history day

Today I'm gunna write something educational! yay? maybe.. Read it and weep!

Edison Vs Tesla The war on currents
By: Nadia M luis

It’s the late 1880; There are numerous cities lit, only to reveal a giant spider web of wire. Some have even fallen on people and killed them. While there was light to see and power to power the ideas of many others, there too was a heavy price to pay. Edison’s direct current method was not very good. The copper wires that were used were always melting or falling; Edison’s direct current also did not produce enough power so the lights were always dim.
In 1884 when the new mad scientist came into town, arriving with only 4 cents in his pocket. He quickly found a job, working for Tomas Edison. A man Tesla knew very little about, but what he did know about him he disagreed upon. They were a clash; the biggest clash to have ever been recorded.
But that did not stop Tesla from working for him. When Tesla was still new to Edison’s lab he told Edison that he would like to improve upon his dc system. Of course Tesla already had a design idea for another current motor, Edison knew and cared little Tesla’s idea. However Edison offered him a heavy reward if he could improve his electric system. Thinking it would be an impossible task; Or as he called it later “ an American joke.”.
Soon after Tesla reported back saying he had completed the task. And Edison being a cheap sake, told him “ It was just an American joke.” and Tesla quite right after and did not leave anything that was his behind.
A year later or so, a young man named George Westinghouse noticed Tesla’s idea , and offered to purchase his alternating current system idea. Tesla when along with the trade and built a lab with his new found wealth.
Even though Tesla alternating current system was a much better idea, people still had a hard time accepting it. And Edison’s Direct current lived on. Although once it started to attract attention Edison quickly took to dirty play. His first attempt was when he has stolen a little AC motor and showed to the world; he compared it to his own DC and described it “Direct current is like a river flowing peacefully to sea, while alternating current is like a torrent rushing violently over a precipice.”
Which couldn’t have been farther from the truth. He other attempt involved trying to show the average person that AC was dangerous by electrocuting animals like stray dog’s and cat’s, along with animals that farmer didn’t want. But his most remembered attempt to deface Westinghouse was when he built the first electric chair. He asked the prison for a subject and got a axe murderer who was sentenced to death. The sight was describe as atrocious.
While Edison had won the battles he had not one the war and there was still one more chance for Westinghouse to win. The fair.
Edison offered to do it for $1 million to power fair. He’s demonstration of the setup was a dark, heavy, dangerous web of copper wire. While Westinghouse offered to power the fair at half the price (including the lack of the web) it an easy accomplishment for Alternating current and that’s when alternating current won the trust of the commoners. Shortly there after the U.S started ordering stuff in ac.

Sources: http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ll/ll_warcur.html, http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/dept/Courses/E-24/E-24Projects/MariaChang/The_War_of_Currents/The_War_of_Currents.htm, http://staff.fcps.net/rroyster/war.htm, http://gizmodo.com/5479595/nikolas-letterhead-and-how-tesla-won-the-war-of-the-currents, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1387799/nikola_tesla_thomas_edison_and_the.html, http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96jul/tesla.html,

나디아 out! thanks for reading! hope you learned something! ;)