Harden Elkington
The telegraph is a system for sending messages to people over long distances by means of coded signals, usually via radio waves.
The electric telegraph, which was invented in the mid-nineteenth century and remained the primary method of wire transmission of printed data for more than 100 years, is the most well-known form of the telegraph.
It used electrical impulses and magnetic (and later, electrical) devices to transmit and receive messages.
Today we’re going to talk about the invention of the telegraph that changed the technological world forever.
The inventor of the telegraph
The first working device that could be considered a means of sending telegraphic signals was built by an Italian named Giuseppe Martucci in 1857.
However, this device was not actually used to send messages, but rather to play music.
It was in 1837 that the first successful telegraphic transmission took place when American inventor Samuel Morse sent a message from Washington D.C. to Baltimore.
Morse’s telegraph used an electric current to represent dots and dashes (the Morse code) which could be sent over a wire. This was a great improvement on the previous methods of communication, which relied on messengers or pigeons.
Morse’s telegraph was quickly adopted by governments and businesses all over the world and it soon became the primary means of transmitting printed data.
The first trans-Atlantic cable was laid in 1858 and by the end of the nineteenth century, the telegraph had become a global phenomenon.
Signal Systems in the Past
Signaling systems that allowed people to communicate over distances have been around for a long time. The most common were visual or “semaphore” systems utilizing flags or lights.
In the 18th century, signal systems included an observer who decoded a signal from a high tower on a distant hill before forwarding it to the next station.
In 1792, the young American republic offered a $30,000 prize for the development of a practical telegraph system along its entire Atlantic seaboard.
The word “telegraph,” which was used to describe this visible semaphore system, may have been intended by the framers as simply another method of communication.
In 1808, a Frenchman named Claude Chappe built a semaphore system between Paris and Lille.
Within the next two decades, it had been installed on most of France’s highways and major cities.
The birth of electric telegraphy
The first electric telegraph was built by William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone in 1837.
It was based on the work of two other inventors, Michael Faraday and Andre-Marie Ampere.
The Cooke and Wheatstone telegraph used an electric current to represent dots and dashes (the Morse code) which could be sent over a wire.
This was a great improvement on the previous methods of communication, which relied on messengers or pigeons.
Morse’s telegraph was quickly adopted by governments and businesses all over the world and it soon became the primary means of transmitting printed data.
The first trans-Atlantic cable was laid in 1858 and by the end of the nineteenth century, the telegraph had become a global phenomenon.
Development of the telegraph industry
After the electric telegraph was invented, more and more people began to use it.
The business world especially found the telegraph very useful because they could expand their communication service all over the country.
Telegraph companies soon sprang up everywhere, offering their own variant on Morse’s original device. For example, Andrew Jackson of New York created his own version of the telegraph in 1844.
The following year, Samuel Morse patented his version of an electromagnetic telegraph and began to sell licenses for its use.
The first news wire service was created by William Reid in 1846 when he established a “pony express” telegraph line between New York City and Boston. Before this, the only way to get news from one city to another was to send a messenger.
In 1849, the first transcontinental telegraph line was completed, linking California with the East Coast of the United States. This allowed people in different parts of the country to communicate with each other for the first time.
The telegraph and the Civil War
During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the telegraph was used extensively by both the Union and Confederate armies.
The Union army used the telegraph to relay messages between its generals and to coordinate its troop movements.
The Confederate army, which was at a disadvantage because it did not have as many telegraph lines, used the telegraph to communicate with its commanders.
The telegraph also played an important role in the Battle of Gettysburg (1863).
During this decisive battle, Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee successfully invaded Northern territory for the second time.
The Union army was able to defeat General Lee’s troops and turn them away from Washington D.C..
Largely because of the telegraph, the Union army was able to win the Civil War.
- See also: How was telephone invented
- See also: How was TV invented
The rise and fall of the telegraph
The electric telegraph remained the primary means of wire transmission of printed data for more than 100 years.
However, with the invention of the telephone and then the internet, it gradually became obsolete.
By the 1960s it had all but disappeared, though somewhat ironically Morse code remains in use today for certain types of radio communication (including by ships).
The telegraph was one of the first inventions to make long-distance communication accessible to everyone and its invention ushered in an era when communication became almost instantaneous.
Alongside countless other inventions, like the telephone or the computer, the telegraph has improved people’s lives immeasurably.
The invention of this amazing device is marked today by National Telegrapher Day which takes place on April 27th every year. This day celebrates the lasting legacy of the telegraph and its impact on society.
Conclusion
The electric telegraph was one of the most important inventions of the nineteenth century.
It revolutionized communication, making it possible for people to communicate with each other instantly over long distances. The telegraph played a decisive role in the American Civil War and its invention has had a lasting impact on society.
National Telegrapher Day celebrates the legacy of the telegraph and its inventors.
Today, this marvelous device has mostly been replaced by other technologies such as the telephone or the internet.
However, Morse code is still used for radio communication in certain circumstances.
