Sparrows Point: An American Steel Story
Sparrows Point: An American Steel Story
In 1887, it was an isolated stretch of marshland on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay. By 1958, it was the biggest steel mill in the world. It went bankrupt in 2001. And by 2015, it was a pile of demolished rubble. Sparrows Point is a story of capitalism, labor unions, race, gender, civil rights, pride, and hubris. It’s the story of American steel.
If History Is Our Guide
What does the story of Sparrows Point have to teach us today? What lessons are worth remembering as we look ahead to an uncertain economic future? This episode, we look the shift from manufacturing to distribution jobs, the decline of unions, and the pitfalls of nostalgia.
36:13
The Writing On The Wall
By the mid-20 century, Bethlehem Steel was the biggest steel company in the US. It was an industrial giant that seemed too powerful to fail. But in 2001, it declared bankruptcy, decimating retirees’ pensions and health benefits. In this episode, we examine how the empire collapsed, and we bear witn…
34:44
Bonus Episode: What Didn't Get Said
Back in the third episode of this series (Hard Fought Negotiations), we introduced you to Eddie Bartee, Jr. and after he heard the episode, he got in back in touch to share some feedback. In this bonus episode, we hop on the phone with Mr. Bartee for a candid conversation about what’s been said – a…
20:17
Women of Steel
In the 1970s, Bethlehem Steel was forced by a federal consent decree to start hiring women in all operational departments, and at Sparrows Point, a brave generation of female steelworkers first walked through the doors. They stepped into a work environment that was crass, sexist, and often openly h…
40:48
Hard-Fought Negotiations
A unionized workforce was never part of the original plan at Sparrows Point. Neither was racial equity. Workers were meant to be cogs in a machine, and black workers got channeled into the hottest, dirtiest, and lowest-paying jobs. It took until World War II before the plant was unionized, and it t…
33:02
The City In The Marshes
How did a swampy peninsula on the Patapsco River get picked as the site for a revolutionary, state-of-the-art steel mill? What was it like to live and work in a self-contained company town? Did Bethlehem Steel help the Allies win World War II? And, by the way, just how complicated is it to make ste…
38:07
Smoke, Noise, Steam, and Heat
From the labor gang to the blast furnace, the open hearth to the shipyard, the plate mill to the 68 hot strip mill, what was it like to walk into Sparrows Point and do a day’s work? Some say it was an adventure. Some say it was like fighting a fire. And some say it was like going to war. This episo…
40:07
Sparrows Point: An American Steel Story Trailer
Sparrows Point is a story of capitalism, labor unions, race, gender, civil rights, pride, and hubris. It’s the story of American steel. Check out this trailer and what's in store in the upcoming series.
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