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seen in color for the first time
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the dawn of the 20th century America is on the rise
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now bold pioneers will lead it to even greater heights
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with inventions
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technologies
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and mighty industries
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that transform America and the world
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but the changes also trigger division
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this is the story of America's titans of industry
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as you have never seen them before
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I want us to be captain
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in 1910 this is life in America
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it is still a mostly rural nation
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people go places on foot for extra muscle
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nothing can beat the horse
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but all this is about to change
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May 30th, 1911
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America's fastest growing industry
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descends on Indianapolis for Memorial Day
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this is the very first Indie 500
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for 200 laps
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drivers their mechanics right beside them
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battle through plumes of white smoke
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from burning Castor oil
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with the race cars going over 70 miles per hour
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daredevils flirt with danger
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lap 87
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Joe Jagersburger breaks a steering nut
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and his onboard mechanic is thrown onto the track
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Harry Knight swerves to avoid him
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and Kareems into the pit road
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no lives are lost but Jakers
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Burger and Knight are knocked out of the race
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one driver Ray Haroon in the yellow car
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has a tactical advantage
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he's driving solo thanks to a new invention
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the rear view mirror
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with no passenger
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Haroon's car is lighter and faster
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he takes the checkered flag
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and shows America that even a small innovation
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can provide the winning edge
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the Indy 500 will become an American institution
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in the rest of the country
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there are only 600,000 cars for some 93 million people
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most American homes don't yet have electricity
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and over a third of the population still lives on farms
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but a new generation of industrial titans
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will reshape that landscape
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and three of them will help tell their own stories
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Henry Ford Harvey Firestone
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and Thomas Edison
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not only do they transform America
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but they use a new invention
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the movie camera to make sure that everyone knows it
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in 1908 Michigan's Henry Ford
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son of an Irish immigrant
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embarks on an audacious mission
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creating what he calls a motor car for the multitude
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his Model t sells for eight hundred and fifty dollars
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around 23,000 today
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Ford is a master of the publicity stunt
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these are rare images Auto Polo in New York City
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the games promote Model t sales
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which hit 10,000 cars in the first year
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to reduce costs
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forward Pioneers Mass Production
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and cuts deals with other captains of industry
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like Ohio's Harvey Firestone
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in 19 the one time buggy salesman risks his own money
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$10,000 to set up a rubber tire factory in Akron
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he starts making pneumatic tires inflated with air
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that gives cars a smoother ride
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on the country's rough roads
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in 19:06 Henry Ford recognizes their quality
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after a 60 day test drive on the streets of Detroit
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he buys 8,000 in what is the biggest tire deal to date
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paying the equivalent of $2.8 million today
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Firestone and Ford are following in the footsteps
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of the previous generation of industrialists
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the men who pioneered big business in America
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one of whom
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still stands on top of the financial pyramid
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John D Rockefeller
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worth $900 million
