In my time in this class learning about Information technology I have come to understand exactly how important this study is to truly understand where the Human Race came from and why we have developed the way we have so far. By looking back through my artifacts, I have noticed that some of our most important cultural developments occurred relatively early in the development of Information technology. My first point will be on the development of a true alphabet by the Greeks, followed with the introduction of the steam engine and steamboat revolutionizing transportation tech in America. Lastly, I will follow up with the discussion of modern information technologies like the TV. During this semester, we have gone over and researched several very important technologies in a chronological order and have gained a very useful overall vision of the subject. In addition, through our use of the ePortfolio we have been able to get a place in which we can post our ideas and arguments that can be seen and commented on by others allowing us to enhance and broaden our understanding of the point. Overall, without information technology we would be nothing yet of course we have it yet by researching it and learning about it we understand our past and our future better.

First as I said in my introduction I believe that some of the most important cultural developments for information technology occurred relatively early in its development. Specifically, for this paragraph I will be focusing on the tropic within my first Artifact which concerned the development and importance of the Greek alphabet. Like many of man’s most important developments the Greek development wasn’t originally created by the Greeks but rather adopted. Most believe that the exchange occurred around 1100-800 BC and was due to trade between Greeks and Phoenicians. Although originally used by the merchant class within Greek society it eventually began to enter mainstream Greek life and as I said in my first essay “they would bring back varied forms and this led to the creation of specific regional differences.”[Artifact 1] So, upon adoption the Greeks immediately began to change it and make it into the system we know of today. Although I don’t feel it appropriate to review it all I will point out some developments. Some of the more notable changes was the direction of writing which Greeks changed to left to right so much like us. In addition, they also decided that they needed to add letters “Phi Chi Psi” which allowed them to express things easier therefore allowing better communication in the Greek Language. With the creation of their alphabet the Greeks could enhance their civilization in almost every aspect. Many of these aspects continue to affect us, for example their way of writing and even some letters are the same as our modern English as well as most other European languages. In addition, as I stated it allowed them to write down texts of poetry, science, and many other things that were later translated and giving us the ability to have access to the stories from that time that still are told in modern society. Overall this was the first truly modern alphabet system used widely humans and would be a template for all western societies after that period. Without it I really don’t think we would have developed as fast or efficiently as we did. With that said we would not be the modern society we are today without it or its influences. [Artifact 1]

The Greek Alphabet was in many ways man’s first stepping stone in the overall study that is Information technology, with it societies developed a way of communication and expression that everyone if given the resources could learn and use. With this development, the next major area of importance was the development and evolution of transportation technology. In class, we learned of its overall development which began with using human’s as couriers, which then evolved to the use of animal power to allow us to increase distance and speed. Although a development we still really couldn’t carry large amounts of material yet with the creation of the wheel man could suddenly carry large amounts of goods and information. Yet still this technology which was used up till the 20th century, still relied on animal power which could die. Yet it was in the late 1790’s that a steam engine was made which by 1850 was one of the main ways to power vehicles and thereby creating a new type of transportation technology. The specific vehicle I discussed in my second essay was that of the steamship and its importance and use in America. In America and most of the western world the steamship was already a fixture by the early 1810’s and would continue to develop throughout the century. In America, specifically the steamboat was used extensively on the river and as I state in Artifact 2 there was “continuous line of river steamboats left the dock at Pittsburgh to steam down the Ohio River to the Mississippi and on to New Orleans.”[Artifact 2] It is this piece of evidence that really displays why the steamboat revolutionized transportation tech with the fact that in many ways America’s frontier immediately became smaller and brought into American control even further than before. In addition, it allowed for increased immigration since it was now faster further linking the country together and expanding it westward. Overall the creation of the steamship had a massive impact on the entire world and increased by several multipliers one’s ability to communicate with another even with a great distance. Without this technology, it would be interesting to see how the United States would develop and the speed at which it would take place which would undoubtedly take much longer. [Artifact 2]

