The Machines That Built The World

At the end of the 19th century, private travel means taking a walk or riding a horse. But scrappy upstarts William Harley and Arthur Davidson have a bold vision for a new form of transportation--connecting a motor to a bicycle.

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.

At the dawn of the 20th century, America is transforming from a primitive agrarian society to a modern Mecca of technology, mass production and automation. A few visionary companies create the power tools that revolutionize how America is built.