Explore the differences between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) electricity, and learn how scientist Nikola Tesla’s experiments led him to create the first efficient AC motor, in this video adapted from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: Tesla. When Tesla arrived in New York City from Croatia in 1884, the world’s first electrical grid ran through a section of the city. But the DC electricity it carried couldn’t power bulbs, motors, or other equipment located far from its generator. Tesla’s invention of a motor that could be used to generate AC electricity, which could be transmitted longer distances, would transform daily life in the 20th century. This resource is part of the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Collection.