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his giant company Standard Oil
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began as an Ohio refinery
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but has grown to monopolize the market
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his gasoline fuels
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Ford and Firestones blooming auto industry
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he also sells the kerosene
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that most Americans still use
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to light and heat their homes
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but in the 20th century
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kerosene has a serious rival
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America's homes are filling with electric light
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made possible by Thomas A Edison
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legendary pioneer of the lightbulb
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phonograph and the movie camera
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seen here on a tour of the company he founded
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General Electric
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Edison initiates the electrification of America
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but progress is slow
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in 1910 only one in 10 households
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can benefit from Edison's filament bulbs
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a quarter of the nation's factories are on the grid
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and are increasingly automated
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Edison interviewed by Fox Movie Tone in 1929
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sees endless possibilities
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for the electrification of American industry
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I firmly believe that the machine age
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will favorably affect the lives of the workers
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it is impossible
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however to forecast what electricity and invention
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will make of the world 100 years hence
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we don't know a million
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the one percent
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about anything
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this is Henry Ford's electrified factory in Detroit
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where in 1913
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he introduces the world's first moving assembly line
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parts roll through on electrically powered
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conveyor belts
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cutting the time needed to make a Model t
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down from 12 hours to 90 minutes
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but automation takes a toll
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skilled mechanics leave in droves
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in their place
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Ford hires unskilled laborers
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any man off the street will do
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the work is dull
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monotonous and relentless
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many can't stand it
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in 1913 alone
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Ford has to hire 52,000 people
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just to keep 14,000 positions filled
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to stabilize his workforce
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he raises pay to $5 for an eight hour day
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the move garners positive national publicity
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and appears to solve the problem for now
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the higher wages
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turn blue collar workers into consumers
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they buy labor saving goods
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all powered by the expanding electrical grid toasters
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cigar lighters
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ovens and heaters all built by General Electric
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the company founded by Thomas Edison
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the nerve center of Edison's operation
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is his headquarters in West Orange New Jersey
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it's a campus of modern looking buildings
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where he develops new inventions
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and builds the world's first movie theatre
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but on December 9th, 1914
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disaster strikes the plant
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at 5:15 in the morning
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a can of highly flammable nitrate film catches fire
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and causes an explosion
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in the inferno one man is killed
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this never before seen footage filmed by Edison himself
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shows the aftermath of the massive chemical fire
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it consumes 13 buildings
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and destroys priceless prototypes and records
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damages run to one and a half million dollars
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and Edison is underinsured
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only a third of his losses are covered
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he saved by a good friend Henry Ford
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who loans him $750,000 interest free
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Ford is a former employee of Edison's
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their strong bond is captured on a film
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tour of the newly rebuilt Edison factory
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Edison teaches Ford
