The film is organized in four chronological sections. On the political front, anarchists murder Empress Elizabeth of Austria, the President of France, and the Premier of Spain. It is rumored that there are plots to kill the head of state of every Western country.
Trains allow citizens to vacation in any part of the country.
Household electricity and indoor plumbing revolutionize the way people live. New inventions include movie projectors, electric fans, phonographs, light bulbs, automobiles, and telephones. Americans believe that these inventions will make them smarter, happier, and healthier. San Francisco is regarded as one of the most modern cities and change is evident everywhere. The new technology brings new jobs as well as an increase in population.