Series synopsis
The Machines That Built America is a documentary television series that premiered on History on July 18, 2021. It stars Campbell Scott, Travis Taylor and Max Hastings.
The stories behind innovations such as TV, radio, phones, airplanes, motorcycles and power tools as well as the inventors including Nikola Tesla, William Harley, Alexander Graham Bell, Duncan Black and Alonzo Decker.
Premise
The stories behind innovations such as TV, radio, phones, airplanes, motorcycles and power tools as well as the inventors including Nikola Tesla, William Harley, Alexander Graham Bell, Duncan Black and Alonzo Decker.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Campbell Scott as Self - Narrator
- Travis Taylor as Self - Engineer
- Max Hastings as Arno Peterson
Guest cast
- Adam Richman as Self - Tv Host
- Yohuru Williams as Self - Prof. of History
- Brian Potter Jr. as George Hendee
- Simon Darwen as Ray Dewalt
- Nicholas McCluskey as Tin Can Boy
- Simon Adkins as Oscar Hedstrom
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 8 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 8 | July 18, 2021 | August 29, 2021 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Tractor Revolution In the 1870s, harvesting crops is grueling, back-breaking work. Farmers must walk miles behind horse drawn plows to get food on American tables. But a group of dreamers--all of them rivals--has a vision that will change farming forever and create one of the world's most iconic machines: the tractor. Their quest to corner the market--worth 75 billion today--produces some of the greatest innovations and most iconic brands of all time: Caterpillar, John Deere, and Ford. |
July 18, 2021 |
| 2 |
Plane Pioneers In 1910, airplanes are a novelty, fragile wooden concoctions that float in the air--and crash. But that doesn't stop two young dreamers with a passion for this newfangled machine from imagining a very different future: one in which planes carry millions of passengers across the country, even across the seas. To realize that vision and create a lucrative new market, William Boeing and Donald Douglas take on automobile titan Henry Ford, infamous Dutch aviation giant Anthony Fokker--and each other. |
July 18, 2021 |
| 3 |
Titans of Television A ruthless mogul takes on a little-known inventor in a high stakes battle that will change the world forever, asking the question of whether a farm-boy can beat a titan with endless resources. |
July 25, 2021 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | History |
|---|---|
| First aired | July 18, 2021 |
| Last aired | August 29, 2021 |
| Runtime | 43 minutes |
| Status | continue |
| Schedule | Sunday at 21:00:00 |