Both above points were supremely important in the development of human ability to communicate but it really impressed on me how truly important it is to continue work on information and communication technologies in our current century. I believe that if we really want to continue our development as a species we must continue to fund and encourage people to get involved to create a better future. As demonstrated in the earlier subject’s man has been involved in a continual development of technology which is extremely prevalent today one example is in my 3rd essay which was the television. The television is a great example because of how revolutionary it was as stated in my 3rd essay the first television was created and used in 1928 and by 1939 was actively being sold on the American Market. [Artifact 3] This technology was revolutionary because for anyone, it allowed them to watch or see something happening many hundreds even thousands of miles away from within their living room, whether it was sports or politics. As I stated it allowed the government to communicate with the people and opened new areas of business in TV production as well as advertisement. Therefore, it opened a completely new form of instant communication with millions of Americans. In addition, with its importance the TV almost immediately began to become better and better until now where almost everyone has a flat screen even some a smart TV. It is this development that I feel we need to see happen to the new devices and technologies being introduced in our modern world. One example is the idea of vehicular clouds although the cloud is relatively new there are already people out there looking to develop it and place it in vehicles making it even more useful and better. Overall the continued development of our information technology is extremely important and I truly believe it will help make our world a much better place.

Throughout this essay, I have highlighted a chronological order of some of the most important developments in information technology and tried to explain how and why they were. In many ways, this class has opened my eyes to the deep importance of information technology and made me realize exactly how much we as a species depend on it. In addition, it also allowed via the ePortfolio to argue my ideas about what pieces of the story I thought were important further engaging myself in the study and allowing me to have a say. Overall the study of information technology is a study of human development and makes one realize how far we have come since the first true civilizations.

References
[Artifact 1] Kaden Kienzle, “Development and Importance of the Greek Alphabet”.
[Artifact 2] Kaden Kienzle, “Development of the Steamship and importance on the rivers of America”.
[Artifact 3] Kaden Kienzle, “Final paper on TV”

Introduction:
In modern America, the TV is nothing special, yet during the 20th century it was one of the most influential pieces of technology. The late 19th century photography was becoming an extremely important and profitable industry, which in turn led to the creation of film. It was with the emergence of fil as a massive industry that people began to look for a device in which film could be brought into the houses of people. This came in 1927 when the first truly electrical television received its first image during a test. With this the world saw a new medium and industry open leading to the development of new types of televisions that allowed for a better image and sound leading to color, digital, and now smart TVs. It was in the United States that people really saw the importance and use of such a technology leading to a plethora of developments and changes to the original television in efforts to make it better as well as cheaper for the average family to afford. It was this development that led to the decline of the radio and the evolution of one of Americans most profitable industries that in turn led to the creation of massive film industries in California that would develop into multi-billion dollar companies. At the same time the television allowed for the government to reach all areas of society pulling together the country in times of extreme duress such as through the broadcasting of president’s speeches and so on. Overall the television became a staple technology of America and its people, eventually becoming a tool that would time and again unify the country as well as open up new areas of business and wealth.

Development of the television:
Starting in the mid-1900’s people had already started to think of a wat in which images could be broadcasted from one place to another and more importantly if moving-images could be broadcasted. This desire led to several inventors working tirelessly to create such a device. Unfortunately, the technology was not there yet leading to several failed attempts at such a device. Yet “ultimately, the early efforts of these inventors would lead to the world’s first electrical television a few years later.” [4] So although they could not figure it out their work would eventually help to create a true television. This was created by Philo Farnsworth who’s machine “On September 7, 1927, transmitted its first image, a simple straight line, at his laboratory at 202 Green Street in San Francisco By September 3, 1928, Farnsworth had developed the system sufficiently to hold a demonstration for the press. This is widely regarded as the first electronic television demonstration.”[3] Soon after that RCA an American radio company began to invest millions in the development of a stable commercial television, this was developed and on the market by 1939.[3] The basic TV for most of the technologies history was that of the CRT TV which was a Cathode-Ray Tube TV. This system relies on the cathode-ray tube that allows for images to be displayed. Firstly the TV receives the signal from the satellite located somewhere near which is itself receiving a transmission from a TV tower. This signal enters the TV and from there to the electron-gun circuit which separates it into red blue and green signals. These signals are then fired into the Cathode-Ray Tube, which then goes through the ring of electromagnets. This ring guides the electrons across the screen at a constant pace. They pass through a mask which puts each signal in a designated spot and produce an image. [9] The process described above can be seen illustrated in the first illustration seen below. So above we have discussed the development and actual workings of the original technology, yet at the time I really don’t think many people knew exactly how important and powerful this technology would become for most people and societies throughout the world especially the United States.

