The Men Who Built America is a documentary series that traces the careers of industrialists such as Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, J P Morgan and Ford. Using dramatised scenes and expert commentary it shows how their strategies, rivalries and innovations shaped modern American industry and finance.
Use in class
The series is very useful for teaching business history, strategy and leadership. It lets students compare different growth logics including horizontal integration, vertical integration and financial engineering, while also addressing labour relations, philanthropy and the emergence of regulation.
Trailer
