The Empire Builder

History Series / 1 Season

Exploring the remarkable life and legacy of Canadian born entrepreneur James J. Hill, who built a transportation empire that began with the monumental construction of his transcontinental railway and extended to shipping lines across the Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean.

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Episode 1

S1 E1 / 55m 59s / TV-PG

17 year old Canadian immigrant James J. Hill immerses himself in the Mississippi River trade and within ten years, starts his first business. An opportunity strikes when the St. Paul and Pacific Railway goes bankrupt for the third time. Hill convinces a group of associates to make a play for the railroad.

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Episode 2

S1 E2 / 1h 2m / TV-PG

Hill takes the biggest gamble of his career. He decides to build west, despite existing transcontinental lines to the north and south. To get there, he must cross two mountain ranges, lay hundreds of miles of track, and convince Congress to gain access to Indian territory.

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Episode 3

S1 E3 / 58m 19s / TV-PG

Hill faces striking workers and Union President Eugene Debs. With the help of JP Morgan, Hill adds the Northern Pacific to his empire. However, the fight for control of the Northern Pacific sends Wall Street into a financial tailspin. A young President, Theodore Roosevelt, seeks to curtail Hill's power .

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Episode 4

S1 E4 / 1h 7m / TV-PG

James J. Hill turns Seattle into an international port by opening up trade with Asia. Encouraged by GN agents, immigrants from Europe settled in MT and ND. Hill expands into Oregon, facing railroad E.H. Harriman in "The Last of the Great Railroad Wars." Hill's son, Louis, takes the reins of the Great Northern and develops Glacier National Park. Hill backs environmental conservation.

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