Plot Synopsis

THE MEN WHO BUILT AMERICA chronicles how five self-made men transformed the United States into a global superpower in a span of just 50 years, and how they affected the lives of every person in the world. After the Civil War and in the period leading up to World War I, these men saw opportunities where no one else had and they turned their dreams into reality, while showing that hard work, dedication and ingenuity can make lives better. These five visionaries are: Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was one of the first to see how railroads could change how goods are shipped, creating the model for our modern railroads; Andrew Carnegie, who created the process for mass-producing steel, allowing large buildings to become a reality; John D. Rockefeller, who discovered a way to refine oil that set the worldwide standard; J.P. Morgan, who created the modern financial system; and Henry Ford, who made the car accessible to the masses. The series tells these stories of the American Dream from the point of view of these five charismatic individuals, while showing how an assortment of other iconic Americans -- like Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and Mark Twain -- played supporting and, at times, unlikely roles. Plus, modern day business giants contribute their own perspectives, including innovators like Steve Case, Mark Cuban, Donny Deutsch, Carly Fiorina, Alan Greenspan, Dick Parsons, Ron Perelman, T. Boone Pickens, Charles Schwab, Jack Welch and Steve Wozniak.