Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hello, American History Teller listeners. I have an exciting announcement. I'm going on tour and coming to a theater near you. This live show is a thrilling evening of history, storytelling, and music, with a full band accompanying me as we look back to explore the days that made America. And they aren't the days that you might think. Sure, everyone knows July 4th, 1776.
We'll be hearing a lot about that date this year. But there are many other days that are maybe even more influential. So come out to see me live. More shows to be announced soon. So for information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to AmericanHistoryLive.com. That's AmericanHistoryLive.com. Come see my Days That Made America tour live on stage. Go to AmericanHistoryLive.com.
Imagine it's late November 1886 in Buffalo, New York. You're a local grain trader, and you usually work long hours managing your business. It's early evening now, and you should be still in your office reviewing the details of your latest shipments. But as darkness fell, you found yourself straining to see your account books in the dim gaslight, so you gave up.
Instead, you've joined your friend from the city council to marvel at Buffalo's latest attraction, the newly electrified four-story department store on Main Street. You gape at the dazzling display of electric lights illuminating the inside of the building. Well, now, isn't that something? Sure makes a store look beautiful. I'll say, and not only that, it's a sign of our city's growth.
Tells the world that Buffalo is open for business, you know. That Mr. Edison certainly is a genius. His lights are astounding. Oh, this isn't Edison's work. You turn to your friend, confused. What do you mean? Well, this may look like Edison, but it's not. In fact, it's better. Better? How's it better? Everyone knows Edison is the genius behind electric lighting.
I've heard there are nearly 500 bulbs in that display. Who else could it be? Well, Edison may be a genius, even a wizard, as they say, but the lights you see before you were not manufactured by him. I know this. They are courtesy of George Westinghouse. That tycoon from Pittsburgh? That's the one. It's not just railroads he's invested in.
From what I've heard, these lights are part of a much bigger endeavor of his. He's developing some new way to generate electricity. They say better than Edison's. No, come on. Edison's been at this a long time. What does Westinghouse know about electricity? Well, more than you think. I've been reading about the system Westinghouse is backing.
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Chapter 2: What significant event marked Tesla's arrival in America?
It's called alternating current. Apparently, it can carry electricity over much greater distances, and it's more efficient. And, you know, as a businessman, I suppose you know what that means. Well, generally, it means it's cheaper. That's right. I'm sure you can see the beauty in that. Well, yeah, maybe. If I got a piece of the pie. Well, I'll let you in on something.
Your friend takes your arm and tugs you out to the edge of the bustling crowd. A lot of Westinghouse's men came by the other day. This demonstration downtown is just the beginning. He says they intend to light up whole blocks of the business district, even private homes, warehouses like yours down by the waterfront. Well, I'll be. Is that so? Yeah. He's working up a proposal as we speak.
Maybe Westinghouse isn't Edison, but he is a genius businessman. And he's partnering with smart investors who know what they're doing. I'm telling you, Westinghouse and his boys are the future. Well, I suppose there's going to be an economic benefit for us, too. Hmm. Hmm.
You turn from your friend and stare back at the department store, its lights casting a golden glow on the crowd all around you. You've never seen such a beautiful sight. Whoever's behind it has a bright future. Maybe you do as well. From Audible Originals, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American History Tellers. Our history, your stories.
Shortly after Thanksgiving, 1886, residents of Buffalo, New York, were amazed to see a new and glorious sight downtown, their business district lit up with electric light. Many assumed it was the work of Thomas Edison, the famous inventor who had become synonymous with electrical innovation and technology.
But Buffalo's illumination was instead the latest project of George Westinghouse, a prominent industrialist known for his aggressive business style and technological know-how. After Edison introduced his incandescent light in 1879, he and his investors dominated the fast-growing electric market.
But competitors soon rushed in, and among them was the hard-charging Westinghouse, who founded Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company to begin installing lighting systems to rival Edison's. But still, Westinghouse struggled to catch up. What Westinghouse needed was a technological breakthrough, and it would come from an unlikely source.
In 1888, a little-known Serbian immigrant named Nikola Tesla unveiled a revolutionary new design for a system run on a polyphase alternating current, a method of producing electricity that promised to be cheaper, more efficient, and capable of transmitting electricity over far greater distances.
Westinghouse moved quickly to partner with Tesla, betting that together they could bring Tesla's system to commercial scale and challenge Edison's dominance once and for all. This is Episode 2 of our three-part series, Edison vs. Tesla, Work of the World. Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856, in a small village near the Adriatic Sea in what is today Croatia.
