Video Gallery

The Men Who Built America: Episode 1

Go to Video Gallery Added May 02, 2016 •

Copy this URL:
Embed code:	<iframe class="edlio-embed-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="360" src="//westcolliervillems.colliervilleschools.org/apps/embed/?v=112212" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Change dimensions

Go HD

Vanderbilt and Rockefeller

Show Transcript

just five days after the end of the Civil War  President Abraham Lincoln is the final of the 600,000 deaths in a bloodiest conflict  the country is divided and the world looks at American democracy as a failed experiment but most don't realize the new era has dawned the nation is entering an age of advancement in from the void by the death of perhaps the greatest Statesman will ever know a new breed of leader will emerge The Rockefellers the four the Carnegie once accepted for the American green they owned a new frontier literal and figurative man of insight Innovation and Ingenuity the likes of which the world and over the next five decades this small group will change history  selling the United States of America grape  he's with great men with a vision that nobody else had and that's why in the last century than 50 rebuild the world Shady Hospital the score for the first time in the country short existence the man most capable of leading America he's not a politician  he's a self-made man who through sheer force of will turn to poor upbringing on the docks of New York Harbor into an Empire 16 Cornelius Vanderbilt buys a small fairy boat with a $100 loan  he quickly earns a reputation bathroom businessman willing to use any means necessary to get ahead back then it was just pure competition my brain against your brain my effort against your effort you just compete it what's the way they looked at business it was the Wild Wild West and by hook or crook there was just win or lose and the best win he was a tough guy getting into scraps with other men beating the hell out of them and knocking them unconscious additive streak in the toughness very much to find his character is single fairy soon becomes a fleet of ships transporting goods and passengers to every corner of the growing country Vanderbilt will become synonymous with shipping that his nickname becomes the Commodore what was going to be important is transporting goods from one place to another and he had this idea acquired infrastructure over the next 40 years  Vanderbilt builds the largest shipping Empire in the world then at the peak of his power just before the Civil War he does the unthinkable work is underway on the first trans Pharrell wrote In The Commodore realizes that its completion will transform America by month railroads were absolutely liberating because the railroads allowed cheap and efficient transportation from one corner of America Vanderbilt sees his future he sells all of his ships and invests everything he has in railroads you talk about seeing around corners as an element of success test differentiates the good Legion not many people have it not many people can predict that corner that Vape  characteristic of great leaders his decision pays off by the end of the war Vanderbilt is the richest man in America with a net worth of over 68 alien dollars the equivalent of 75 billion today  but all that money can't buy his escape from the Wars death in the wake of the Civil War the country more publicly Vanderbilt does so privately the first cars the second depressant future future restaurant close to me George cheat I've no more what about the future chariot  there will be a war war zone Premier Amour certificate hey watch bands tormented by the loss of his favorite son Vanderbilt Empire is more Von golden ever before preventable this is a great tragedy in one who had that same sense of physical strength and ability and he had died when he was still quite young it was deeply troubling for the Commodore four years Vanderbilt green to George to take over the family business now the Commodore is forced to rely on his left Quest son William to make you operations what are the Hudson River Vanderbilt places William in the negotiations with the owners of the Rival Railroad Selena price give us your Freight around we will give you the privilege of allowing your passengers access and to Manhattan 100000 factors it's not worth $200,000 then let it settle in 100,000 I believe that to be a fair and generous offer, really interested in your generosity  I'm only interested in getting the best deal for my shoulders that does not include any over $100,000 or even $1  my father wants only what he believes is right that's all your father doesn't know what is right Hill Mansion the message is clear the competition no longer sees Vanderbilt as a man to fear people are always rooting for very successful people to film the gay people are not taking shots at you means you're not on top anymore  Hood where they a weakness  the Commodore sees an opportunity to assert his dominance  and teach William what it means to be