The Telegraph

The Telegraph

Throughout history the need for fast and efficient communication has always been a priority for various cultures of civilizations across the globe. The reason communication is such a vital aspect of our lives is because people depend on one another and need a means to communicate over a specific distance. One of the most effective means of communication between societies was the telegraph. This was used in the United States in the mid 1800s.

The telegraph, which was developed in the 1830s by Samuel Morse, made long distance communication much more efficient. The telegraph worked by transmitting an electrical signal through a wire that was put between stations. Along with inventing the telegraph, Morse also invented the code that would be sent from between stations. This code was called Morse Code and consisted of different combinations of dots and dashed that corresponded to a specific letter of the English alphabet. This code made transmission and translation very simple for those that worked at the stations.

Once invented and presented to the public, the telegraph hit the ground running. The first successful transmission by Morse was sent in 1844 and just 12 years later in 1866 the telegraph made a successful transmission across the Atlantic. The telegraph also provided a foundation for large corporations, such as Western Union, to be founded. The Western Union Telegraph Company used this new means of communication to create telegraph stations across the continental United States.

The telegraph, along with every other significant piece of information technology, did not only improve communication but also society, the economy, etc. Since the telegraph proved to be an effective means of communication, more and more companies wanted to use it therefore creating more jobs and interconnecting different people throughout the country. Also, more workers were needed to lay the wire between stations so the telegraph had a medium to communicate. The adaption of information technology has always had an impact on society as a whole, not just communication. The telegraph is a prime example of this, as it not only connected a country but the globe.

During the time of the introduction of the telegraph, the United States was expanding West or reaching a manifest destiny and needed to be connected. At the time, the means to communicate between the East and West coasts was the Pony Express, which was more effective than previous methods but still slow. At best, the Pony Express would send a message across the nation in 4 days, which was too slow to keep up with the demands of a growing nation. 18 months after its introduction, the Pony Express was replaced by the telegraph. The only problem with the telegraph at first was its cost. The telegraph was relatively expensive compared to the Pony Express but the benefits outweighed the setbacks.

Information technology is not the same across cultures as each group or civilization uses it differently. In the United State’s case, the telegraph was used as a means to help the country expand and come together. The United States was not only able to communicate effectively across the nation but also across the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, the telegraph provided a means for the United States to grow as a nation and also as a world power. The fact that all of this happened within 12 years after the first successful transmission shows the severity of the impact made by a major piece of information technology.

 

http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/telegraph

 

http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=324