The surprising stories and rivalries behind America's biggest innovations.
In the 1870s, harvesting crops is grueling work. But a group of dreamers—all of them rivals—has a vision that will change farming forever.
In 1910, airplanes are a novelty. But that doesn't stop two young dreamers with a passion for this newfangled machine from imagining a very different future.
In the 1920s, most people find entertainment in books, magazines, or theater. But two daring pioneers see a different future, where people sit in front of screens.
At the end of the 19th century, private travel means walking or riding a horse. But scrappy upstarts William Harley and Arthur Davidson have a bold vision for a new form of transportation.
In the 1870s, when Western Union offers a colossal cash prize to anyone who can improve its network, two daring inventors go head-to-head in a fight that will forever change the way humans connect.
With a growing need for speed and efficiency, a few visionary companies—Black and Decker, Milwaukee, DeWalt—create the power tools that revolutionize how America is built.
In 1893, sending information across America is a time-consuming process. But two rival inventors—Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi—have the same idea for improving things: wireless communication.
Housework in the late 1800s is back-breaking labor. But with America plugging into electric power, a flood of innovation is not only changing industry, it's revolutionizing the home.