a Vanderbilt they want to gentleman War Vanderbilt owns the only rail bridge in Rock City  it's the gateway to the country's largest port supplying the entire continent  Vanderbilt this is the hammer apples into submission who wants to close the Albany Bridge the bridge every other railroad is shut out of New York City Danville innocent single-handedly erected a blockade around the nation's largest city cutting it off from contact with the rest of the country he was now asserting his dominance ladies and gentlemen this train will not be going any farther  we're going to watch them the Civil War has left a mare for the first time in its history the nation must rebuild over 50 miles of railroad track have transformed the country Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt grew up poor has created a railroad Empire making him the richest man in the country  and 72 he's 30 years the average life expectancy and his competitors see him as weak it's a mistake they'll come to regret locked in a battle for control of the Rail lines east of the Mississippi is holding nothing back I want you to close the Alden Bridge going to watch them bleed Vanderbilt controls the only Bridge into New York City America's busiest port today he sets up a blockade this train will not be going any farther  shutting the bridge leaves pounds of cargo unable to reach the rest of the country  and slowly dudes his competitors Drive order stock is worthless the presidents of the Rival railroad try to sell all their shares bored quickly reaches Wallstreet triggering a massive sell-off on some money shares of trapping how long $20 a share try everything you can mr11 Vanderbilt spine that stock is suddenly flooded the market at rock bottom prices  Crossfire it just Denny's Vanderbilt takes control of the Rival railroad creating the largest single rail company in New York Central Railroad became the centerpiece of his Empire and it came to him as the sudden result of the fully executed campaign to get revenge railroads soon Criss-Cross America time together the country in a way that just 15 was unimaginable  and providing over 180,000 jobs laying tracks becomes America's engine for president of growth railroads allowed the industrial economy to Boom in ways that it couldn't have before after each other which essentially was led by the railroads largely because there was a lead to close the gap between those east of the Mississippi and those on the West Coast Peterbilt has made himself the Undisputed king of railroads he wants the world to know it  he envisions definition belies his immense power will begin on building a new station that will bring together the three railroads the Hudson and the central  it should be in the heart of New York have you called the Grand Central Depot thousands of workers lay the next two years the most ambitious Urban construction project America has ever seen Grand Central is the biggest building in all of New York City  and the biggest train station in the covering some 22 Acres enormous building towered over every other building in New York at the time and it was a physical symbol of the size and power of Vanderbilt railroad Empire its importance as a physical symbol is a physical capital of his Empire can I underestimated and it's still stamps New York's geography to this day Vanderbilt maybe on top of the world but his blind ambition will soon they can vulnerable to a challenge most unlikely pair imaginable the growth of the railroad trusts America into the biggest build expansion the country has ever seen led by a new leader the story of America's just the story of the Patriots that help the reason I say to Leading economy in the world is because of the United States leader of the Free World one-man Cornelius Vanderbilt sentence has made himself the Undisputed King of the railroads  change 40%  stream Timmy's always what's next I think that's what drives most successful people let me get to William keeping score it's about achievement and it's about winning a game and it's about upping the ante  Chicago is a mare fastest growing city  the line connecting it to New York is the most traveled and valuable in all the world  and it's not Vanderbilts  to make his Empire complete he must control of the Erie Klein Erie was one of the relatively early probably traded corporations Vanderbilt advantage of millions and millions of dollars deep-pocket are always an advantage gained control of Corporation Vanderbilt Roxy's agents to buy up as much stock as possible  demanding control of the company by the end of the week sheets of vintage Vanderbilt move one he pioneered known today as a hostile takeover what is a tent will be forwarded by an even genius idea cooked up by two unknowns Jay Gould send Jim Fisk really bored of me is that they have telegraphed with any to expand without securing the land first Google or stuck in middle management the new America the Vanderbilt is helping to create watching The Commodore dominate to build their own Empire they recognized by the