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the key role of technological research
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in achieving business success
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they are now two of the most famous men in America
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in 1915 they arrived together
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at the Pan Pacific Exposition in San Francisco
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where October 21st is declared Edison Day
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a Celebration of technology and innovation
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Edison lays a plaque
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to honor his world changing invention
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that night the site is transformed into a wonderland
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of electric light
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Harvey Firestone
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the rubber tire mobile
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joins them in San Francisco
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and takes Edison and his wife on a
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chauffeur drive around town in his open top touring car
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Ford Firestone
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and Edison are now national icons and buddies
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for these true businessmen
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even vacations are a marketing opportunity
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the Ford Motor Company films their escapades
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and releases mini movies to theatres across the country
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where Americans can watch these
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legendary titans at play
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inspired by what they see
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Americans take to the road to vacation like a titan
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in 1915 the country is on the move
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soon most Americans will live in cities
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the middle class is growing
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accelerated by the wealth industrialists have created
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the three titans
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already American celebrities
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are about to be thrust onto the world stage
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1915 New York financial hard of America
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now the richest nation on earth
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it prospers while its competitors in Europe
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are locked in
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the life and death struggles of World War one
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America's determination to stay out of the conflict
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is personified by Henry Ford
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not only is he a committed pacifist
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but flushed with his business success
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he believes he has the intelligence and power
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to broker peace
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in the fall of 1915
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he embarks on a self sponsored peace mission
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to Stockholm Suite
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he charges a ship
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to transport a delegation of American pacifists
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and tells the press
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we are going to try to get the boys
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out of their trenches
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and back to their homes by Christmas Day
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reporters call it the ship of fools
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ignored by the warring nations it is a complete failure
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on April 6th, 1917 America enters World War 1
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Ford may not like it but for other would be titans
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the war is a golden opportunity
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and it jump starts a new technology
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aviation
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young engineers like Donald Douglas
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begin building an industry
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that will soon take over America
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cameras film combat aircraft
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being assembled in Connecticut and Washington state
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they are powered by a revolutionary new technology
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the Liberty Engine designed to be mass produced
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the government tasks
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engine and automobile manufacturers to build them
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including Henry Ford
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in a complete U turn
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Ford abandons his pacifist stand
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and his state of the art assembly lines
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feed the war machine
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initially he only supplies the engine cylinders
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but in true Ford style he streamlines the process
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increasing production from 151 to 2,000 cylinders
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a day then delivers nearly 4,000 completed engines
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aviation barely a decade old
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seems very glamorous to rich young men
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like Harvey Firestone junior
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seen here on vacation with his tire magnet father
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he wants to enlist as a naval aviator
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but fails the medical test due to bad eyesight
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the Titans flex their muscles
