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Business History

Business History

By: Pushkin Industries
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It’s the history of business. How did Hitler’s favorite car become synonymous with hippies? What got Thomas Edison tangled up with the electric chair? Did someone murder the guy who invented the movies? Former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small and find out what you can learn from those who founded them.

2026 Pushkin Industries 2025
Economics World
Episodes
  • The Battle of Fort Frick and the Anarchist Assassin
    Sep 9 2026

    Concluding our story of Andrew Carnegie's effort to break the unions at his Homestead steel factory, we look at how the plant boss Henry Clay Frick enlisted a private army of Pinkerton detectives to confront the steel workers. Gunfire erupts and there are deaths on both sides.

    The so-called battle of "Fort Frick" seems to go the way of the unions - until a young anarchist comes to town hoping to piggyback on the unrest to further his goal of sparking a revolution. He finds a way into Frick's office... and he comes armed with a pistol and a knife.

    Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    45 mins
  • Andrew Carnegie's War with his Workers
    Sep 2 2026

    In the first of two shows about the fight between the richest man and the unions at his Homestead steel plant - we look at why Andrew Carnegie decided that his workforce deserved a smaller share of his profits and the lengths he went to to cut their wages.

    Carnegie grew up in poverty and publicly proclaimed that rich moguls such as he had a duty to aid the poor - but that didn't stop him using every weapon at his disposal to crush the steel workers' union. The fight got violent - very violent - and its ripples are still being felt to this day.

    Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    40 mins
  • George Washington’s Trusted Tavern Guide: The Birth of the User Review
    Aug 26 2026

    When America’s first president set off to tour his new country, he had no idea where to stay. George Washington slept in some taverns he described as dirty and grim, but also stayed at some delightful inns. In the 1790s, there was no way for travellers to share tips on the nice places to sleep and those to avoid.

    Fast forward to today and the rise of peer-to-peer services where we book a car ride, rent a vacation home or bid in an online auction, and the same trust problem occurs. How do we know we can rely on a vendor we’ve never met? And how can we praise good customer service with a glowing recommendation? That's why the user review was created.

    Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    45 mins
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