Illustration 1: illustration of the the process in which television is made possible using a cathode ray tube. 

Impact of the television on the United States:
Following the development of the TV, companies began to see that this was a new medium through which information could be transmitted through. By the late 1930’s companies understood that the TV would allow them access to more people in shorter amounts of time as seen I the fact that “NBC officially began regularly scheduled television broadcasts in New York on April 30, 1939, with a broadcast of the opening of the 1939 New York World’s Fair.”[3] So immediately we see the first change to American life which is the fact that given they had the resources Americans living in let’s say California could witness an important event taking place well over 2000 miles away. In addition, it was at the world’s fair where” in 1939, RCA televised the opening of the New York World’s Fair, including a speech by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was the first president to appear on television.” [7] Again this was a massive impact on the political and social landscape of the United States firstly no longer did Americans just have the voice of the president in their homes now we could literally have his image within our private residence. This initiated the start of the TV president and linked Americans to their leadership like never. Hearing a voice is one thing but to see your presidents face often gave many Americans a sense of hope as seen specifically during World War 2 which was just around the corner. In addition, it also opened a new arena for political campaigns, now for government positions those running could use the Television as a point to advertise themselves to the people which allowed for faster and easier campaigns. People could watch debates “the election of a young and vital president in 1960, John F. Kennedy, seemed to provide evidence of how profoundly television would change politics. Commentators pointed to the first televised debate that fall between Kennedy, the Democratic candidate for president, and Vice-President Richard M. Nixon, the Republican’s nominee. A survey of those who listened to the debate on radio indicated that Nixon had won; however, those who watched on television, and were able to contrast Nixon’s poor posture and poorly shaven face with Kennedy’s poise and grace, were more likely to think Kennedy had won the debate.”[7] So again TV was changing everything even the way people saw candidates, which in turn meant that if one wanted to become president how the appeared on TV was much more important then what they said over a radio. This is still prevalent even today as the political conventions and debates are some of the most popular programs when showed and have a massive effect on the American people. At the same time the creation of TV had a massive effect on the advertising business, with “The first official, paid advertising to appear on American commercial television occurred on the afternoon of July 1, 1941, over New York station WNBT (now WNBC) before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgders and Philadelphia Phillies. The announcement for Bulova watches.” [3] Although there are several new types of media according to several studies TV is still one of the most effective forms of advertisement and offers many business an affordable area in which to spread news on new products. One example comes from a study by Marketshare which found that “In a study using data from a luxury automaker, TV was the only medium to maintain its effectiveness (a 1.5 percent decrease in five years) while the other advertising media—both online and offline—declined more than 10 percent.”[2] The TV is a technology that in many ways changed the face of the United States and made its ways into all aspects of society yet with this Americans were themselves causing an impact on the TV.

Peoples Impact on the Television:

As mentioned earlier the first commercial TV hit the market in the late 1930’s and immediately were a success yet as with most technology these early renditions were expensive and really not useful to many portions of American society. As seen below the initial TV was completely different from what we consider TV’s today, for one it was in black in white and as seen the screen was very small. Although popular these TV’s were even then very expensive this model was “a Daven, sold for $75 (the equivalent of $1,009.74 in 2012 dollars).” [1] So with high prices the television took time to truly become popular with all parts of society. The next development came in the 1940’s with the development of the color television.

Illustration 2: One of the earliest renditions of the TV a black and white version, notice the overall design and size of the screen very foreign to the designs of today. 