line see the opportunity they've been waiting for I think it's good for the system loud it's doing a better job bond out hustling your competitors Gordon Fisk begin printing new shares of stock they set up in the basement of the Erie offices each share they print dilutes Vanderbilt stake in the company can I print over 100,000 there was some fine print in one of the Clauses of the Aries Charter that allowed the board of directors the issue new stock unbeknownst to shareholders also the more shares at Vanderbilt the more he had to buy in order to approach that magic majority their plan is known watering down stock  highly illegal today at the time it had never been imagined its Simplicity is brilliant and Wall Street is never the same the Only Rule was there were no rules whatever it took to put your competition out of business they're going to try to do it somewhere Vanderbilt continues to I think of the look on his face cuz I wish I could be a fly on that wall the freshly printed Shares are delivered to Vanderbilt where are the Erie shares assume we control the company now tomani  Vanderbilt has bought seven million dollars of War down stock from Gould and Fisk today worth over 1 billion dollars Vanderbilt has been underestimated before but if you the king you shouldn't expect when greatest gross explosion in America short life is underway realign snow connect huge expenses of the country controlling them means having power that just five years earlier was unimaginable  many staking their claim I think there are people and every generation that have a vision that transcend's their moment in their time  Cornelius Vanderbilt more miles of rail than anyone in the world would like all men of power he faces constant challenges competition gets very aggressive people have no idea how aggressive it is and sometimes you don't even hear because what goes on behind your back is not a pretty picture Vanderbilt is outsmarted by a pair of unknowns James Monroe Michigan fleeced the Commodore out of Millions and they want the world to know it  thank you don't mind if I has been trying to do roads than anybody else you may be powerful but somebody had to get there it was ameliorating defeat for the Commodore a man who was so fiercely competitive who wanted to win at absolutely everything to who money was important and he was feeded and insulted publicly by Golden Fisk gluten-free on top of the world but the weekend Vanderbilt fouls to never be beaten again I think in terms of money they think in terms of winning now and actually if it went big and busy bunny frogs but that shouldn't be rejected your objective should be to win win win win all the time not sometimes every time Vanderbilt immediately begins looking for a new Edge  he realizes that the railroads have been over built future the industry isn't building new lines but in transporting new cargo Innovation is not beige break through invention every time Innovation is a constant thing innovative  coming to work every day to find a better way you don't have a company  you're getting ready Thai on the line  is Vanderbilt can Corner the market on a new source of freight one that can keep his trains you'll be able to control the railroad industry and the Commodore knows just where to look boiled is revolutionising just being refined into kerosene a safe and inexpensive source of light access to light is completely changing the before kerosene the average American didn't have access to a consistent light source down  starfish world kerosene is a fan forever changed the world and Vanderbilt knows it's his next opportunity to cash in the idea is to see that's what a creative entrepreneur. He served people things that they need some people can't find a new thing to do found you see something everybody have to have the old man I got to give him this and then you go to work on it because they need it  Vanderbilt is the demand for kerosene skyrocketing all across the country  he knows that to meet the demand the makers of kerosene will need an way to ship their oil Vanderbilt in corner the market on those oil shipments kill propel self back to the top of the railroad industry all he needs to do now is find a supplier we're going to extend along the South Shore to Cleveland by Cleveland  when is a small city of just under 50,000 but it's sitting on top of an o Eastern Ohio is the Middle East and its day  in the area around Cleveland is one of the largest oil Vanderbilt learns about a Refinery built near the railroads in Cleveland the perfect Mark for his master plan he reaches out to the owner a struggling young oilman Vanderbilt is hoping to pluck from obscurity not oil man is John D Rockefeller why are we paying so much on plumbers we run a refinery  show me some making around pipes history will be lucky if we break even this year  if you want to call play John just say I should go anything alright type image of 27 Rockefeller is in the early stages of building is refining business what is company is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy  Vanderbilt sees him as someone he could manipulate to his advantage an exclusive deal to ship Rockefellers oil will guarantee that the Commodores trains stay filled with cargo Vanderbilt invite Rockefeller to meet with him a New York for the young oilman the meeting is the opportunity of a lifetime  the way out of his troubles and a way to save his company from complete collapse Rockefeller irrespective and he could see what he setting the pattern and the archetype of what Rockefeller himself wanted to be he wanted to be the Vanderbilt of petroleum that's the way he saw himself  is Rockefeller prepares for his trip to New York Vanderbilt's plan the train departs Cleveland 6:25 a.m. America is rising have United the states and commerce flows with a speed never before thought possible  the man at the Forefront of this explosive is Cornelius Vanderbilt but it's 76 he realizes that the railroads have been over built struggling John D Rockefeller Vanderbilt inviting to New York City for a meeting fate intervenes I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in Green Pastures hair stores John Rockefeller narrowly missed train one that would have carried him to his certain death the clothes call has a profound impact on the oil man need to get me an ounce of righteousness for his namesake comment  Amana face  he becomes convinced that God has spared him for a reason without thinking that he himself in particular was chosen God becomes great business success in the world without God's will without blessing Rockefeller once again heads to meet with Vanderbilt as a changed man  we're before he was intimidated and bankruptcy now he's a man of Destiny Cornelius Vanderbilt maybe the richest and most powerful man in the country  accustomed to getting what he wants but he has no idea what he's about to encounter every business is about understanding people  which people you have to get through which people you have to embrace which people you have to jump over which people you have to push out of the way that's the game  to play orange mr. Rockefeller no  shame you can learn a lot about competition I know all I need to know  shown I'm looking to do a deal with an oil roof that could be you  I'm willing to do an exclusive deal 65 a barrel  that's a discount of more than 1/3 there's several refineries in Cleveland why should I give you such because I'll feel all your trains with my oil if you don't do the deal tell Phil someone else trains do you trust him I don't know Rockefeller may have gotten the rate he was looking for  but in return  provide Vanderbilt with over 60 train cars everyday  the only problem is Rockefeller has no way to produce that much kerosene  is is less than half of that  Rockefeller has over promised but he knows the deal with Vanderbilt is the opportunity he's been waiting for  he just needs to find a way to produce more kerosene it's a daunting task but John D Rockefeller has been beating the odds he's entire life Rockefeller is raised in a poor Cleveland household  but even as a young man he runs for more  something bigger and he knows it isn't going to be handed to him does young man he shows a strong entrepreneurial streak starting his own small business cell send to local children from an early age seller helps to support his family mostly because he was never able to rely on his father cures cancer folks that is right it cures cancer now you're asking yourself I bet in your mind you're saying bill is this true your father is a con man she had pneumonia as a devil bill Kohler 25 about yes sir supportive  I'm only here for one day once I'm gone I am gone I may not be back not even mean weather gone Rockefeller is forced to quit school and get a job to support his mother and siblings  his work ethic and intuition will become the play blocks pretty American Dream by great-grandfather John Deere  was an absolutely brilliant businessman when he started out he wasn't Doyle or anything you know he worked out it very very hard and there's an ethic and the Rockefeller family of hard work  stuck in a dead-end job he becomes fixated on finding a big idea and taking a chance be there for perfect even as your father which is in heaven is perfect you please rise medicine M 89 Learning Store girl costumes DriveTime on the way I think entrepreneurs and uncertain business people just look at life and look at things that are changing and are able to see those things I can create a business out of that Rockefeller realizes oil has the potential to change the Dominican rich in the process Rockefeller knows but drilling for oil is a gamble filled with uncertainty and since he doesn't believe in luck but he start looking for a way to make money from oil without the risk he had a mind for efficiency and there was probably something in him that looked at the watching process and saw how wasteful that was like a drill wells in the turnip drill Wells and hit a gusher oil would be lost send is Sands of efficiency Rockefeller knows there's a better