The Men Who Built America

Documentary

Influential builders, dreamers and believers whose feats transformed the United States, a nation decaying from the inside after the Civil War, into the greatest economic and technological superpower the world had ever seen. The Men Who Built America is the story of a nation at the crossroads and of the people who catapulted it to prosperity.

Watch Now Back to Catalog

Episodes & Seasons

Browse episodes by season for this series.

Season 1

4 Episodes

EP 01

01.A New War Begins

2h★ 5.5

2012-10-16

01.A New War Begins

2h★ 5.5

Aired 2012-10-16

As the nation attempts to rebuild following the destruction of the Civil War, Cornelius Vanderbilt is the first to see the need for unity to regain America’s stature in the world. He sells his shipping empire to invest everything in the railroads, knowing they’re the best chance for uniting East and West as never before.

Watch Episode

EP 02

02.Bloody Battles

2h★ 7.7

2012-10-23

02.Bloody Battles

2h★ 7.7

Aired 2012-10-23

As it recovers from the Civil War, America undertakes the largest building phase of the country's history. While much of the growth is driven by railroads and oil, it's built using steel.

Watch Episode

EP 03

03.Changing the Game

2h★ 7.7

2012-10-30

03.Changing the Game

2h★ 7.7

Aired 2012-10-30

The steel and oil have forever changed the face of America, but they are just the beginning. JP Morgan arrives on the scene and expedites growth through finance.

Watch Episode

EP 04