Although all TV was presented in black and white by the late 1930’s several movies such as the famous Wizard of Oz had been filmed in color and many desired a device that could bring colored tv into the household. So “by 1946, the Second World War was history, and people in America wanted to make up for all the time lost to the war. Black and white television was thought of as old and it was time to do something new. This is when color television systems first began to be considered seriously.” [6] So with this desire both CBS and RCA the giants of TV entered the race.[6] Yet “the first color TV sets went into mass production in 1954, for a cost of around $1,295—or $11,083.13 in today’s dollars.” So much like the original TV this new tech also cost a large amount of money and was therefore not immediately accessible yet over time became increasingly accessible. [1]

Illustration 3: The above is one of the earlier color TV’s developed in the early 1900’s. 
With the introduction of the color TV Americans were content and no developments took place until the 1980’s with the development of the Digital TV. Much like those before “Initially the adoption rate was low, as the first digital tuner-equipped TVs were costly. But soon, as the price of digital-capable TVs dropped, more and more households were converting to digital televisions.” [5] This development of the digital TV has been witnessed in recent years and the dominant form of technology yet recently we see the development and spread of smart TV’s. This “is a television set with integrated Internet and Web 2.0 features, and is an example of technological convergence between computers and television sets and set-top boxes.” [5]

Illustration 4: 24″ Class H4500 LED Smart 

So overall from its very induction onto the American markets, Americans of every generation have had an impact on the technology changing its abilities and looks as the years progressed.
Conclusion:
From its very conception till the present day the television as we know it has been a daily hallmark of American life. From its initial development, it has gone through near a century of development into something almost completely different then what it initially was. Yet this development came about due to Americans desires such as wanting to advertise their goods or wanting to see what was occurring on the other side of the country almost instantly. Yet this development that stemmed from such desires had an immediate impact launching the television into a basic commodity. With the explosion of television into the American public new ways of advertisement, political campaigning and an assortment of other things were developed forever changing the country. Overall the Television has followed the development of America into the superpower it is today and will continue to develop and follow the development of the United States and its people.

Reference Page

[1] Boxee. “12 Important Steps In The History Of Television.” BuzzFeed. Accessed April 05, 2017. https://www.buzzfeed.com/boxee/important-steps-in-the-history-of-television.
[2] Jason, lynch. “Why TV Is Still the Most Effective Advertising Medium.” – Adweek. Accessed April 05, 2017. http://www.adweek.com/tv-video/why-tv-still-most-effective-advertising-medium-165247/
[3] “History of television.” Wikipedia. April 04, 2017. Accessed April 05, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_television#United_States.
[4] Hur, Johnson. “History of the Television.” From The 1800s To Current Time. October 24, 2015. Accessed April 05, 2017. http://bebusinessed.com/history/history-of-the-television/.
[5] “Television.” Wikipedia. April 03, 2017. Accessed April 05, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television
[6] “The History Of Color Television.” The History Of Television. Accessed April 05, 2017. http://www.thehistoryoftelevision.com/color_tv.html.
[7] . Stephens, Mitchell. “History of Television – Mitchell Stephens.” History of Television – Mitchell Stephens. Accessed April 05, 2017. https://www.nyu.edu/classes/stephens/History%20of%20Television%20page.htm.
[8] “Why Is TV Important?” TVProviderscom. Accessed April 05, 2017. http://www.tvproviders.com/tv-101/why-is-tv-important.html.
[9] Woodford, Chris. “How does television (TV) work?” Explain that Stuff. N.p., 04 June 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

Section I: Introduction

The start of the 19^th century initiated a period of unprecedented growth and advancement in every aspect of Western Civilization. Yet one of the most important areas of change was the advancement of societies communication and transportation technology. Today almost every form of transportation and communication is a development from the 19^th century like the telephone and automobile and has made our world modern. Yet often the technology affected regions differently and every country focused on a different type. In the United States one of the most important transportation technologies was that of the Steamship because it decreased the sheer space of the country and allowed for population and economic expansion. Initially developed in the late 18^th century, the steamship would eventually become one of Americas preeminent transportations technologies and undergo various developments. The steamship was overall one of the most important technologies in United States history because not only did it allow expansion west and make it faster, but it also allowed for the use of the American river system, helping America become a great power.