way today everybody's wants to entrepreneur but you know what you can see how much is going to be when we need a tactical element you need somebody who knows how to do it build the things you need the scientist oil turn screwed from the ground into kerosene  the clean-burning fuel that can be used in lamps what's the oil gets to 350 degrees in kerosene stops to vaporize then once it's cool if you have a stable show product  how much to produce a gallon  50 $0.60 I don't know Rockefellers insight to put in one step ahead of his competitors whoever could control the refining process could very well have bull industry 24 years old Rockefeller invest everything he has about $4,000 building his first refinery he struggles early on to find an edge in the industry that changes the most powerful man in the country comes calling  the deal was Vanderbilt give him Cheap shipping rates and the chance do us well Marcus a day when he's capacity is less than half that and when you've made a deal with the most powerful man in America failure is not an option have to be smart television you have to have all these different things but the most successful people are the people that had the right idea but never ever quit or gave up the people that really succeed in life are those that don't quit  Rockefeller needs to quickly expand his company do that he needs investors the problem is kerosene stories of the fuel exploding in burning down homes are on the front page of newspapers across the country  thinking skeptical high demand that's extremely volatile Rockefeller sees the problem as an opportunity The public's fears and provide them with a product they can rely on  oil refining warehouses Barrel making the shipping facilities  because Standard Oil will be the only company in the industry to guarantee a uniform quality of care rockafellas in all he's got a Salesman at the end of the day is the salesman  what you can silly understand how Rockefeller could have named as other companies Standard Oil pretty in McNamee was creating a standard depend it worked rockefeller's Standard Oil quiet sphere becomes the most sought-after product in the country bringing an investor after investor  he needs his promise to provide 60 cars with day  but that level of output is only enough to supply a small segment of the country the Ohio oil on every train crossing the country because Supply every home in the nation but to make that happen you have to take on Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt America is expanding rapidly is Vanderbilt's railroads have United the country and commerce nouns faster than ever snooze  is light  Safelite the kind provided by John Rockefeller  boil is changing the world Canby Ohio is leading the charge the Titans that day revolutionized business in America we became the fattest origami fortune in the world because we could make stuff we could create stuff we could build stuff we can power stuff John rockefeller's Standard Oil Angie's exclusive deal with Vanderbilt allows him to ship his product to homes throughout the country incredibly cheap rates but for Rockefeller isn't enough he's outgrown his deal with once unable to fill Vanderbilt's trains  now he has more oil than the Commodore can possibly ship biggest competitor to knows it Scott the president of one of the largest train lines in the country changeables place as king a deal with Rockefeller is the key Scott heads to Cleveland with his protege mascots most lieutenant  crafts to pitch  what I'm proposing is an alliance between cartel between oil and railroads protocol advise me the numbers a little oil will receive a 40% rebate for every Barlett ships  will send papers over in the morning verbal contract is fine  Rockefeller gets a better deal from Scott I never could have gotten from Vanderbilt shyster the Commodore has Law is Competitive Edge  to the great frustration and Vanderbilt Rockefeller very skillfully played those railroads against each other oil something to railroads couldn't afford to let go and so they fought very hard to get that traffic with the railroads in his pocket Rockefeller can supply every home in the nation with Standard Oil kerosene and with all that profit chickens to buy out his competitors do we need to stand together  I'm offering all of you away out so you can hold your heads High  the opportunity to sell to Standard Oil what do you got send to you all Standard Oil stock you and your loved ones will never know what send  he wants to own every refinery in the country it's a concept that's been impossible to execute  today has a monopoly but Rockefeller isn't just expanding his company he's also looking to maximize profit  by any means necessary got another refinery one more into the fold to me to take a look at it  no  I want you to shut it down the business of creating monopolies crushing opposition  part of me says he did that because it was there redone  then he could do it better than anybody else and he made a bloody Fortune out of it by the time he's finished