American Experience - Season 17 - Eps 7: The Great Transatlantic Cable
Cyrus Field's struggle to lay telegraph cables across the Atlantic in the 1850s and '60s is chronicled. When Field finally succeeded, in 1866, it marked "the annihilation of space and time," says historian David Czitrom. But the 13-year effort -- recalled here in re-creations and comments from historians and engineers -- included many false starts and one spectacular failure. Still, says Czitrom, "he never let up."
About American Experience
Title: American Experience
First Air Date: 1988-10-04
Last Air Date: 2025-03-31
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 7.4/10 (from 36 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 38
Total Episodes: 397
Network: PBS
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: GBH
Synopsis
TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.