Section II: Steamship Development

It was in 1769 that the first actual steam engine was made, created by James Watt who single handily started the Age of Steam. Yet although invented it would be a little under two decades until someone would decide to place it on a ship as a source of power. It wasn’t until 1787 that someone decided that it could work, the man was the American John Fitch. His craft was only 45 feet long and made a trip down the Delaware river. Yet due to it being a new technology it was not embraced. [1] It wasn’t until 1807 that the steamboat came back, this time made by Robert Fulton. [5] Called the Clermont, this ship showed the world that steam power was more than just auxiliary. It was actively engaged in a transportation route up and down the Hudson river, “traveling 40 miles from New York to Albany in a record eight hours.” [1]. Although nothing spectacular to us at the time, the speed was unheard of and truly initiated the Age of Steam. From that point on European nations and America began a rapid advancement and use of the steam ship. By 1818 steamships were running up and down the Mediterranean and rivers of Germany. Yet it was in “May 1819 the Savannah, a sailing packet with an auxiliary engine and collapsible paddle wheels, sailed from Georgia to make the first crossing of the Atlantic. She reached Liverpool 633 hours later, having steamed for only 80 of those hours.” [5.] So again, the speed of advancement from 1807 to 1818 was incredible and staggering. Although it did not make the journey entirely on steam, it still demonstrated the ability of it to work on an open ocean not just rivers. Following the creation and adoption, steamboats eventually began to enter into regular use extending throughout all Western countries and becoming increasingly important and useful. Yet more importantly immediately following the creation of a reliable steamship we see the popularity explode throughout the United States, “The use of steamboats on major US Rivers soon followed Fulton’s 1807 success. In 1811, the first in a continuous line of river steamboats left the dock at Pittsburgh to steam down the Ohio River to the Mississippi and on to New Orleans. In 1817, a consortium in Sackets Harbor, New York funded the construction of the first US steamboat, Ontario, to run on Lake Ontario and the Great Lakes, beginning the growth of lake commercial and passenger traffic.” [3] So this early in American history we see the importance of steamboats on rivers as a transportation system. Even at this time the Mississippi was foreign territory just recently explored by Lewis and Clark so with these new steamships the distances decreased bringing the United States closer together.

                Illustration 1: Illustration of Robert Fulton’s “Clermont” sailing along the Hudson around 1809.  

So, the above picture is of the Clermont the first functional steamboat as mentioned earlier created by Robert Fulton. What is interesting to note that much like the Savannah of 1818 this ship also had sails. So Steam for several decades was again nothing more than a minor form of power. Yet this would all change around the 1830’s especially in regard to the United States and its impact on steamship technology.

Section III:  Americans Impact on Steamship Technology and Development

Although it is deemed that, any ship that has a steam engine is a steamship regardless if it also possesses sails there were regional differences and how they developed from the original Clermont. For the sake of focus, however we are focusing on the United States and their development and adoption of Steamships in order to suit their needs. Unlike several other countries, the US was fortunate in the fact that it possessed a very large and centralized river system that linked the entire nation from North all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. It was for this reason that the Americans immediately began to focus not so much on ocean-going Steamships but rather river going steamships. As in popular imagination, most ships that steamed up the rivers were paddlewheel, meaning that the steam engine powered a massive wheel surrounded by wide paddles that propelled the ship forward using the momentum of the paddle. In addition, they were designed different from other ocean-going steamships, with “River steam boats typically used rear-mounted paddles and had flat bottoms and shallow hulls.” Yet even then, there were a variety of developments to River steamboats to suit the needs of the American economy and people. Firstly, was the luxury Show Boat much like a modern-day cruise ship its main objective was the transferring of people up and down the major river systems comfortably and quickly. These were often lavishly decorated and very thrilling for the towns along the river yet were not very common due to is expensive price tag. The next was the cheaper Packet boat, “Packet boats were very important because they were used to carry crops up and down the rivers. In fact, many river towns were built near large southern plantations to make getting crops to packet boats easier. Packets were also important because they carried people.” [1] The last type was the snag boat rightly named because it was responsible for taking out snags such as trees from the river to allow for safe river traffic.

