Americans conquer a new frontier: the modern city, with Carnegie's empire of steel as its backbone. Skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty are symbols of the American Dream for millions of immigrants. The discovery of oil is a boom to industry; Henry Ford puts America on the road. Urban life introduces a new breed of social ills. Prohibition fuels the growth of organized crime.

Boom turns to bust when the stock market crashes. The Great Depression and the dust bowl blanket the nation in darkness. Roosevelt's New Deal signals recovery. Hope for the American future collides with world conflict; the attack on Pearl Harbor brings war. American innovation and manufacturing might invigorate the Allies in Europe. In the Pacific, the ultimate piece of technology ends the war; a new global superpower takes the stage.