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Chapter 3: How did Tesla's early experiences shape his interest in electricity?
Grief-stricken, Tesla's father became depressed and brooding, so Tesla turned to his mother for comfort. She was the creative force in the household, and he often sat with her as she wove intricate patterns and designs with thread and invented tools and devices to help with household chores. Watching her work inspired Tesla and helped to channel his grief and confusion after his brother's death.
And while he found comfort with his mother, expectations for his future were already taking shape. Tesla's father and grandfather were both priests in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and it was expected that young Tesla would eventually join the clergy. But as he grew, his interest in science only deepened.
In school, Tesla's teachers complimented his intelligence, but warned his parents that he often strayed from his lessons and neglected his homework. And while he appeared to have a photographic memory, he also demonstrated an extreme sensitivity to sound and light, which was so intense that it often provoked anxiety and visions that haunted him at night.
At the age of 18, Tesla contracted cholera and was confined to his bed for nine months, at times hovering near death. When he recovered, his parents relented in their expectation that he enter the priesthood and allowed him to take a military scholarship and enroll at a polytechnic university in Graz, Austria. Once there, he delighted in his physics and engineering classes.
But even as a young university student, Tesla was not satisfied with learning what had already been discovered. He later recalled, I longed for experiment and investigation. One day in 1877, Tesla entered his physics classroom and saw an oddly-shaped machine on the table. It was a new dynamo, or electric generator, invented by the Belgian engineer Zenob Gram.
Gram's generator was the latest development in European electrical innovation. For years, rudimentary electric motors had run on batteries, which provided only limited power. But Graham's new dynamo system demonstrated that motors could also be powered by a continuous generator.
And this meant that the power source could be located far away from the motor and then connected by wiring, an innovation which opened up the possibility that electricity could someday be used more widely in factories, businesses, and even homes. In his classroom, Tesla watched with fascination as his physics teacher demonstrated Graham's machine.
But he noticed that his teacher had trouble with a part of the machine called a commutator. Graham's system, and all others like it, relied on a commutator, which was a rotary electrical switch that helped conduct the flow of electricity. But this component frequently broke down and wasted electrical power due to friction. Tesla recognized the inefficiency of the design right away.
He didn't yet know how to solve the problem, but it lodged itself in his mind and refused to let go, drawing more and more of his attention as his studies continued. By this time, Tesla had grown to be a tall, wire-thin young man with black hair and a taste for fashionable clothing.
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Chapter 4: What challenges did Tesla face while working for Edison?
On what? You left the office weeks ago. On my design. Ah, yeah, that electric motor thing. You have any sketches of it? Can I see them? Maybe I could help. No, nothing on paper. Well, how are you recording your designs then? Tesla smiles and points to his head. Don't worry, it's all up here. You can't help but smile, too. He's always been an odd character.
Earnest and sensitive, but you know he's also brilliant. And your shared fascination with electricity has bonded you. but you watch his face as it tightens with tension. I feel the city is assaulting my senses, and my mind won't stop whirling. Well, maybe you should take a longer rest, you know? You could go to the seaside. Well, I can't rest.
Not until I solve this puzzle, but the final design eludes me. I think you need to focus on your health, or you won't be around to finish the puzzle, or anything else. But Tesla doesn't seem to be listening to a word you say, his eyes fixed on the horizon. It is a beautiful evening sky. The glow retreats, done is the day of toil, and yonder hastes new fields of life exploring.
You recognize this line of poetry from Goethe's Faust. The German poet is Tesla's favorite. And you're happy that for once it looks like your friend is at peace. but then suddenly he lunges forward. You move to catch him, afraid he may be fainting, but instead he grabs a wooden stick from the ground and begins drawing furiously in the dirt at your feet. What are you doing?
His eyes are intently focused on the ground. This, this is the design that's been filling my mind for the past weeks. This is my motor here. Now watch as I reverse it. He flicks his wrist with a flourish, and you've strained to follow the lines he's furiously tracing in the dirt. Isn't it beautiful, sublime? I've solved the problem. Now I just need to build the motor and give it to the world.
I mean, it's entirely new, right? Are you sure it even can be built? Oh, it can be. I'll find a way. Don't you see? No more will men be slaves to hard tasks. My motor will set them free. It will do the work of the world. You stare down at his drawing, trying to see his vision, but you don't grasp all the details. But maybe that doesn't matter. Because one thing is certain.