Illustration 2: Photograph of the Steamboat Harry Lee – later to be the Showboat – docked across the Sabine River on old Highway 90, 

Illustration 3: A steamboat loaded with cotton, 

So above both illustrations are of river steamboats used in the United States and both demonstrate the adaptation of a shallow keel for river travel as well as paddles however, in both pictures it is not visible. The first illustration is of the stereotypical showboat and as can be seen it was very ornate but also large allowing for massive amounts of passengers.  The second illustration is of a Packet Steamboat, which was used as a goods carrier, as seen the entire outside of the ship is covered in massive bales of some type of agricultural good. So far, the initial start and then development of steamships in America has been noted yet what did these mean for America and how did they affect the development of the United States. [1]

Section IV: Impact on the United States

So, the development of the River Steamboat had an immediate effect on the United States in almost every aspect of society, from the economy to urbanization and westward expansion. As noted earlier the steamship itself severely decreased the time it took to travel via the ocean. For example, “It took the Clermont 32 hours to travel from New York City to Albany, New York via the Hudson River. Prior to 1807, wind-powered sailing vessels averaged five days to travel from New York City to Albany.” [4] An increase in speed meant not only was traveling less of a burden but it also now seemed in the reach of large parts of society. This allowed for massive influx of immigrants from the extremely populated European mainland. This in turn meant that urbanization increased and therefore the industrial revolution reached a faster pace and cities began developing at an increasing speed leading to a more modern America. [2] In addition, this also allowed for the immediate spreading west of the United States, one must remember that even by the 1830’s the United States hadn’t even really started populating past the Mississippi. Yet this new technology allowed for the establishment of towns along the riverbanks. It was from these areas that settlers were able to push even further west into unpopulated territories, still allowing for relatively quick communication relative to foot transportation. In addition, the Steamship had an unprecedented effect on the United States economy. For example, “Their use generated rapid development of economies of port cities; the exploitation of agricultural and commodity products, which could be more easily transported to markets; and prosperity along the major rivers. Their success led to penetration deep into the continent,” [3] So again the steamship was intensely important because it created the American River system into a highway of goods, in addition it allowed for upstream travel allowing needed goods to be transported back creating more efficient farming. In addition, the “steamboat allowed regional specialization in agriculture and manufacturing to develop.” [4]. So overall the Steamboat had a massive effect on the American economy, and creation of our cities and westward expansion. Yet by the 1830’s we see the decreasing importance of said steamboats mostly due to the railroad, which did not need a strong river system and could traverse the deserts of the southwest. Yet it was not until the 2oth century that steamboats became obsolete in part due to cars, and various other faster forms of transportation and communication. [1] Yet although they became outdated they still existed throughout the 20^th century and even into the 21st. One of the most well-known ships in World War II called the Liberty Ship was a steamship used because it was cheap, although it was not a river steamship. Yet today we see several refurbished show steamships, which function as tourist locations as well as actually taking people on cruises down the river. [3] So today, although we no longer truly use them for economic activates they are still present in society.

Section V: Conclusion

Overall, the Steamship was arguably one of the most important technological advancements of the 19^th century for the United States. After its initial introduction, the Steamship immediately entered extensive service into the river systems of the United transforming the nation forever. In an effort to decrease the time of expansion Americans went to work developing better designs as well as designs that would work on the shallow river systems of the United States. Yet the steamship itself had massive effects on America as well not only did it allow for more rapid expansion and development of towns but also allowed for trade up and down the rivers creating a strong transportation system for the mass amounts of cotton exiting the south to Europe. Overall steamship technology had a massive effect on the young nation and truly set the stage for Americas rise to power and preeminence around the world.

