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 witness to the aftermath.

<p>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&rsquo; pensions and health benefits. In this episode, we examine how the empire collapsed, and we bear witness to the aftermath.</p>

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.

<p>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. &nbsp;It&rsquo;s the story of American steel.</p>

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