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letters from Henry Ford and Thomas Edison
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get the decision reversed
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Harvey junior joins
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one of the most dangerous branches of the military
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during World War 1
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a third of American pilot deaths are in training
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airplanes are still a relatively new invention
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and despite enthusiasm few know how to fly them
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to solve the problem
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the government turns to the top mines in industry
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Thomas Edison heads the Naval Consulting Board
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seen here on the steps of the capital
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he helps the board devise training tools
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like the Ruggles Orientator
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an instructor operates the machine
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as the students struggle to keep the plane level
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it's the forerunner of a modern day flight simulator
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Henry Ford's biggest contribution
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is an injection of Model T's
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army green is a departure from his trademark black
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39000C service in Europe
278
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trucks staff cars and over 4,000 ambulances
279
00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,366
many driving on Firestone tires
280
00:18:48,333 --> 00:18:52,266
these 25 are heading to the front in Verdan
281
00:18:52,266 --> 00:18:55,033
France in March 1918
282
00:18:58,133 --> 00:19:00,066
over 1 million Allied soldiers
283
00:19:00,066 --> 00:19:02,966
benefit from forwards ambulances during the war
284
00:19:03,933 --> 00:19:06,599
they move the wounded quickly and comfortably
285
00:19:06,900 --> 00:19:09,166
ultimately saving many lives
286
00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,600
but while Ford eventually embraces the war effort
287
00:19:15,733 --> 00:19:17,866
it actually hurts his bottom line
288
00:19:21,166 --> 00:19:23,866
his huge ultra efficient factories
289
00:19:23,966 --> 00:19:25,899
converted to military production
290
00:19:26,133 --> 00:19:29,066
are operating far below their civilian capacity
291
00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:34,766
hoping to boost profits
292
00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,300
he tries his hand that building tanks
293
00:19:44,733 --> 00:19:48,066
the M NINETEEN EIGHTEEN weighs 3 tons
294
00:19:48,300 --> 00:19:51,033
and has a top speed of 8 miles per hour
295
00:19:52,133 --> 00:19:55,533
Ford and his son Edsel watch tests in Highland Park
296
00:19:55,533 --> 00:19:59,866
Michigan results are mixed
297
00:20:00,466 --> 00:20:03,066
the tank never makes it to the battlefield
298
00:20:07,966 --> 00:20:11,033
and Ford's business continues to suffer
299
00:20:13,866 --> 00:20:16,499
though he makes $4 million from a conflict
300
00:20:16,700 --> 00:20:19,100
it's just half his peacetime income
301
00:20:21,766 --> 00:20:23,166
but shrewd as ever
302
00:20:23,166 --> 00:20:25,499
he keeps taking orders for his Model t
303
00:20:25,500 --> 00:20:26,700
throughout the war
304
00:20:27,066 --> 00:20:29,566
and accumulates a huge backlog
305
00:20:32,666 --> 00:20:37,699
in 1919 over 800,000 cars roll off the lines
306
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,833
more than making up for lost wartime sales
307
00:20:47,933 --> 00:20:49,999
with the fighting finally over
308
00:20:50,366 --> 00:20:52,266
a new decade dawns
309
00:20:52,866 --> 00:20:55,899
the Titans will help drive the Roaring 20s
310
00:20:56,333 --> 00:21:00,299
and change the landscape of America forever
311
00:21:08,300 --> 00:21:10,366
November 1918
312
00:21:11,166 --> 00:21:14,299
America's industrial might has helped bring the Kaisers
313
00:21:14,300 --> 00:21:15,833
Germany to its knees
314
00:21:17,933 --> 00:21:20,466
celebrations fill the streets of New York
315
00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,633
life appears brighter than ever
316
00:21:39,533 --> 00:21:42,099
electricity pioneered by Edison
317
00:21:42,466 --> 00:21:45,366
now reaches one third of urban homes
318
00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,600
nearly 7 million cars crowd the roads
319
00:21:49,733 --> 00:21:52,966
a 10 fold increase over the past eight years
320
00:21:55,100 --> 00:22:00,866
an unemployment has fallen to a record low just 1.4%
321
00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:03,833
the war has changed America
322
00:22:04,566 --> 00:22:08,099
it drew 4.7 million men and women to the military
323
00:22:08,266 --> 00:22:10,233
leaving many jobs unfilled
324
00:22:12,933 --> 00:22:15,533
over half a million African Americans in the south
325
00:22:15,533 --> 00:22:17,466
oppressed by Jim Crow laws
326
00:22:17,566 --> 00:22:20,666
are retracted by work in the new industrial centres
327
00:22:23,066 --> 00:22:25,833
they move north in the Great Migration
328
00:22:26,666 --> 00:22:28,866
Henry Ford's hometown Detroit
329
00:22:29,066 --> 00:22:31,066
seize the African American community
330
00:22:31,066 --> 00:22:34,033
swell from 5,000 to 40,000
331
00:22:35,166 --> 00:22:37,699
nearly 2,000 work for Ford
332
00:22:42,700 --> 00:22:44,400
the countryside they've left behind
333
00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,500
is still largely unchanged
334
00:22:46,900 --> 00:22:48,366
there's no electricity
335
00:22:48,500 --> 00:22:50,633
horses still outnumber tractors
336
00:22:53,466 --> 00:22:58,066
and the roads they're mostly unmapped and unpaved
337
00:23:04,466 --> 00:23:07,733
on July 7th, 191980
338
00:23:07,733 --> 00:23:11,166
military vehicles and 280 personnel
339
00:23:11,366 --> 00:23:12,466
embarked from Washington
340
00:23:12,466 --> 00:23:17,366
DC on an epic 3,000 mile road test to San Francisco
341
00:23:19,300 --> 00:23:22,066
Harvey Firestone senses an opportunity
342
00:23:22,333 --> 00:23:25,366
and invites the convoy to stop at his Ohio home
343
00:23:26,666 --> 00:23:27,799
on July 13th
344
00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,500
the military pulls into his farm in Columbiana
345
00:23:30,500 --> 00:23:31,666
for a chicken dinner
346
00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:38,000
both the army and Firestone film the event
347
00:23:40,100 --> 00:23:43,200
the cameras entice some of the soldiers to show off
348
00:23:45,333 --> 00:23:46,333
but over dinner
349
00:23:46,333 --> 00:23:48,566
Firestone devotes his time
350
00:23:48,566 --> 00:23:50,666
to showing a young soldier named Dwight D
351
00:23:50,666 --> 00:23:54,099
Eisenhower the benefits of Firestone tires
352
00:24:00,166 --> 00:24:00,933
two vehicles