Rockefeller controls 90% of the North American oil supply this company standard for the country's first Monopoly a33 Leo oil  is now the most powerful man in the country the Commodore has created a monster he realizes that the only way to combat just with the railroads to start working together deforms and unlikely Alliance which is biggest rifle and together they agree to pull off of Rockefeller Steel thank you to Rockefeller is nothing short of a declaration of war is Virgin as one of the country is now crowded with Rail lines likes most homes the amazing Evolution has been led by two men driven by a desire to create a world few notches Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt and John D Rockefeller have sparked the modernization of the country but the former partners interests are no longer aligned  Vanderbilt has formed an unlikely science with Tom Scott forcing their biggest client to pay going rates she's their actions as a declaration of war and he's not going down without a fight John Rockefeller had the ruthlessness that sometimes comes from utter conviction and what he was doing was right that just cracked but divinely-inspired and the people who opposed him only entitled to their you because their point if you was wrong it was almost as though they had turned aside God's grace well if you turn aside God's offer Grace then expect no mercy Waukesha  find another way to transport his oil she knows if you can the railroad swing Rockefeller solution again comes from the most unlikely of places we can bring some of it off if fuel in the refinery but the tie flammability creates a storage problem what's the temperature the refinery oil in the refinery is using large pipes and Rockefeller realizes I think it also be used over longer distances if Rockefeller can build a pipeline large enough to be able to automobile business good the pipeline will require Investments that incredible risk  but if he gets it right Rockefeller will be able to do what he loves to do most  when it probably comes early in an entrepreneur's life where you realize you're willing to do things in the business world that other people aren't willing to do everybody is got ideas and everybody's got Ambitions but most people aren't willing to cross that line and I think an entrepreneur of that successful pressure nature wherever the change wherever there's uncertainty there's opportunity Rockefellers workers labor around the countryside and laying over a mile and a half of pipeline everyday in the end is understanding the playing field terminals on it but there's drinks are what the reasons are and what is your check made play habanero you always in that competitive game you're looking at Innovation and wouldn't get LeapFrog try to get ahead of them can never complacent just somebody paranoid about what they're doing the game is all about by the time the pipeline is complete it's over 4000 miles long stretching across Ohio and Pennsylvania connecting thousands of the world's most lucrative oil  directly to Rockefellers refineries John Rockefeller has finally found his way to eliminate foods from the oil business  process the wave oil transport here's the railroads have been the biggest industry in the country the backbone American economy  no one has ever had the nerve to take the lawn  until now Rockefeller knows that without his oil  the railroads will struggle to stay alive the Colossal blow to the industry and with all that leverage Rockefeller has Vanderbilt in the railroads right where he wants them the United States of America changing like never before in just a decade the country has become one of the most advanced on Earth and darkness no longer today  two men have driven this week John D Rockefeller battle of Commodores Vanderbilt and his competitors are in drastic search of passengers and cargo to fill the trains running on their lines and 1870s the country needed to be connected via railroads and what happens Dan is everybody who thinks they have an in the railroad business goes out and raise his money and they start their own Railroad and what happened then as we seen happen many a time since then is it huge bubble John D Rockefeller teams with his biggest rival to push for a rate increase Rockefeller takes it as a declaration of war pipeline in response  begins to pull his shipments from since the railroads have been drastically overbilled lose he's losing  prompt as investors runs scared when prices get out of control and smart people decide wow this thing is a bubble I want out then you can get a clap spray quickly by the time the Panic is true once countries 360 railroad companies have gone bankrupt every crisis is it time for the poor Minecraft Angry Birds necessary condition trash is the worst America has seen in fun sure how to prevent a complete collapse the stock exchange shuts down and stays closed for 10 straight days  the Panic of 1873 triggered the first full-blown National depression and nobody quite knew what to do about it for the first time large numbers