Cloth-making, America's first developed industry, helped weave freedom from England; now, it's on the economic endangered list with threats from international competition. We chronicle the birth of the U.S. textiles industry; creation of Lowell, Massachusetts, our first industrial city; labor unrest; and possible future.

This celebration of American industry assays the metal that built modern America--from small early ironworks to massive steel-producing Pittsburgh. We'll see Carnegie make his millions, the birth of U.S. Steel, and the fight for survival amidst intense international competition.

From Pilgrim brew masters to early commercial ventures to today's monolithic corporations, we'll imbibe American beer's long history, focusing on the commercial brewing industry that developed in the 19th century and continues to today. We'll also taste social experiments from the past, like the Temperance Movement and Prohibition, to see how they left scars on the industry and continue to influence sobriety today.

Boasting outstanding footage of both historic and modern coal-mining operations, this episode focuses on one of the most dangerous jobs ever undertaken by man and examines American coal miners' struggle for economic fairness while fueling the country's industrial engine.

Focuses on shipbuilders' response to the demands of WWII. Combining rare National Archives' footage with photography shot on vintage ships, we'll see how industrialists transformed the nation's shipyards into mass production facilities in a matter of months.

Ranging across the continent during the 19th and 20th centuries, their work made building the nation possible. Pioneering lumberjacks led the way for the timber industry as businessmen saw that fortunes could be made. Fabulous footage from the 1920s and '30s and modern lumberjack competitions show the spirit of these timber titans.

Flight was born in America at the turn of the century. But WWII saw more planes built in a single year--300,000--than had been built in the previous 40. Modern shots of restored aircraft, historic footage ranging from factory floors to dogfights, and interviews with pilots and designers recapture the aviation industry's finest hour.

When Columbus arrived in the New World, he found natives smoking a dried leaf. Touted for its medicinal benefits, the plant became America's first cash crop and gave birth to numerous fortunes. We'll study this controversial U.S. industry, interviewing historians and industry leaders, and see if where there's smoke, there's fire!