353
00:24:00,933 --> 00:24:03,366
equipped with his trademark pneumatic tires
354
00:24:03,500 --> 00:24:04,566
join the convoy
355
00:24:04,566 --> 00:24:05,999
for the remainder of the trip
356
00:24:07,533 --> 00:24:09,299
the army trucks use traditional
357
00:24:09,300 --> 00:24:11,500
cheaper solid rubber tires
358
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:18,100
a convoy battles the unpaved roads of Illinois
359
00:24:20,500 --> 00:24:21,400
and Nevada
360
00:24:26,966 --> 00:24:29,466
and climbs the Sierra Nevada mountains
361
00:24:34,966 --> 00:24:38,699
before reaching the West Coast 62 days later
362
00:24:40,900 --> 00:24:43,533
Eisenhower reports that pneumatic tires
363
00:24:43,533 --> 00:24:45,266
are practically puncture proof
364
00:24:45,533 --> 00:24:46,866
allow more speed
365
00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,166
and prevent excess vibration
366
00:24:50,500 --> 00:24:52,433
as they roll into San Francisco
367
00:24:52,766 --> 00:24:56,033
the Titan reaps priceless publicity for his products
368
00:24:57,166 --> 00:25:00,099
America's leaders embrace the car's promise
369
00:25:00,700 --> 00:25:03,633
the government commits to improving roads
370
00:25:04,466 --> 00:25:07,566
a policy that culminates some three decades later
371
00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,866
when Eisenhower creates the interstate highway system
372
00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:19,000
1920 with the end of the war
373
00:25:19,166 --> 00:25:23,766
military production slows and so does the economy
374
00:25:24,700 --> 00:25:27,166
veterans can't find jobs
375
00:25:28,733 --> 00:25:30,833
the nation slips into a recession
376
00:25:34,733 --> 00:25:36,833
Henry Ford is now a grandfather
377
00:25:37,566 --> 00:25:40,966
seen here at home with his first grandson and namesake
378
00:25:43,166 --> 00:25:46,566
but even Titans are not immune to a national crisis
379
00:25:53,666 --> 00:25:55,099
ambitious as ever
380
00:25:55,300 --> 00:25:58,700
Ford used his profits from his post war back orders
381
00:25:58,700 --> 00:26:00,366
to expand his company
382
00:26:01,566 --> 00:26:02,799
over three years
383
00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:06,200
he invests $60 million into constructing
384
00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:08,100
what will be a legendary plan
385
00:26:08,700 --> 00:26:11,100
River Rouge in Dearborn
386
00:26:12,900 --> 00:26:15,666
it covers 12 acres of riverfront
387
00:26:17,966 --> 00:26:20,666
to win control of every stage of production
388
00:26:20,900 --> 00:26:24,800
Ford spends another 15 million on coal and iron mines
389
00:26:27,266 --> 00:26:29,366
and gets a 20 million dollar bank loan
390
00:26:29,366 --> 00:26:31,099
to buy out his shareholders
391
00:26:33,333 --> 00:26:36,166
but when sales drop by half in the recession
392
00:26:36,300 --> 00:26:38,466
Ford is on the brink of bankruptcy
393
00:26:43,466 --> 00:26:46,699
he risks everything with a gutsy move
394
00:26:49,733 --> 00:26:51,699
he buys the key railway
395
00:26:51,700 --> 00:26:54,700
that delivers the supplies he needs to build his plan
396
00:26:55,266 --> 00:26:55,766
the Detroit
397
00:26:55,766 --> 00:26:57,633
Toledo and Ironton line
398
00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:03,066
he streamlines it's operations to speed up deliveries
399
00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,666
enabling him to hold less inventory
400
00:27:05,766 --> 00:27:07,233
and cut his expenses
401
00:27:08,333 --> 00:27:10,633
freeing up $28 million
402
00:27:10,666 --> 00:27:12,699
that helps put him back in the black
403
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:15,800
Ford's gamble is a sharp reminder
404
00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:17,500
that even the richest men
405
00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:19,966
have to scramble to stay on top
406
00:27:23,766 --> 00:27:27,233
some of Ford's Detroit rivals are less nimble
407
00:27:28,566 --> 00:27:31,433
car manufacturer Lincoln is struggling
408
00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:34,400
its owner Henry Leland
409
00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,766
has seen demand crash in the postwar recession
410
00:27:40,533 --> 00:27:44,199
in 1922 Henry Ford and his son Edsel
411
00:27:44,266 --> 00:27:45,699
now the company president
412
00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:48,866
capitalise on their competition's weakness
413
00:27:50,533 --> 00:27:54,899
and snap up Lincoln for a bargain price of $8 million
414
00:27:57,100 --> 00:28:01,066
under Ford Lincoln becomes a prestigious luxury brand
415
00:28:02,733 --> 00:28:04,966
wealthy Americans splurge on a car
416
00:28:04,966 --> 00:28:08,099
that costs 10 times more than the Model t
417
00:28:08,700 --> 00:28:11,400
and soon many can afford it
418
00:28:13,333 --> 00:28:15,866
the 1920 recession is short lived
419
00:28:16,966 --> 00:28:22,199
industry takes off again and the 20s start to roar
420
00:28:23,933 --> 00:28:26,133
ready to take advantage of the new boom
421
00:28:26,133 --> 00:28:30,233
is a new generation of titans drawn to a new industry
422
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,966
Donald Douglas is an aircraft engineer
423
00:28:33,966 --> 00:28:36,066
who served during the First World War
424
00:28:37,333 --> 00:28:39,266
in 1921 in Santa Monica
425
00:28:39,266 --> 00:28:42,866
California he founds the Douglas Aircraft Company
426
00:28:44,366 --> 00:28:45,699
his first contract
427
00:28:46,100 --> 00:28:49,233
six of his Douglas Torpedo DT bombers
428
00:28:50,900 --> 00:28:54,266
the planes launch from America's first aircraft carrier
429
00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:55,966
the USS Langley
430
00:28:59,066 --> 00:29:01,033
Douglas has reason to smile
431
00:29:01,133 --> 00:29:03,299
he makes his first million on the deal
432
00:29:03,300 --> 00:29:06,266
with an order for 38 more bombers to come
433
00:29:10,733 --> 00:29:11,999
back from the break
434
00:29:12,066 --> 00:29:14,899
forward once again sets his sights high
435
00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:21,666
he famously says he put a car in every garage
436
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,366
and now wants to put a plane there too
437
00:29:28,466 --> 00:29:30,599
Ford still a marketing master
438
00:29:30,733 --> 00:29:35,633
unveils the prototype on his 63rd birthday in 1926
439
00:29:38,733 --> 00:29:40,966
he calls it the Ford Fliver
440
00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,500
after the popular nickname for his Model T
441
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:50,600
the press loves it
442
00:29:50,966 --> 00:29:52,566
one journalist writes
443
00:29:53,100 --> 00:29:57,266
I dreamed I was an angel and with the angel's sword
444
00:29:58,266 --> 00:30:03,066
but I was simply touring the heavens in a Ford
445
00:30:05,533 --> 00:30:07,633
though its publicity excites people
446
00:30:07,666 --> 00:30:09,466
the plane is only a prototype
447
00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:11,366
not yet available for sale
448
00:30:14,366 --> 00:30:16,566
the flavour test pilot Harry Brooks
449
00:30:16,566 --> 00:30:18,399
is a close friend of Forbes
450
00:30:22,466 --> 00:30:25,799
together they work on perfecting Ford's latest venture