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Chapter 5: What breakthrough did Tesla achieve with his AC motor design?
Your friend's eyes are blazing with a new sense of passion and purpose. In early 1882, while suffering from overwork and exhaustion, Nikola Tesla received an invitation from his friend Anthony Seghetti to take a walk in a nearby park in Budapest.
Hoping the fresh air would help him regain his strength, Tesla agreed, and it was there in the park, after months of anguish, that the detail designed for his improved electric motor came to him in an instant.
As Tesla later recalled, he spontaneously recited some of his favorite lines from the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and As I uttered these inspiring words, the idea came like a flash of lightning, and in an instant the truth was revealed. The images I saw were wonderfully sharp and clear.
What Tesla had envisioned was a fundamental redesign of how a motor could be powered by electricity. Instead of relying on the sparking, friction-prone commutators that plagued existing dynamos, his design harnessed a rotating magnetic field to induce electrical current. It was the beginning of what would become a new, more advanced and practical form of generating alternating current.
But even with a design fully mapped out in his mind, Tesla had to translate his vision into a functioning machine. With the help of his friend Seghetti, he spent the next few months in Budapest testing and refining the concept. But the experimentation was costly and time-consuming, so to make extra money, Tesla returned to work in telegraphy.
By this time, Thomas Edison's enterprise had expanded abroad, and Edison's international division was the leading commercial force in electrical power in Europe. Tesla was soon recruited to work at Edison's headquarters in Paris, and there he impressed his bosses with his understanding of electrical engineering and ability to troubleshoot complex problems.
Among those who took note of Tesla's unique intelligence was Edison's trusted assistant, Charles Batchelor. Batchelor thought Tesla was a skillful yet eccentric engineer, so paid close attention to his work. But while installing and maintaining Edison's power generators, Tesla was struck by their limitations.
Unlike alternating current, which periodically reverses direction, Edison's system used direct current, which flowed in just one direction. As a result, the power generated by direct current was limited in distance because as the electrical line stretched farther, resistance caused the power to diminish.
This meant that whenever a factory or business wanted to use electricity, a new power station needed to be built nearby, within half a mile, which added cost and time to every new installation. But Edison prided himself on direct current safety because it ran on lower voltage than alternating current.
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Chapter 6: How did Tesla's innovations differ from Edison's methods?
Is this America? It is a century behind Europe in civilization. But despite Tesla's first impression, America was entering a new era of prosperity. The country was emerging from a recent economic panic, and booming industry was creating a new wealthy class whose fortunes were tied to technology and innovation.
Tesla hoped his revolutionary design for electric power would find fertile ground in this new economy. So the day after his arrival, Tesla followed the instructions he'd received from Charles Batchelor and made his way to the Edison Electric Light Company headquarters at 65 Fifth Avenue. It was an impressive brownstone with multiple floors filled with electric chandeliers and lamps.
There was housing on the top floor for electricians in training, a workshop for new employees, and a laboratory where seasoned staff worked on refining Edison's latest inventions. And thanks to his exemplary work at the Edison Company in Paris, Tesla arrived with a reference from Charles Batchelor.
Still, he knew he had to gain the approval of the big boss himself, and it was here at the New York headquarters that he finally met Edison. The contrast between the two men was striking. Tesla was tall and dapper and spoke with a crisp European accent, while Edison, hard of hearing, shuffled through his workshop wearing a shabby coat and chomping on an unlit cigar.
Still, Tesla saw the genius in Edison and was grateful for the employment, declaring, "'I was thrilled to the marrow by meeting Edison, who began my American education right then and there.'" With Edison's approval, Tesla got to work repairing electrical systems and helping to install new lighting for the company. And almost immediately, he was called to address a crisis, too.
Imagine it's early summer 1884 in New York City. You're a renowned inventor, and you just spent another night in your workshop refining your latest prototype for electrical wiring. You're hoping the improvement will boost sales, which have been weak lately due to competition.
As usual, you instructed your assistants to remain with you in the lab to help you run through tests, and you've only allowed them to stop working when you were satisfied with the progress. Now, it's just after dawn, and you're all walking down the block from your Fifth Avenue workshop to get some breakfast. Come on, boys. Fried potatoes and coffee on me.
The cigars, though, you'll have to pay for those yourself. As you round the corner, you notice a young man walking towards you. His finely tailored coat fits snugly against his tall, slender shoulders, and his black hair is combed neatly. You recognize him as the new electrician recently arrived from Paris. Oh, hello, young man. He stops and bows respectfully. Good morning, Mr. Edison. Gentlemen?
