In 1869, anxious to be more than a tramp telegraph operator, Edison (Spencer Tracy) travels to New York at the prompting of an old friend, Bunt Cavatt (Lynne Overman). He goes to work for Mr. Els (Henry Travers). He tries to persuade financier Mr. Taggart (Gene Lockhart) to fund the development of his inventions, but Taggart has no interest in financing “green electrical workers”. However, General Powell (Charles Coburn), the president of Western Union, does.