451
00:30:28,366 --> 00:30:32,966
during a publicity tour in 1928 Brooks is killed
452
00:30:33,333 --> 00:30:36,033
Ford cancels all work on the flipper
453
00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,100
he turns his attention back to cars
454
00:30:42,266 --> 00:30:43,966
where business is booming
455
00:30:44,900 --> 00:30:45,866
in Michigan
456
00:30:45,900 --> 00:30:48,700
Ford finally opens his River Rouge plan
457
00:30:48,900 --> 00:30:51,766
the largest coordinated factory in the world
458
00:30:52,733 --> 00:30:56,199
able to turn raw materials into running vehicles
459
00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:57,800
in a single complex
460
00:30:59,666 --> 00:31:01,399
cars need tires
461
00:31:01,466 --> 00:31:03,599
and Harvey Firestone's Ohio plan
462
00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,166
now employs 10,000 people
463
00:31:10,733 --> 00:31:14,699
Akron Ohio sees a 200% increase in population
464
00:31:15,100 --> 00:31:18,100
suddenly there are more people than houses
465
00:31:22,966 --> 00:31:25,399
Firestone decides to build a community
466
00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:26,633
for his workforce
467
00:31:28,366 --> 00:31:29,933
the Tire King bank rolls
468
00:31:29,933 --> 00:31:33,566
Firestone Park started in 1916
469
00:31:33,733 --> 00:31:36,699
construction continues through the 1920s
470
00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,866
on 1,000 acres of land he builds not just houses
471
00:31:43,133 --> 00:31:46,633
but schools a church and even a YMCA
472
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,333
the company spends nearly $3 million on facilities
473
00:31:53,333 --> 00:31:54,566
for its employees
474
00:31:56,533 --> 00:31:59,466
Firestone expects his investment will pay off
475
00:32:01,900 --> 00:32:05,800
in loyalty compliance and hard work
476
00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:10,700
the three titans
477
00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:12,666
including an aging Edison
478
00:32:12,766 --> 00:32:15,433
are filmed here at the end of the boom decade
479
00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,066
they're confident in the state of the nation
480
00:32:18,100 --> 00:32:20,166
and the opportunities that lie ahead
481
00:32:20,333 --> 00:32:23,933
well uh you think Mister Edison feels uh
482
00:32:23,933 --> 00:32:25,833
how does he feel about the uh
483
00:32:26,133 --> 00:32:27,966
chances for young man today
484
00:32:28,333 --> 00:32:29,399
he's right here
485
00:32:32,933 --> 00:32:35,033
answer that question now now
486
00:32:36,300 --> 00:32:39,766
yes there's no hope in the other one
487
00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,466
there's no end to the invention and the stuff
488
00:32:42,466 --> 00:32:43,833
to go on forever
489
00:32:45,300 --> 00:32:48,366
America's economic rise appears limitless
490
00:32:48,566 --> 00:32:51,899
there are now 30,000 millionaires in the country
491
00:32:54,700 --> 00:32:56,600
but within two years
492
00:32:56,700 --> 00:33:00,833
25,000 of them will have lost everything
493
00:33:06,066 --> 00:33:10,766
Fort Myers Florida February 11th, 1931
494
00:33:12,066 --> 00:33:14,766
it's Thomas Edison's 84th birthday
495
00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,000
a newsreel captures Harvey Firestone
496
00:33:19,100 --> 00:33:21,100
asking his hearing impaired idol
497
00:33:21,266 --> 00:33:23,333
about the latest technological breakthrough
498
00:33:23,333 --> 00:33:24,633
in the movie industry
499
00:33:24,866 --> 00:33:27,733
what do you think of the sound pictures of today
500
00:33:27,733 --> 00:33:33,266
what I think of the talking picture yeah uh
501
00:33:34,666 --> 00:33:35,999
well I don't know
502
00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:37,600
I never heard one
503
00:33:39,066 --> 00:33:40,833
haha
504
00:33:42,133 --> 00:33:43,266
eight months later
505
00:33:43,266 --> 00:33:45,799
stricken by complications from diabetes
506
00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,433
Edison dies in his New Jersey home
507
00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,300
Americans mourn the genius who gave them light bulbs
508
00:33:53,366 --> 00:33:55,633
movies and the phonograph
509
00:34:00,766 --> 00:34:03,266
on October 22nd, 1931
510
00:34:03,333 --> 00:34:06,066
thousands line the streets of West Orange
511
00:34:06,366 --> 00:34:08,066
for his funeral procession
512
00:34:11,533 --> 00:34:13,366
Edison's dream of sending light
513
00:34:13,366 --> 00:34:16,966
power and heat to every household through a wire
514
00:34:17,066 --> 00:34:19,199
is almost fully realized
515
00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:25,866
85% of America's urban homes now have electricity
516
00:34:34,466 --> 00:34:35,399
Edison's death
517
00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:38,400
coincides with a collapse in America's fortunes
518
00:34:40,366 --> 00:34:42,999
the country is in the grip of the Great Depression
519
00:34:45,933 --> 00:34:50,099
in 1932 12 million people are unemployed
520
00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:52,300
nearly a quarter of the workforce
521
00:34:56,300 --> 00:34:58,966
even the newly rich have been battered
522
00:35:01,766 --> 00:35:05,366
the number of millionaires has dropped to 5,000
523
00:35:06,933 --> 00:35:07,966
the depression
524
00:35:07,966 --> 00:35:12,066
is the key issue in the 1932 presidential race
525
00:35:12,900 --> 00:35:14,866
Henry Ford backs the incumbent
526
00:35:14,866 --> 00:35:15,833
Herbert Hoover
527
00:35:15,866 --> 00:35:18,033
and makes a rare speech in support
528
00:35:18,466 --> 00:35:21,499
it is only common sense to let him finish his job
529
00:35:21,666 --> 00:35:24,966
I think of him as a human hearted
530
00:35:24,966 --> 00:35:26,133
honest minded
531
00:35:26,133 --> 00:35:27,566
hard working Hoover
532
00:35:29,866 --> 00:35:31,033
Hoover's opponent
533
00:35:31,133 --> 00:35:32,633
Franklin D Roosevelt
534
00:35:32,700 --> 00:35:33,966
believes that only he
535
00:35:33,966 --> 00:35:36,166
can lead the nation back to prosperity
536
00:35:36,966 --> 00:35:39,033
the masses of the people of the nation
537
00:35:39,333 --> 00:35:40,299
firmly believe
538
00:35:40,300 --> 00:35:43,166
that there is great and actual possibility
539
00:35:43,300 --> 00:35:45,233
in an orderly recovery
540
00:35:45,700 --> 00:35:47,000
for a well conceived
541
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,700
and actively directed plan of action
542
00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:51,633
his landslide victory
543
00:35:51,666 --> 00:35:54,199
marks a change for American industry
544
00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:00,033
one titan who's weathering the Great Depression well
545
00:36:00,066 --> 00:36:01,699
is Harvey Firestone
546
00:36:03,333 --> 00:36:07,466
in Columbiana Ohio he still runs his father's farm
547
00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:11,800
now he sees opportunity in the struggles Farmer's face
548
00:36:12,766 --> 00:36:15,033
tractors are a vital piece of machinery
549
00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:18,700
but they're traditionally
550
00:36:18,700 --> 00:36:21,033
equipped with solid steel wheels
551
00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:24,400