Well, it's pretty early to be out and about. Already enjoying the New York nightlife, were you? Oh, no, sir. I was working. Is that so? Yes, on the S.S. Oregon. At the docks on the East River. It hasn't been able to leave port because the lighting system on board, the one we installed, had broken down. Oh, yeah. What a headache. Owner's been calling me nonstop. Any progress? Yes, sir.
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Chapter 7: What led to Tesla's partnership with George Westinghouse?
Ship is departing as we speak. You peer into the man's face and for the first time notice an ease and confidence in his eyes. "'Well, boys, it looks like our young Parisian here has proven his worth. Will you join us for breakfast?' "'Oh, that's very kind, sir, but I'm headed back to headquarters. I have more to accomplish today, you see.
But I was wondering, is there someone I can get to clean and shine my shoes? The work has scuffed them quite badly.' You glance down at his fashionable leather brogues, then you lift your gaze back to his face. Well, yes, there is. In fact, I'm looking at him. Oh, I'm sorry, pardon me? Young man, you're an American now. Here, we shine our own shoes and we like it.
You turn and join your assistants to head toward the cafe, but you glance over your shoulder to watch the young man leave. He's a strange character, you think, but certainly talented. You plan to keep an eye on him. Soon after his arrival in New York, Tesla impressed Edison when he successfully fixed a damaged electrical system on the ship SS Oregon.
Edison, in turn, gave Tesla some blunt advice when the new arrival asked about finding someone to shine his shoes. At first taken aback, Tesla then resolved to follow the advice of the veteran inventor, later recalling, He impressed me tremendously. I shined my shoes, and I liked it. During the summer of 1884, Tesla continued to work for Edison.
And despite growing competition, business was brisk. Edison's crews lit up the New York Stock Exchange, the New Haven Steamboat Company offices, and other prominent businesses on Wall Street. But Tesla continued to be frustrated with the limitations of direct current, including the fact that Edison's stations could only provide electricity a half mile in any direction.
By the end of the summer, despite Edison's dominance, his company had only managed to install 18 power stations in the entire country, and most of them served only densely populated areas, leaving small, rural towns completely in the dark. Tesla was convinced his AC system could deliver electricity more efficiently over greater distance and to far more people.
So as the months wore on, Tesla continued to refine his designs, eventually gathering the courage to present his idea to Edison. But Edison dismissed him. Tesla recalled that Edison responded very bluntly that he was not interested in alternating current. And he went even further, saying that there was no future to it, and anyone who dabbled in that field was wasting his time.
And besides, it was a deadly current, whereas direct current was safe. Tesla was stung by the rejection and felt that he was being misunderstood. Edison justified his commitment to his direct current system by pointing to the dangers of alternating current systems already in use, including the high-voltage AC wires that powered the bright arc lights in Manhattan.
Edison cited incidents where workers had been shocked and even killed from accidental contact with AC power. In contrast, Edison proudly pointed out that DC was a low-voltage system, and if a person touched the wires or bulbs or even the power source itself, they were unlikely to be seriously hurt.
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Chapter 8: How did Tesla's presentation at Columbia College impact his career?
But without a job, he also needed to earn money. So he took a page from Edison's American-style practicality and began working to solve a marketable problem, developing a better arc lighting system, one that addressed the flickering and noise that had made existing models so unpopular.
By March 1885, Tesla had a working model, and recognizing the need for control of his inventions, he met with an attorney to file a patent. With the help of this attorney, he also found two New Jersey businessmen willing to serve as investors, and together they created the Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing Company.
Tesla received his first patents in the spring of 1886 for an improved arc light and components for a DC generator. Then he secured a contract with the city of Rahway, New Jersey, to install his new arc lights. This venture appeared to be succeeding.
The public found the softer glow of Tesla's arc lights more attractive, and city officials liked that they were more reliable and cheaper to run than previous systems. It seemed that Tesla had a proven and marketable invention. But when Tesla pushed his investors to look beyond arc lines toward his AC motor, they had no interest.
Once the Rahway installation was complete, they simply reorganized the business to suit themselves, cutting Tesla out of the process and taking ownership of the patents he had handed over in exchange for shares that turned out to be worthless. Suddenly, Nikola Tesla was again jobless and broke.
He had been in America for two years, and despite demonstrating a knack for innovation and hard work, he had little to show for his efforts. And soon, his dream of a new electrical system would be pushed even further out of reach by a national crisis.
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