Edison And The Electric Chair

Author of the new book, Edison & the Electric Chair: A Story of Light and Death, Mark Essig joins Guest Host Patt Morrison to discuss the race to define which electric current would take hold in America: alternating or direct currents. The inventors Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse backed direct and alternating currents respectively, each wanting theirs to be the one used to power America. The battle came to a head over the current used for the new, "humane" way to execute criminals--the electric chair. Edison powered the electric chair with alternating current, thinking that people would see how dangerous it was and use his direct current to power their homes . . . but that is not what happened. We use alternating current today. Join the conversation to find out why.