La guerra de las corrientes fue una batalla entre Thomas Edison y Nikola Tesla

Cuando escuchamos acerca de la historia de la electricidad, pensamos en dos grandes

ingenieros Alba Thomas Edison y Nikola Tesla, aunque los recordados por sus grandes
descubrimientos e invenciones (que en especial dio Tesla), que cambiaron o hicieron el
mundo que es hoy, pero tambin podemos recordar la batalla que enfrentaron estas dos, por
un lado es el de mantener el poder de la industria y por el otro lado el de dar a conocer el
gran poder del desarrollo tecnolgico.
Todo empez con la llegada de Tesla a Estados Unidos en 1884 con 28 aos despus de
trabajar en compaas elctricas y telefnicas europeas para trabajar junto a Edison.
Sus ideas eran brillantes pero necesitaba el apoyo de Edison para llevar a cabo el desarrollo
de la corriente alterna. Edison vio claramente el futuro de esta nueva tecnologa pero haba
invertido tanto dinero en el desarrollo de la corriente continua, que se negaba a darle la
razn a Tesla.
Despus de casi un ao en el que Tesla proporcion patentes a Edison, Edison decide no
pagarle los 50.000 dlares prometidos, al principio alegando que se trataba de una broma
adems de negarle un aumento del sueldo, por lo que Tesla decidi renunciar
Rpidamente Tesla vendi sus patentes al inventor y empresario George Westinghouse, que
comenz a vender la corriente alterna por tanto Edison lo vio como amenaza.
Westinghouse tena algunas instalaciones elctricas que eran muy peligrosas, lo cual llevo a
desgraciados accidentes. Edison aprovecho los medios de comunicacin y confundi a la
opinin pblica que desconoca los principios fundamentales de la nueva electricidad, lo
cual alarmaron a la poblacin.
Entonces trabajadores de Edison promovieron la idea de que la corriente alterna es
destructiva, lo demostraron matando por choques elctricos a perros, caballos elefantes e
incluso a un humano.

En 1893 en la Feria Mundial de Chicago. Las empresas que quisieran hacerse cargo de la
iluminacin tenan que presentar sus propuestas. Se presentaron dos: Westinghouse, con las
patentes de Tesla, y General Electric, recin creada quien tena las patentes de Edison.

Cuando Westinghouse present un presupuesto por la mitad de lo que peda General

Electric, la obra le fue adjudicada, y Tesla pudo exhibir sus generadores, dnamos y
motores.

El 1 de Mayo de 1893, el presidente estadounidense Stephen Grover Cleveland encendi

100.000 bombillas alimentadas bsicamente con corriente alterna y esto fue la clara derrota
de la General Electric o de Edison.

The War of the Currents was a battle between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla
When we hear about the history of electricity, we think of two great engineers Alba Thomas
Edison and Nikola Tesla, though those who are remembered for their great discoveries and
inventions (especially Tesla), who changed or made the world that is today, but We can also
remember the battle that these two faced, on the one hand is to maintain the power of
industry and on the other hand to make known the great power of technological
development.
It all began with Tesla's arrival in the United States in 1884, 28 years after working at
European electric and telephone companies to work with Edison.
His ideas were brilliant but he needed Edison's support to carry out the development of the
alternating current. Edison saw clearly the future of this new technology but had invested
so much money in the development of the direct current, that it refused to give the reason to
Tesla.
After almost a year in which Tesla provided patents to Edison, Edison decides not to pay
him the promised $ 50,000, at first claiming that it was a joke in addition to denying him an
increase in salary, so Tesla decided to resign
Tesla quickly sold his patents to inventor and entrepreneur George Westinghouse, who
started selling AC power, so Edison saw it as a threat.
Westinghouse had some electrical installations that were very dangerous, which led to
unfortunate accidents. Edison took advantage of the media and confused public opinion that
ignored the fundamental principles of new electricity, which alarmed the population.
Then Edison's workers promoted the idea that the alternating current is destructive, they
demonstrated it by killing by electric shocks to dogs, elephant horses and even a human.
In 1893 at the Chicago World's Fair. Companies that wanted to take charge of lighting had
to present their proposals. Two were presented: Westinghouse, with the patents of Tesla,
and General Electric, newly created who had the patents of Edison.
When Westinghouse submitted a budget for half of what General Electric requested, the
work was awarded to him, and Tesla was able to display its generators, dynamos and
engines.

On May 1, 1893, US President Stephen Grover Cleveland fired 100,000 AC-powered light
bulbs and this was the clear defeat of General Electric or Edison.