Series

Watch The Machines That Built America (2021) Online

No video is available for The Machines That Built America - S1E1 yet. Check back soon.

7.24 votes2021TV-PG43mReturning SeriesDocumentaryOfficial site

Synopsis

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.

Episodes

Season 1

PreviousNext

1. Tractor RevolutionNow viewing2021-07-1843m8.0In 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.
2. Plane Pioneers2021-07-1843m8.0In 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.
3. Titans of Television2021-07-2543m8.0A 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.
4. Motorcycle Kings2021-08-0143m8.0At 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. They'll take on George Hendee's Indian Motorcycle in a classic David Vs. Goliath battle, fighting to dominate a market valued at more than 7 billion dollars today, the rivals will push their machines to the limit and tap into the lure of the open road.
5. Telephone Wars2021-08-0843m8.0In the 1870s communicating with distant family requires sending a letter, and waiting days or weeks for a reply. The telegraph is faster, but too expensive for most people. When communication giant 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. Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray will stop at nothing to lay claim to the new technology and dominate the market.
6. Power Tool Showdown2021-08-1543m8.0
7. Tesla vs. Marconi2021-08-2243m8.0Two rival inventors have the same idea for improving things: wireless communication.
8. Home Tech Revolution2021-08-2943m8.0With America plugging in to electric power, a flood of innovation is not only changing industry, it's revolutionizing the home; the new technology makes housework easier and gives women opportunities to work outside the home.

Cast

Top Billed Cast

Campbell Scott
Self - Narrator
Travis Taylor
Self - Engineer
Max Hastings
Arno Peterson

Availability

Where To Watch Legally

Stream

Free

Buy

Streaming availability data provided by JustWatch.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Machines That Built America available to watch online?

Yes - see the "Where to watch legally" section on this page for streaming, rental and purchase options.

How many seasons does The Machines That Built America have?

The Machines That Built America has 1 season and 8 episodes.

When did The Machines That Built America first air?

The Machines That Built America first aired in 2021.

Is The Machines That Built America still running?

Yes, The Machines That Built America is an ongoing series.

What genre is The Machines That Built America?

The Machines That Built America is classified as Documentary.