"The Men Who Built America"...History Channel

[Mr. Mike 10,446]

Titans of business,,,, late 19th and early 20th century history. An objective look into the business rock stars of their day. Their risks, struggles, successes, and failures. Case studies, at any great business school in the country

 

Vanderbilt = Railroads and shipping

 

Rockefeller = oil and kerosene,,,,,later, when he was in competitive trouble from Morgan/Edison, he realized the future of the kerosene run off, a waste product from the production of kerosene, it was later called gasoline! You can't make this stuff up!

 

Carnegie = Steel

 

J P Morgan = Banking...Thomas Edison,(electricity) and his apprentice, Nikola Tesla.

 

..still more to come in the series.

 

Well produced, and researched!

Edited November 12, 2012 by Mr. Mike

[T.S. 783]

Good show. I am about to watch the 4th episode.

[maccydee 612]

Ah the great men who made America let me list a few & their country of origin & see if a pattern emerges

 

Andrew Carnegie (1835 - 1918)

 

U.S. iron and steel magnate and great philanthropist. Born in Dunfermline, in Fife. Gave a considerable proportion of his fortune to the benefit of Scotland, including substantial educational endowments and 10,000 church organs.

 

Alexander Graham Bell (1847 - 1922)

 

Born in Edinburgh. Having emigrated to Canada and later the USA, Bell became the inventor of the telephone in 1876.

Robert Dinwiddie (1693 - 1770)

 

Born near Glasgow, was the Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia. He insisted that the colonies should raise money for their own protection. Discovered George Washington's talents and sent him to resist the French. Thus he was an important figure in American History and has been called the "Grandfather of the United States"

.David Douglas (1798 - 1834)

 

Adventurous Botanist. Born in Scone (Perthshire). Discovered more than 200 new plant species in North America, including the Douglas Fir. Died from injuries received from wild bull having fallen into bull pit in Hawaii.

 

Allan Pinkerton (1819 - 1884)

 

U.S. detective, born in the Gorbals, Glasgow. Left Scotland hurriedly in 1842, following his involvement in left-wing protests. In 1852, he formed the first detective agency, in Chicago, which solved a series of train robberies. In 1861, he foiled an assassination plot in Baltimore, while guarding Abraham Lincoln (the U.S. President) on his way to his inauguration. Head of the U.S. Secret Service 1861 - 1862.

 

Robert Dale Owen (1801 - 1877)

 

Scottish-born U.S. social reformer and anti-slavery campainer. Son of Robert Owen (founder of the co-operative movement) and grandson of David Dale. In 1825, he accompanied his father to set up the New Harmony colony in Indiana. Entered the U.S. congress in 1843. U.S. Ambassador to India (1853 - 1858).

 

I could then go on about the inventions that shaped modern america by Scotsmen but ill leave it there for now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[broden 57,115]

I could then go on about the inventions that shaped modern america by Scotsmen but ill leave it there for now.

 

lets not forget about those yet to come

 

 

[thebob 18,260]

You forgot the world famous scottish restaurant. McDonalds!

[maccydee 612]

You forgot the world famous scottish restaurant. McDonalds!

 

How did you know my surname lol. You know what they say theres nothing quite like a McDonald

 

[udonthani 2,027]

the figures are well-known already and have been the subject of numerous other tv shows. Couldn't they have found a bunch of people less well known, but just as or almost as much influential.

 

History Channel can be very hit or miss. Some strands, like that Battlefield Detectives, can be very good. Others are just weak. A few nights ago I watched one of their shows about the Godfather movies. Interesting as a kind of social commentary, maybe. But History? No.

[Tom in Texas 506]

... and let us not forget my favorite Scotsman - Johnnie Walker.

 

Just thinking about him brings a smile to my face... and causes me to abandon the History Channel in mid-"Men Who Built America" and head for a taste.

[Mr. Mike 10,446]

the figures are well-known already and have been the subject of numerous other tv shows. Couldn't they have found a bunch of people less well known, but just as or almost as much influential.

 

History Channel can be very hit or miss. Some strands, like that Battlefield Detectives, can be very good. Others are just weak. A few nights ago I watched one of their shows about the Godfather movies. Interesting as a kind of social commentary, maybe. But History? No.

Railroads,, shipping,,,oil,,,coal, Steel, electricity,Henry Ford, Westinghouse.....Give me the other titans of industry!,,,,,,I am sure they are there !

Edited November 14, 2012 by Mr. Mike

[Mr. Mike 10,446]

the figures are well-known already and have been the subject of numerous other tv shows. Couldn't they have found a bunch of people less well known, but just as or almost as much influential.

 

History Channel can be very hit or miss. In your opinion! Some strands, like that Battlefield Detectives, can be very good.In your opinion! Others are just weak In your opinion!. A few nights ago I watched one of their shows about the Godfather movies. Interesting as a kind of social commentary, maybe. But History? No.once again,,,,,,,,,,,,in your opinion!

.............anecdotal BS,,,,,,,,,,In my opinion! Edited November 14, 2012 by Mr. Mike

[Guy60417 544]

Reading this thread reminded me of one of my favorite series of this type -- Connections, a BBC series (or several series) with James Burke. Looking it up, I found that it is now available on YouTube, so I'll be spending a lot of time there.

