Modern Marvels: American Steel

Its roots go back to the Ancient Egyptians, whose iron weapons helped maintain an empire that lasted three millennia. But in the 1850s, Englishmen Henry Bessemer invented a process that turned iron into steel, and the world was changed forever. MODERN MARVELS shows how this invention laid the groundwork for the industrial revolution, transforming the world, and, especially, America. The new metal and the new nation were a perfect fit, and America was reborn with a backbone of steel. It became the foundation of the corporate empires of Carnegie and Morgan; skyscrapers with skeletons of steel scraped the heavens; steel rails, trains, ships, planes, and automobiles built a transportation network unmatched in the world. Here, incredible footage goes inside the largest steel works to show how the vital metal is created. Experts detail the forces that led to the decline of American steel in the '60s and '70s. And see how the industry has rebounded in the '90s with new technology and innovative leadership.