of American workers were without jobs Yonkers got laid off but the owners they still lived in the style that they were accustomed to but no one was shedding players from John D Rockefeller people receiving their tears for themselves when they found themselves out of work out of their homes the food out of Hope well many of the biggest companies in the country struggled to survive  Rockefeller sees opportunity  kids the survival of the fittest kicking in as he's competition collapses Rockefeller picks them off buying out bankrupt oil companies for next to nothing but I find that I do better in bed markets I bite things in bed Marcus and you can't do what in a great economy you can't buy it either you're going to buy it very expensively or not be able to buy it at all so there's a lot of opportunity I find in the bad times depression is true Rockefeller has created the largest corporate Empire in America playing the game industry Teddy was simply better at it than everybody else the song the industrial Marketplace as plays for the survive what's the finished he was fitter than anybody else therefore he survived out on that therefore he deserved to survive and they didn't well Rockefeller expands his company his adversaries at the railroad are struggling to survive then at the height of the depression the king of the American railroads fuel your belt dies at the age of 82  Vanderbilt leaves his Empire horse over 100 million dollars to his son William  Rockefeller knows that without he would have never been able to build his Empire Rockefellers last remaining adversaries refuse to go without a fight  Tom Scott and his Protege Andrew Carnegie have managed to survive and since Rockefellers pipeline doesn't extend Iceberg to continue Wisconsin knows if he and Carnegie don't diversify they won't survive stop devices and aggressive plan to expand his Empire one the shore to catch rockefeller's attention he's going to break into the Oil Business by building a pipeline of his own but if there's one thing John Rockefeller more than its competition  Tom Scott disease from war I tried to be friendly to the Pennsylvania plenty of business High not and now I find that you're invading my field  and that my friend is piracy will take your feelings into account mr. Rockefeller two-thirds of the oil you carry if you don't retreat I'll take it to the other railroads  as far as I'm aware there is a another railroad from Pittsburgh to New York America's growth after the Civil War is driven by railroads uniting the country Doyle lighting the way no one has capitalized on the growth more than John D Rockefeller controls 90% of the US oil Market what's the death of Cornelius Vanderbilt  only one man stands in the way of Rockefellers complete control of Tom Scott there was a sort of mutual ad rayshun among the big capitalist but it was an admiration that was accompanied by Deep suspicions the big capitalist of the day each other very rarely Rockefeller looked on Tom Scott of the Penn railroad as a competitor Tom Scott's trains transport oil to and from Rockefellers refineries in Pittsburgh where the standard oil type doesn't reach  with all that leverage Scott is confident he has the ammunition to take on Rockefeller but Rockefeller isn't one to back down from a fight I want one drop a bar oil traveling on the Pennsylvania but what about the Pittsburgh refineries shut down shutting down his refineries will cost Sandra Doyle of Fortune in Lost Revenue  the Rockefeller crushing his competition matters more than anything else without Rockefellers oil Scott loses near me for this business forcing him to lay off tens of thousands of workers those workers take to the streets in protest  and as Darkness fall on Pittsburgh  they turn violent fire set in Tom Scott's trainyards before the night is over more than 39 buildings in over 1,200 train cars or destroyed what's company plays in ruined is how capitalism works Torero's had been the big suppliers of Transportation do Island history and so the round Rose quite naturally resisted  they in their heels whatever they cut eventually they lost John Deere the seller has replaced Cornelius Vanderbilt as the richest man in America  his net worth is now over 100 15 million dollars for 225 billion dollars today amazing that one individual was able to Corner about 98% of all the kerosene and eventually all production in the world he was a brilliant business person I can only give him credit for that I don't have to give him credit for the way she became that powerful all Titans are Target's now Rockefeller is about to come face-to-face  biggest challenge ever next time on The Men Who Built America the country grows at an unprecedented pace and his stronger Mission Impossible  possible driven by the birth of a new industry the changes everything is the future and Andrew Carnegie's quest for Revenge has unintended consequences threatening to tear the nation apart

Uploaded by Stancy Curtis.

Video Gallery

The Men Who Built America: Episode 1

Popular Videos