John Henry

John Henry, a former slave, joins a railroad crew and it isn't long before his great physical strength makes him a legend as a "steeldriver." The crew has been promised land in exchange for helping push the railroads westward, but then the company buys a steam-powered hammer to do the work instead. To save his job and the jobs of the other men, John Henry challenges the owner to a contest: Henry will race the steam-powered hammer.