:42,553
a politician from Nebraska
is channeling
1283
01:25:42,638 --> 01:25:44,096
the public's frustrations.
1284
01:25:44,181 --> 01:25:47,308
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN:
I will tear down those trusts.
1285
01:25:47,392 --> 01:25:49,060
- And directing
them right
1286
01:25:49,144 --> 01:25:50,895
at America's richest men.
1287
01:25:50,979 --> 01:25:52,730
- WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN:
Do you hear me Carnegie?
1288
01:25:52,814 --> 01:25:55,149
Do you hear me
Rockefeller?
1289
01:25:56,693 --> 01:25:59,445
- William
Jennings Bryan is an up
1290
01:25:59,530 --> 01:26:02,990
and coming political force
who's drawing huge crowds...
1291
01:26:03,951 --> 01:26:07,578
...vowing to put an end to
the country's monopolies.
1292
01:26:10,332 --> 01:26:13,543
But Bryan's promise of
change is bad news
1293
01:26:14,836 --> 01:26:17,547
for the leaders of
American business.
1294
01:26:18,465 --> 01:26:23,719
- H.W. BRANDS: To many people
it seemed as though big money,
1295
01:26:23,804 --> 01:26:25,888
big corporations,
the biggest of all
1296
01:26:25,973 --> 01:26:28,766
Standard Oil, were
taking over the country.
1297
01:26:29,434 --> 01:26:32,895
From this emerged the
progressive movement.
1298
01:26:32,980 --> 01:26:39,694
And a major part of its platform
was antitrust legislation.
1299
01:26:40,195 --> 01:26:44,282
Not just legislation, but
antitrust prosecution.
1300
01:26:47,786 --> 01:26:49,203
-
Rockefeller, Carnegie,
1301
01:26:49,288 --> 01:26:53,583
and Morgan have built entire
industries from the ground up.
1302
01:26:53,667 --> 01:26:57,044
They're not about to let
a charismatic politician
1303
01:26:57,129 --> 01:26:59,088
destroy their empires.
1304
01:27:01,425 --> 01:27:04,969
But public opinion is
solidifying against them.
1305
01:27:06,930 --> 01:27:10,224
And as Bryan begins a
campaign for the White House...
1306
01:27:10,309 --> 01:27:14,061
...the Titans know that
stopping him won't be easy.
1307
01:27:15,522 --> 01:27:17,982
They devise a
plan so bold,
1308
01:27:18,066 --> 01:27:20,860
no one has ever
attempted it before.
1309
01:27:22,696 --> 01:27:24,697
There's only
one problem...
1310
01:27:25,032 --> 01:27:27,908
...to be successful,
they can't work alone.
1311
01:27:30,037 --> 01:27:32,872
For the first time,
America's most powerful
1312
01:27:32,956 --> 01:27:35,666
men will have to put
their rivalries aside...
1313
01:27:37,794 --> 01:27:39,962
...and start
working together.
1314
01:27:43,300 --> 01:27:45,259
- CARNEGIE: What
do you think?
1315
01:27:45,344 --> 01:27:47,553
- We need to buy
the President.
102614
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