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American Experience

The Triumph of Alternating Current from Tesla

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Direct current required thousands of little power plants at every mile, while alternating current allowed one source to power a much larger area. Alternating current transformed daily life in the 20th century, and made Tesla famous.

Aired: 10/18/16 | Rating: NR

Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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The Chinese Six Companies

On May 28, 1900, San Francisco policemen formed a perimeter around Chinatown as officials diagnosed bubonic plague in the neighborhood and wanted to quarantine the nearly 20,000 residents. As tensions flared, an influential group of merchants known as the Chinese Six Companies sprang into action.

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