In 1870, the family immigrated to Ontario, Canada. One year later, Alexander became a teacher of the deaf in New England. At this time he used his father's system of speech notation. Then, in 1873 he became a professor of speech and vocal physiology at Boston University. While at Boston University he began experimenting with sound and hearing devices. Alexander developed a device that sent several telegraphic messages at one time in different frequencies over a single wire. At the same time, he was also experimenting with the graphic recording of sound waves. In 1874, Alexander combined the two ideas and the telephone evolved.

Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland on November 25, 1865. While growing up in Scotland Andrew did not attend school. However, his family encouraged him to read and learn. At the time, his father worked as a weaver. Then in 1848 his family moved to Allegheny, Pennsylvania. At the age of 13 Andrew went to work in a factory for $1.20 a week. Soon afterward he found a job for more money working as a telegraph messenger. In 1853, he was promoted to the position of telegraph operator. Andrew next took a job at the Pennsylvania Railroad where he worked as the assistant to Thomas Scott. While working for Scott, Andrew learned extensively about the world of business. Just 3 years later he was elevated to the position of superintendent. At this time, Carnegie began making investments, mostly in oil, and before long he was financially independent enough that he quit his job. Andrew soon focused on his other investments, especially the Keystone Bridge Company.

Eli Whitney was born on December 8, 1765 in Westborough, Massachusetts. He grew up on a farm. As a young man Eli helped his father operate a shop that manufactured nails for the American Revolution. The shop utilized an invention that Eli created himself.

Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, in Dearborn, Michigan. From early childhood he loved working with machinery. As a child, his father gave him a pocket watch and the first thing he did was take it apart and reassemble it. Before long he was repairing watches for all of his friends and family. When Henry was only 16, he began working as a machinist in Detroit. After returning to the family farm in 1882 Henry became interested in steam engines. Before long he was working for Westinghouse servicing steam engines. Then in 1891 Henry went to work for the Edison Illuminating Company as an engineer. Eventually he would become their chief engineer. The new job would leave him enough free time to pursue his interest in the internal combustion engine. At this time Henry was spending his evenings working on the development of engines. He constructed his first car in 1896. Soon afterwards Henry constructed a series of successful racing cars.

John Rockefeller started his business career in 1855 at the age of 16, when he was hired by a commission house called Hewitt and Tuttle. They paid him 50 cents a day. Then, in 1859 John started a produce business. In just four years he made enough money to constructed an oil refinery in Cleveland. At the time whale oil was very popular, but it had become very expensive, leading to the need for a cheaper lighter oil. John's new company was called Clark and Rockefeller. One of his primary partners was a chemist named Samuel Andrews. John bought out the Clark family in 1865 for $72,000. The deal would later be called the most important move of his career.

Leland Stanford was born on March 9, 1824 in Watervliet, New York. His father Josiah was a farmer. His mother Elizabeth had eight children. Leland attended public schools until 1836. At that time he was home schooled. He next attended Clinton Liberal Institute before studying law at the Cazenovia Seminary. In 1845 Stanford began working for the law firm Wheaton, Doolittle, and Hadley in Albany, New York. Shortly after passing the bar he moved to Port Washington, Wisconsin, where he began practicing law with his partner Wesley Pierce. In 1850 he married Jane Elizabeth Lathrop. They would have one child, Leland Jr.

In 1889, Wilbur and Orville started a newspaper called the West Side News. Before long, the entire nation became interested in bicycles. Three years later, the Wright brothers opened a bicycle shop where they created and sold their own designs. At the time, the Wrights were still very interested in aerodynamics, and they were especially interested in the work of German aeronautical researcher Otto Lilienthal. After Lilienthal died in a glider accident in 1896, the Wright brothers decided to conduct their own experiments at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, on February 11, 1847. His mother Nancy was a school teacher, and his father Samuel was a shopkeeper. As a child Thomas attended public school for 12 weeks until his teacher complained that he was always distracted. As a result he was home-schooled by his mother. At the age of 12 he began selling newspapers, candy, and sandwiches at a local train station. Then when Thomas was 15 years old he miraculously saved a little boy from being run over by a rail car. As a result, the boys father, who was a telegrapher, taught young Thomas how to telegraph. Young Edison worked for the next 6 years in towns all over the Midwest. During this time, he became interested in making telegraphy work easier and faster. In 1866, at the age of 19, Edison went to work for the Associated Press. At the same time he also began reading about British scientist Michael Faraday and his work with electricity and magnetism. In 1869, Edison moved to Boston to work as a full time inventor.