Edison vs. Tesla | Work of the World | 2

Edison vs. Tesla | Work of the World | 2

From American History Tellers by Audible

May 13, 2026 · 41 min · Season 96 · Episode 2

About this episode

The episode explores the rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison as Tesla arrives in America and begins working for Edison.

In the spring of 1884, a little-known Serbian immigrant named Nikola Tesla arrived in America with little more than a letter of introduction to the most famous inventor in the world – Thomas Edison. Tesla went to work for Edison, impressing his new employer with his intelligence and work ethic. But the two men were too different, too stubborn, and too convinced of their own vision to coexist for long. Tesla would break away, determined to prove that his own approach to electricity – a system run on alternating current – was superior to everything Edison had built. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Topics covered

  • invention
  • electricity
  • rivalry
  • history
  • innovation

Keywords

  • Nikola Tesla
  • Thomas Edison
  • alternating current
  • invention
  • electricity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Audible

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