Hello, American history teller listeners. I have an exciting announcement. I'm going on tour and coming to a theater near you.

This live show is a thrilling evening of history, storytelling, and music with a full band accompanying me as we look back to explore the days that made America.

And they aren't the days that you might think. Sure, everyone knows July 4th, 1776. We'll be hearing a lot about that date this year,

but there are many other days that are maybe even more influential. So come out to see me

live. More shows to be announced soon. So for information on tickets and upcoming dates,

go to American History Live.com. That's American History Live.com. Come see my Days That Made America tour, live on stage.

Go to American History Live.com.

Imagine it's late November 1886 in Buffalo, New York. You're a local grain trader, and you

usually work long hours managing your business. It's early evening now, and you should be

still in your office reviewing the details of your latest shipments, but as darkness fell,

you found yourself straining to see your account books in the dim gaslight, so you gave up. Instead,

you've joined your friend from the City Council to marvel at Buffalo's latest attraction,

the newly electrified four-story department store on Main Street. You gape at the dazzling display

of electric lights illuminating the inside of the building. Well, now isn't that something? Sure makes a

store look beautiful. I'll say, and not only that, it's a sign of our city's growth. Tells the

world that Buffalo is open for business, you know. That Mr. Edison certainly is a genius. His

lights are astounding. Oh, this isn't Edison's work. You turn to your friend confused. What do you mean? Well, this may look like Edison, but it's not. In fact, it's better. Better, how's it better? Everyone knows Edison is the genius behind electric lighting. I've heard there are nearly 500 bulbs in that display. Who else could it be? Well, Edison may be a genius, even a wizard, as they say, but the lights you see before you were not manufactured by him. I know this.

They are courtesy of George Westinghouse. That tycoon from Pittsburgh? That's the one.

It's not just railroads he's invested in. From what I've heard, these lights are part of a much bigger endeavor of his.

He's developing some new way to

generate electricity. They say better than Edison's. No, come on, Edison's been at this a long time.

What does Westinghouse know about electricity? Well, more than you think. I've been reading about

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