KaraKreative: "The Men Who Built America" Review So Far

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

"The Men Who Built America" Review So Far

(From L to R) Adam Jonas Segaller as Andrew Carnegie, Tim Getman as John D. Rockefeller,
??? as Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Eric Rolland as J. P. Morgan.

"John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and J.P. Morgan rose from obscurity and in the process built modern America. Their names hang on street signs, are etched into buildings and are a part of the fabric of history. These men created the American Dream and were the engine of capitalism as they transformed everything they touched in building the oil, rail, steel, shipping, automobile and finance industries. Their paths crossed repeatedly as they elected presidents, set economic policies and influenced major events of the 50 most formative years this country has ever known. From the Civil War to the Great Depression and World War I, they led the way.

"Using state of the art computer generated imagery that incorporates 12 million historical negatives, many made available for the first time by the Library of Congress, this series will bring back to life the world they knew and the one they created. The event series will show how these men took a failed experiment in democracy and created the greatest superpower the world has ever seen. We see how their historic achievements came to create the America of today." (Source below.)

In this blog entry I would like to talk about my favorite channel, the History Channel's, new television series: "The Men Who Built America".

Adam Jonas Sellagar as
Andrew Carnegie.

It is a fascinating account of a few of the richest men in America's history, shaping this country as we now know it. It begins roughly 1865, after the assassination of President Lincoln and weaves its way through the industrial age. The narrator even starts the series by stating, “For the first time in the country’s short existence the man most capable of leading America is not a politician.” First the railroad, then oil, then steel shape this country into a global superpower.

Eric Rolland as J. P. Rolland.

It includes the personal history and business practices of Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Scott, Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan, George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Nikola Tesla. Next week, though not on Tuesday but on Sunday at 8 p.m., they shall be introducing Henry Ford, who revolutionized the moving assembly line to create his famously inexpensive 'horseless carriage'.

The man I am most impressed with so far is Morgan, though he is the most ruthless. Although Rockefeller might have him beat, as he nearly single-handedly started the Great Depression by capsizing the railroad industry. They all strike out against their competitors, usually each other, before buying the smaller companies out and they are absolutely horrible to their workers. Though there is something to admire in their tenacity.

The program also shows how the robber barons of yore have compelling similarities to the businessmen of today. They interview the likes of Donald Trump, Steve Wozniak, Mark Cuban, Alan Greenspan, and Jack Welch, amongst others, discussing business practices and how businessmen think and act. They also interview such historians as H. W. Brands, David Nasaw, and Jill Jones.

??? as Henry Ford.

So far I'm enjoying it immensely. The costumes and music is very well done. What little acting there is, is great; they made nearly all the actors look exactly like the tycoons. I can't wait until next week's episode and marathon where I can re-watch the men at their work. The main thing though is how the government will have to step in when the industrialists treat their workers worse than pack-mules. How I wish that would happen more often today.