they can cut through muddy fields
552
00:36:24,566 --> 00:36:27,033
but are slow and expensive to run
553
00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:29,466
in typical Titan style
554
00:36:29,500 --> 00:36:33,033
Firestone puts his new rubber tractor tires on camera
555
00:36:37,766 --> 00:36:39,666
the new treads can grip MUD
556
00:36:39,733 --> 00:36:43,299
increase speed and reduce fuel consumption
557
00:36:44,300 --> 00:36:48,366
the result higher productivity at lower costs
558
00:36:48,466 --> 00:36:50,699
a boon to struggling farmers
559
00:36:52,266 --> 00:36:54,066
to market his new products
560
00:36:54,066 --> 00:36:57,366
Firestone conceives a brilliant publicity stunt
561
00:36:59,466 --> 00:37:03,499
to break the land speed record using a tractor
562
00:37:04,500 --> 00:37:06,533
this film from 1935
563
00:37:06,533 --> 00:37:09,433
captures top racing driver AB Jenkins
564
00:37:09,533 --> 00:37:11,899
at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah
565
00:37:14,166 --> 00:37:15,766
the ride says Jenkins
566
00:37:15,766 --> 00:37:18,633
is like being a top of a frightened bison
567
00:37:25,100 --> 00:37:28,033
he achieves a speed of 68 miles per hour
568
00:37:28,266 --> 00:37:30,866
faster than any tractors gone before
569
00:37:30,966 --> 00:37:33,899
a record that stands for 80 years
570
00:37:34,500 --> 00:37:37,000
sales of Firestone tires soar
571
00:37:37,766 --> 00:37:38,899
by the end of the decade
572
00:37:38,900 --> 00:37:41,700
nearly all tractors run on rubber tires
573
00:37:43,166 --> 00:37:46,266
but Firestone Success is an exception
574
00:37:47,766 --> 00:37:51,266
in 1935 industrial unemployment remains
575
00:37:51,266 --> 00:37:52,566
in a critical state
576
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:55,333
in Forge Detroit
577
00:37:55,333 --> 00:37:57,633
half the labor force is unemployed
578
00:37:57,966 --> 00:38:01,499
over 50,000 are laid off from River Rouge alone
579
00:38:02,166 --> 00:38:03,999
those who do keep their jobs
580
00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:06,700
suffer cuts in working hours and pay
581
00:38:08,733 --> 00:38:09,866
Roosevelt doesn't wait
582
00:38:09,866 --> 00:38:11,966
for the titans to solve the crisis
583
00:38:12,933 --> 00:38:15,299
it is the immediate task of industry
584
00:38:16,166 --> 00:38:18,699
to reemploy more people
585
00:38:19,966 --> 00:38:21,666
at purchasing wages
586
00:38:22,533 --> 00:38:24,633
and to do it now
587
00:38:25,366 --> 00:38:28,099
rather than expect business to recover on its own
588
00:38:28,300 --> 00:38:30,100
he launches a great experiment
589
00:38:30,100 --> 00:38:33,500
with the National Recovery Administration the NRA
590
00:38:35,466 --> 00:38:38,033
the government now regulates hours and wages
591
00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,900
breaking with the traditions of free enterprise
592
00:38:42,900 --> 00:38:44,066
and companies
593
00:38:44,066 --> 00:38:46,999
are no longer permitted to compete on price
594
00:38:48,166 --> 00:38:51,966
Henry Ford denounces the NRA as an American
595
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,833
the 72 year old titan is now a recluse
596
00:38:57,066 --> 00:38:59,133
employees remember him climbing out of his
597
00:38:59,133 --> 00:39:01,066
office window to avoid visitors
598
00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:05,600
the celebrity automaker is hounded by the press
599
00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:07,500
at his Dearborn family estate
600
00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:08,966
I have the Associated Press
601
00:39:08,966 --> 00:39:10,699
I'd like to get in there and see Mister Ford
602
00:39:10,700 --> 00:39:11,966
I'm from the United Press
603
00:39:11,966 --> 00:39:13,366
I wanna get down there too
604
00:39:13,366 --> 00:39:14,933
I don't care where you're from
605
00:39:14,933 --> 00:39:16,266
you can't get in here
606
00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:21,666
in 1935 the Supreme Court vindicates Ford
607
00:39:21,733 --> 00:39:23,499
and strikes down the NRA
608
00:39:26,533 --> 00:39:28,599
undeterred in the same year
609
00:39:28,666 --> 00:39:31,166
FDR pushes through the Wagner Act
610
00:39:31,333 --> 00:39:34,699
recognising the rights of workers to organise unions
611
00:39:35,100 --> 00:39:38,033
it's the biggest labor win in US history
612
00:39:39,733 --> 00:39:42,666
despite his reputation as a friend to his workers
613
00:39:42,866 --> 00:39:45,366
Harvey Firestone is one of the first to feel
614
00:39:45,366 --> 00:39:47,199
the new power of the unions
615
00:39:47,900 --> 00:39:50,666
in Akron in early 1936
616
00:39:50,966 --> 00:39:52,433
rubber workers strike
617
00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:57,566
this never before seen footage
618
00:39:57,566 --> 00:40:00,166
captures strikers in 1937
619
00:40:00,166 --> 00:40:02,766
gathering outside the Firestone factory
620
00:40:06,266 --> 00:40:07,599
it's believed to be secret
621
00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:09,700
surveillance by company police
622
00:40:10,166 --> 00:40:12,766
the strike ends when Firestone concedes
623
00:40:12,766 --> 00:40:15,699
to allow workers freedom to join unions
624
00:40:17,333 --> 00:40:19,499
Henry Ford hates unions
625
00:40:20,100 --> 00:40:21,933
he shrewed enough to never be caught
626
00:40:21,933 --> 00:40:23,299
saying so on camera
627
00:40:23,500 --> 00:40:25,866
but back in 1916 he said
628
00:40:26,166 --> 00:40:28,699
unions mean class war
629
00:40:28,766 --> 00:40:30,966
and I hate war
630
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,166
in 1935 the United Automobile Workers
631
00:40:37,166 --> 00:40:39,033
union is formed in Detroit
632
00:40:40,333 --> 00:40:41,199
and a year later
633
00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:43,666
the UAW flexes its muscles
634
00:40:43,666 --> 00:40:45,766
when it takes on General Motors
635
00:40:47,766 --> 00:40:49,899
Alfred P Sloan runs GM
636
00:40:51,300 --> 00:40:54,533
it surpassed Ford as the nation's largest car company
637
00:40:54,533 --> 00:40:56,199
back in 1931
638
00:40:57,466 --> 00:41:00,499
Sloan and Ford are Kindred spirits
639
00:41:00,700 --> 00:41:03,900
he believes the New Deal will harm big business
640
00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:06,200
and is ready to fight the unions
641
00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:12,433
on December 30th, 1936
642
00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:16,100
UAW affiliated workers at GM's plant in Flint
643
00:41:16,100 --> 00:41:21,066
Michigan deploy a new tactic the sit down strike
644
00:41:30,266 --> 00:41:32,299
the men occupy the factory floor
645
00:41:32,300 --> 00:41:35,500
and lock the doors to keep strike breakers out
646
00:41:37,700 --> 00:41:39,933
numerous attempts by police to break through
647
00:41:39,933 --> 00:41:42,599
using tear gas and bullets fail
648
00:41:46,500 --> 00:41:51,566
the strike lasts 44 days and the union wins
649
00:41:53,900 --> 00:41:56,600
on February 11th, 1937
650
00:41:56,666 --> 00:41:59,633
Sloan announces a 5% wage increase
651
00:42:00,566 --> 00:42:02,699
and plans to introduce safety measures
652
00:42:02,700 --> 00:42:04,100
on the assembly line
653
00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:09,666
a titan of industry has caved to the masses