Reference Page

[1] History Of steamboats, http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Portals/46/docs/recreation/OP-CO/montgomery/pdfs/10thand11th/ahistoryofsteamboats.pdf

[2] Lab, Digital Scholarship. “The History Engine.” History Engine: Tools for Collaborative Education and Research | Episodes. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

[3] “Steamboat.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Feb. 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

[4] Writer, Leaf Group. “The Effects of Steamboats on the Industrial Revolution.” Our Everyday Life. Our Everyday Life, 08 June 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

[5] Victoria and Albert Museum, Online Museum, Web Team, webmaster@vam.ac.uk. “The Power of Steam at Sea.” Victoria and Albert Museum, Online Museum, Web Team, webmaster@vam.ac.uk. Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2RL. Telephone 44 (0)20 7942 2000. Email vanda@vam.ac.uk, 09 July 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

Throughout history there have been several societies that revolutionized the world and in many ways contributed towards this modern world we live in. One of the central civilizations that we think of when we look at our modern world is that of the Ancient Greeks. Yet although extremely important in terms culture, philosophy, science one of the most important contributions was the alphabet which allowed for these ideas to develop and spread. Not only did it spread throughout the ancient world but even into our modern age the original language deeply affecting many languages and cultures.  Yet overall it is important to look at exactly where it developed from because as all things it didn’t just appear, instead ancient Greeks developed it long ago to suit their needs. Yet with this alphabet at their hands it prompted them to start creating a world based on text, bringing them into the Golden age and allowing for us to still have these writings even thousands of years after.

What is interesting about the Greek Alphabet was the fact that in many ways it wasn’t Greek due to the fact it was adopted. Through comparisons of writings it is clear to historians that the original symbols and system used by the Greeks was adopted from the Phoenician traders, who hailed from the eastern Mediterranean on the modern-day coast of Syria and Lebanon. Many believe that this transfer of knowledge was most likely a byproduct of trade, citing the fact that many Greek merchants witnessed the usefulness and application of an alphabet in matters of trade and business.[1] At the same time many suggest that it appealed to Greeks as a way to show status, take part in business and more romantically be able to write down stories such as the Iliad and odyssey.[2] Although not exactly sure when it occurred most believe that the transfer of the alphabet system occurred around 1100-800 B.C.[1] So with the exposure many Greek traders began to bring back this new system in addition to their goods back to their home ports. Yet often they would bring back varied forms and this led to the creation of specific regional differences which led to an ununified alphabetic writing system making communication more difficult. [1] Originally the Greeks took all 22 letters from the Phoenician, with the order as well as the same names. Yet as noted above although from the same source “in Archaic and Classical Greece more or less every region had its own variety of the Greek alphabet: letter shapes varied slightly, and there were some variations in the use of the letters phi, Chi, psi, and xi.”[2]  In addition the direction of writing was not changed, referred to as retrograde  the Phoenician style was right to left much like modern day Arabic, as well as a lack of overall punctuation which makes writing coherent sentences more of a challenge.[3] So although usable many ancient Greeks began to desire adaptions in order to make it a better system for a Greek civilization.

