AllMovie

Experience the growing pains of America's westward expansion through vivid period accounts, view the legends of the wide open frontier though the eyes of an engineer, and examine the devastation of the West's technological disasters thought rare photos in this documentary that offers a unique look at the tales and traditions of a pivotal time on our country's history. Before they could realize their Manifest Destiny, early Americans realized there were rivers that needed taming and mountains that needed blasting. In order to accomplish these lofty goals, the engineers of the time always needed to have the most up to date tools. Even then, it wasn't long before technology began to present its own series of challenges, forcing engineers to learn some particularly hard lessons though a series of monumental disasters. Looking back, we can finally see how man's stupidity, folly, and pride resulted in catastrophes that made the Wild West one of the most dangerous places on the planet.