 

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/76894

 

For anyone who is not familiar with it, here's a write-up on one of the episodes to give a flavor of it:

 

 

"Countdown" connects the invention of the movie projector to improvements in castle fortifications caused by the invention and use of the cannon. The use of the cannon caused changes in castle fortifications to eliminate a blind spot where cannon fire could not reach. This improvement in castle defense caused innovation in offensive cannon fire, which eventually required maps. This caused the need to see things at long distances (like a mountain top) so the effect was the invention of the incandescent light, or limelight. Burke turns to the next ingredient for a movie projector, film. Film is made with celluloid (made with guncotton) which was first invented as a substitute for ivory in billiard balls. Next was the invention of the zoopraxiscope which was first used for a bet to see if a horse's hooves all left the ground at any point while galloping. The zoopraxiscope used frame by frame pictures and holes on the side to allow the machine to pull the film forward. Communication signals for railways using Morse's telegraph led to Edison discovering how to speak into a microphone creating bumps on a disc that could be played back—the record player. This final ingredient gave movies sound. In summary, Burke connects the invention of the movie projector to four major innovations in history: the incandescent light; the discovery of celluloid; the projector that uses frame by frame pictures on celluloid; and finally, recorded sound.

 

Connections is a ten-episode documentary television series created, written and presented by science historian James Burke. The series was produced and directed by Mick Jackson of the BBC Science & Features Department and first aired in 1978 (UK) and 1979 (USA). It took an interdisciplinary approach to the history of science and invention and demonstrated how various discoveries, scientific achievements, and historical world events were built from one another successively in an interconnected way to bring about particular aspects of modern technology. The series was noted for Burke's crisp and enthusiastic presentation (and dry humour), historical reenactments, and intricate working models.

es:

[JSL-USMC 1,020]

Burke connects the invention of the movie projector to four major innovations in history: the incandescent light; the discovery of celluloid; the projector that uses frame by frame pictures on celluloid; and finally, recorded sound.

Why didn't he go all the way back to the wheel.

[Mr. Mike 10,446]

....sounds like good stuff to me, thank you!

[Mr. Mike 10,446]

The truly successful,,,,,,,,,,,were/are intelligent , educated, visionaries (large and small),,,,,,,,ready, and searching for an opportunity to advance their talents to make a life( and profit) for themselves,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and their families.

 

Today,,,,,, personal success is hated, and those who are successful are now ridiculed!

Edited November 14, 2012 by Mr. Mike

[udonthani 2,027]

Reading this thread reminded me of one of my favorite series of this type -- Connections, a BBC series (or several series) with James Burke. Looking it up, I found that it is now available on YouTube, so I'll be spending a lot of time there.

 

http://www.mentalflo.../archives/76894

 

For anyone who is not familiar with it, here's a write-up on one of the episodes to give a flavor of it:

 

 

"Countdown" connects the invention of the movie projector to improvements in castle fortifications caused by the invention and use of the cannon. The use of the cannon caused changes in castle fortifications to eliminate a blind spot where cannon fire could not reach. This improvement in castle defense caused innovation in offensive cannon fire, which eventually required maps. This caused the need to see things at long distances (like a mountain top) so the effect was the invention of the incandescent light, or limelight. Burke turns to the next ingredient for a movie projector, film. Film is made with celluloid (made with guncotton) which was first invented as a substitute for ivory in billiard balls. Next was the invention of the zoopraxiscope which was first used for a bet to see if a horse's hooves all left the ground at any point while galloping. The zoopraxiscope used frame by frame pictures and holes on the side to allow the machine to pull the film forward. Communication signals for railways using Morse's telegraph led to Edison discovering how to speak into a microphone creating bumps on a disc that could be played back—the record player. This final ingredient gave movies sound. In summary, Burke connects the invention of the movie projector to four major innovations in history: the incandescent light; the discovery of celluloid; the projector that uses frame by frame pictures on celluloid; and finally, recorded sound.

 

Connections is a ten-episode documentary television series created, written and presented by science historian James Burke. The series was produced and directed by Mick Jackson of the BBC Science & Features Department and first aired in 1978 (UK) and 1979 (USA). It took an interdisciplinary approach to the history of science and invention and demonstrated how various discoveries, scientific achievements, and historical world events were built from one another successively in an interconnected way to bring about particular aspects of modern technology. The series was noted for Burke's crisp and enthusiastic presentation (and dry humour), historical reenactments, and intricate working models.

es:

 

my dad went to college with that James Burke, but of course Burke was a scientist, not an historian. I remember watching that as a kid when it was broadcast in the 70s, I would imagine it also got shown on PBS in the states as numerous other BBC shows of that type were, in particular the brilliant 'Alastair Cookes America', a truly brilliant history show, that keeps going up, and getting taken down, on youtube. This kind of stuff should show you just how bad, and juvenile most (though not quite all) History Channel shows are. The kind of stuff that Romney didn't want Americans to see free-to-air.

 

more contemporary BBC History strands include the TIMEWATCH, although there are more than just a few, TIMEWATCH is now the BBC's main flagship history brand. Just look for any of their shows on youtube to see how mediocre, most though not all, History Channel shows are by comparison. It's like they're addressing 12 year old kids, not adults.