With a desire to change certain aspects of the alphabet technology we see changes by certain regions which create a more “Greek” writing system, such as inclusion and exclusion of vowels and letters as well as writing method and punctuation. As stated earlier the original Greek system was written from right to left just like the original Phoenician style, yet by the 6^th century we see a transition from left to right and right to left on the next line. [2] So, although the original system was effective we see a development taking place by Greeks who are changing the writing system so it fits them better. The next change that was made to the overall system was the inclusion of vowels into the alphabet. In the traditional Phoenician script vowels, did not exist so the Greeks upon adaptation created A E I O into vowels. [1] Many do not know exactly why these were introduced as they aren’t necessarily needed. One reason is the need to translate Hexametric poems as found in The Iliad and The Odyssey. [3] Another very important change was the introduction of several new letters into the alphabet. The reason being was many Greeks in several regions felt that they could not accurately express themselves with the existing letters thereby adding Phi Chi Psi. [1] So although not hugely important or notable this addition is important for several reasons. Firstly, this demonstrates the impact of a society on writing systems, as stated earlier the Greeks felt that although effective for trade the 22 letters were obviously not enough for expression. This signifies several things such as the development of more complex ideas and actions that required explanation, thereby showing a direct impact on Greek society in the development of their communications methods. Another modification was the adaptation and use of punctuation to the alphabet. When adopted the early Greek system did not possess punctuation this would often lead to ambiguous meanings and confusion, however we do see certain distinctions in writing that develop to show several things. One example would be an arrangement of vertical dots meant to mark speakers, as well as a horizontal dash called a paragraphos. This was meant to introduce an entirely new speaker or section within a writing. Although basic we also see evidence of punctuation as we know it called stigme, these were called “the final point, the middle point, and the “under Point.”[2] So although nothing in comparison to our current state of punctuation it was an improvement from nothing at all which if one can imagine would make basic tasks such as reading much easier and attainable. So again, this is another example of Greek society impacting their writing system and creating an alphabet and system of writing that was uniquely them and worked best for them. Lastly is it important to explain the style and system of writing as well because it is of course a very important aspect of society and the reason for an alphabet in the first place. So, within Greece its first important to recognize that fact that there were two types of writing the formal and informal writings. From the very start of the 6^th century we see the formal script which was used for public display. [2]

First Illustration: LANGE, DEA / ARCHIVIO J. “Greek inscription in the temple of Apollo, Delphi.” Getty Images. N.p., 29 Aug. 2015. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.

Second Illustration: As Is Biz specializing in security employment Philippines,monitoring,aircraft photo’s,military history,art and IL2 and CLOD, COD game skins,3d. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2017. Photo of Graffiti from the Acropolis

Although difficult to see this script written on the temple of Apollo the top illustration follows the formal structure which focused on 45 degree angles and straight lines, while curved letters focused on balance and proportion. At the same time, we also see the use of informal what we would consider graffiti onto things such as pottery as well as other places. This informal style is seen on the second illustration. [2] So from above we see a distinction in writing styles which was a distinction created by the reeks and used depending on the scenario. This makes sense because by looking at the second illustration it is clear how disorganized and not clean it is compared to the very structured and tight format of illustration one.

So, we have discussed the impact of Greek needs in the creation of a Greek Alphabet system yet what is even more important is the affect this new alphabet had on Greek society as a whole. Although most of Greece for a large majority of its history consisted of several individual kingdoms and city-states one thing that linked them was the fact they all spoke Greek and used the alphabet. Therefore, in many ways it is quite easy to assume to the alphabet acted as a unifying factor that helped them destroy outside threats at several pints in their long history. Yet one cannot forget that the use of an alphabet really allowed for Greece to create a flourishing and thriving cultural atmosphere unique at the time. The period from 680 B.C. to 322 B.C. is seen by many as one of the most important culture periods in history. What is unique is it’s during this period that the Greeks really start changing their alphabet to fit their needs a creating a text based society. The period in which it was truly text based is called the classical period from 480-320 B.C. and it’s during this time that the foundation of western society in terms of poetry, science, drama, and history. It is for this reason that I believe that creation of the alphabet was important not only to the Greeks but the entire future of western civilization. [2]

The Greek alphabet was in many ways one of the most important reasons for why Greece experienced the golden age it did. Although originally from Phoenician traders, Greek civilization adopted it and with hundreds of years made it perfect for their civilization. Yet at the same time this created a society entrenched in a text-based society instead of oral therefore this allowed for the writing down of stories, poems, ideas, and a multitude of other things which in turn were spread throughout the Mediterranean world. Even today however this alphabet still permeates throughout our society and has an everlasting place not only in our history books but our monuments and minds.

References

[1.] A.G. Woodard, “The Study of Greek Inscriptions”, Cambridge University Press, 1959,1981.

[2.] Colvin, Stephen, “A Brief History of Ancient Greek (1)”, Wiley-Blackwell, December 2013.

[3.] Https://www.facebook.com/pages/AncientClassical-History/265812982591. “Development of the Greek Alphabet.”  About.com Education. N.p., 17 Aug. 2013. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.