American Experience Season 17 Episode 7 The Great Transatlantic Cable

In season 17 episode 7 of American Experience, titled "The Great Transatlantic Cable," viewers are taken back in time to the mid-1800s when communication between Europe and North America was slow and unreliable, with messages often taking weeks or even months to be transmitted across the ocean. The episode explores the pioneering efforts of individuals such as Cyrus Field, who had a vision of laying a telegraph cable beneath the Atlantic Ocean to establish near-instant communication between the two continents.

Through archival footage, interviews with experts, and dramatic reenactments, "The Great Transatlantic Cable" tells the story of the Herculean effort to design, build, and lay the cable, a process that took years and was beset by numerous setbacks and obstacles. Many saw the project as impossible, and it was plagued by financial difficulties, technical challenges, and political wrangling on both sides of the Atlantic. Some even compared it to the mythical task of Sisyphus, condemned to push a boulder up a hill only to have it roll down again.

Despite these challenges, Field and his team persevered, securing funding and partnerships with companies in both England and the United States, as well as navigational expertise from the likes of Matthew Fontaine Maury. The cable itself was a marvel of engineering, consisting of thousands of miles of copper wire insulated with specially designed gutta-percha, a rubber-like substance derived from the sap of a Malaysian tree. The cable was coiled into massive drums and loaded onto specially designed ships, which set off across the ocean to lay the cable along the seafloor.

The challenges of laying the cable were immense, and the episode explores in detail the various setbacks that plagued the process, from snapped cables and tangled lines to equipment failures and storms at sea. Despite these setbacks, Field and his team pressed on, and after multiple attempts, they were finally able to lay the cable from Ireland to Newfoundland in 1866. The episode vividly captures the excitement and anticipation of the moment when the first message was transmitted across the ocean, linking heads of state in London and Washington, D.C. in a matter of seconds.

"The Great Transatlantic Cable" is a fascinating look at a crucial moment in the history of communication and technology, and a testament to the human drive to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. Through the lens of this remarkable project, viewers gain a new appreciation for the ingenuity, perseverance, and vision of the individuals who helped shape the modern world.