654
00:42:10,966 --> 00:42:14,099
but Henry Ford still holds out
655
00:42:16,966 --> 00:42:18,799
during the 1930s
656
00:42:18,933 --> 00:42:22,299
President Roosevelt tries to reshape American industry
657
00:42:22,900 --> 00:42:25,700
transferring power from titans to workers
658
00:42:25,733 --> 00:42:27,633
by empowering unions
659
00:42:31,466 --> 00:42:32,699
but Henry Ford
660
00:42:32,700 --> 00:42:36,233
refuses to permit unions in his factories
661
00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:41,000
on May 26th, 1937
662
00:42:41,266 --> 00:42:43,533
the United Automobile Workers pick at Henry
663
00:42:43,533 --> 00:42:46,866
Ford's vast River Rouge plant in Dearborn Michigan
664
00:42:52,533 --> 00:42:55,599
Ford unleashes his notorious security
665
00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:57,700
team against the union members
666
00:42:58,566 --> 00:43:00,499
The Detroit News photographs
667
00:43:00,733 --> 00:43:03,999
UAW leaders Walter Ruther and Richard Frankenstein
668
00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:05,200
after the battle
669
00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:09,666
Ford now stands alone
670
00:43:11,300 --> 00:43:15,166
his friend Harvey Firestone dies in February 1938
671
00:43:18,366 --> 00:43:19,466
two months later
672
00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:22,000
FDR invites forward to the White House
673
00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:23,666
to settle their differences
674
00:43:25,466 --> 00:43:27,333
cameras capture the industrialist
675
00:43:27,333 --> 00:43:29,266
leaving his meeting with the president
676
00:43:30,466 --> 00:43:33,033
their conversation was never documented
677
00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:35,500
but the two men still don't see eye to eye
678
00:43:35,500 --> 00:43:37,966
on government intervention in industry
679
00:43:42,933 --> 00:43:47,566
Ford won't recognize the unions until 1941
680
00:43:50,500 --> 00:43:53,833
the same year that America enters World War 2
681
00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:57,766
for the second time in his life
682
00:43:57,766 --> 00:43:59,099
Ford finds himself on
683
00:43:59,100 --> 00:44:01,400
the front line of military production
684
00:44:04,700 --> 00:44:07,500
but he's no longer the boss of Ford Motor Company
685
00:44:08,500 --> 00:44:09,700
it's his son Edsel
686
00:44:09,700 --> 00:44:13,133
who begins construction of the mile long aircraft plant
687
00:44:13,133 --> 00:44:16,466
Willow Run designed to be the biggest factory
688
00:44:16,466 --> 00:44:17,499
in the world
689
00:44:21,933 --> 00:44:26,366
but in 1943 Edselford dies of stomach cancer
690
00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:31,566
Henry now 80 returns to lead the company
691
00:44:32,133 --> 00:44:33,699
a controversial move
692
00:44:34,666 --> 00:44:36,766
a frail octogenarium is running
693
00:44:36,766 --> 00:44:38,766
a cornerstone of the war effort
694
00:44:40,900 --> 00:44:44,066
the company begins to lose $10 million a month
695
00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:47,366
which FDR calls a threat to national security
696
00:44:48,566 --> 00:44:51,099
he considers a full government takeover
697
00:44:51,133 --> 00:44:52,999
of his old foes business
698
00:44:54,466 --> 00:44:58,433
eventually FDR pulls Henry's eldest grandson
699
00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:01,266
Henry Ford the second out of the military
700
00:45:02,166 --> 00:45:05,866
to ensure the Ford company delivers for the nation
701
00:45:19,133 --> 00:45:21,299
by 1944 Willow
702
00:45:21,300 --> 00:45:24,300
Run is one of the most vital cogs in the war machine
703
00:45:27,533 --> 00:45:30,366
a shiny new B24 Liberator bomber
704
00:45:30,366 --> 00:45:33,066
rolls off the production line every hour
705
00:45:33,266 --> 00:45:35,099
24 hours a day
706
00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:36,833
seven days a week
707
00:45:39,300 --> 00:45:42,800
The Ford Motor Company is not alone in assembling FDR's
708
00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:44,400
arsenal of democracy
709
00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:49,900
by VJ Day America is a global superpower
710
00:45:50,166 --> 00:45:52,833
drawing strength from its industrial might
711
00:45:56,733 --> 00:45:57,999
manufacturers have
712
00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:00,800
constructed more than 3 million vehicles
713
00:46:02,866 --> 00:46:05,266
nearly 7,000 warships
714
00:46:08,300 --> 00:46:10,833
and 300,000 planes
715
00:46:13,700 --> 00:46:16,566
aviation has eclipsed automobiles
716
00:46:16,566 --> 00:46:18,766
as America's largest industry
717
00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:22,700
twenty years after he was filmed
718
00:46:22,700 --> 00:46:24,500
sitting on his grandfather's knee
719
00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:26,100
Henry Ford the second
720
00:46:26,100 --> 00:46:28,500
takes over as president of the company
721
00:46:29,100 --> 00:46:30,366
he leads it to become
722
00:46:30,366 --> 00:46:32,899
the second largest car maker in the world
723
00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:36,200
but the days of the great titans are over
724
00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:43,633
in April 1947 at age 83 Henry Ford dies
725
00:46:44,866 --> 00:46:46,899
the trailblazer doesn't live to see his
726
00:46:46,900 --> 00:46:48,766
youngest grandson's marriage
727
00:46:48,966 --> 00:46:50,166
two months later
728
00:46:51,766 --> 00:46:53,166
William 4 the groom
729
00:46:53,166 --> 00:46:55,466
is attended by his best man and ushers
730
00:46:55,533 --> 00:46:57,999
a crowd of neighbours is on hand to admire the bride
731
00:46:58,000 --> 00:46:59,600
Miss Martha Firestone
732
00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:02,566
and her breathtaking wedding gown of rare antique
733
00:47:02,566 --> 00:47:04,933
rose point and Duchess lace over silk
734
00:47:04,933 --> 00:47:06,433
and its long train
735
00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:10,866
the industrial dynasties are joined when an Akron
736
00:47:10,966 --> 00:47:12,233
William Ford
737
00:47:12,300 --> 00:47:15,700
marries Harvey Firestone's granddaughter Martha
738
00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:20,000
the crowds and news coverage are a testimony
739
00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:23,566
to the titans enduring mastery of the art of celebrity
740
00:47:29,533 --> 00:47:30,733
the three titans
741
00:47:30,733 --> 00:47:34,633
have helped transform the United States into a behemoth
742
00:47:35,066 --> 00:47:37,799
the most dominant economy in history
743
00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:41,966
like the giants of Silicon Valley today
744
00:47:42,066 --> 00:47:45,666
their insatiable drive to innovate earn them fame
745
00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:48,233
and seemingly boundless success
746
00:47:49,533 --> 00:47:51,266
the industries they created
747
00:47:51,366 --> 00:47:53,699
fueled the rise of great cities
748
00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:54,866
though some
749
00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:03,100
1 2 3 4
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