History of Information Technology

My Progression in the History of Information Technology

Tyler Topping (Class of 2019) – CIS – 270WX – 02

Help Received: Refer to References

 

1. Introduction

 

The history of information technology is an extremely vast history of the evolutions of communication systems which is a large variable in the effects of other events in our history. As a history major it is important when studying a time period to have an understanding of the communicational technology available in that certain day in age. The availability of technology has majorly affected wars, immigration, economics, social atmospheres, and worldly connection in our history.  Throughout this course, I have not only increased my knowledge of communicational development and its importance, but have also witnessed an advancement in my knowledge, confidence, and ability of writing essays through using eportfolio. By using many detailed power points, in class discussions, personal research, YouTube videos, and paper revising I have greatly opened my mind to a new field of historic matters. The course, History of Information technology, in addition to, the manipulation of eportfolio, has expanded may knowledge of the impacts of communicational technology on humans, humans impacts on theses innovation, the driving factors to these advancements, and the basic history of the evolution of the technological development throughout the history of the world.

1. Understanding the Origins of Written Communication

          To fully understand the technology we possess today, it is essential to have a clear concept of the technology which brought us to where we are today. Currently, there are 100’s of diverse written communications. Many of which were derived from other written languages which were formed to make a hybrid form. For instance, the English alphabet was derived from the Latin alphabet. In my first essay, I decided to search for the first written communication, which would form the foundation for future written forms. These written forms of communication changed the world as they made it so people could communicate over long distances without the need to travel. In my first essay, “The Sumerian Achievement of Written Communication”, I claimed, “…, the ability to establish a comprehendible communication gave a clear pathway for the Sumerian culture to higher advancement, better functioning society, replication from other civilizations, and gave humans the ability to positively impact cuneiform writing methods.” [Artifact 1] Therefore, with this achievement it opened the door to numerous possibilities which were unknown until written communication was founded. Some of these possibilities include, merchandise accountability, recording history, and experiencing views through words. As seen throughout the rest of my essays I attempted to find the origins of certain forms of communication. I did this because without these ground breaking innovation there would not have been the discoveries or technology in order to pave the way for future advancements.

 

III. The Importance of the Transportation of Information

Furthermore, we live in a world with instant communication, which we all take for granted. I honestly do not believe people of our age can fathom the idea of not being able to make a simple phone call or have news services which enable us to know what is going on in the world. These resources which we have today inform us about politics, the economy, and general information about worldly affairs. However, long before we had access to this type of technology, the transportation of communication was extremely slow. These types of transportation included, horses, sailing vessels, and muscle. Fortunately, a door was opened in the early 1800s by Robert Fulton, who invented the steamboat. As I stated in my second essay pertaining to this topic, “The development of the steamboat was the most important transportation advancement in the early American republic which impacted the economic development by establishing quicker, more efficient, and more reliable water transportation, which gave rise to massive internal improvements, abolishment of isolation, and boosted the infant economy”. [Artifact2] This innovation created a new world of possibilities for the early American republic and the world as a whole. At this point in time communication was extremely slow, especially by wind powered boats. For example, the Mississippi river was a very busy travelling river, where merchants would ship their products from the industrialized north to the south. However, the current of the river was always southward. Therefore, the voyage south was fairly quick, but the trip back to the north was extremely long and painful. To remedy this problem, most merchants would actually sell their boats in the south and travel back to the north by foot. For this seemed like a faster and cheaper alternative when attempting to maintain a profit and a time schedule. [Artifact 2] In addition, the steamboat gave rise to many canals throughout America, which in return created the establishments of cities along these lanes of travel. Eventually, the steamboat became obsolete to other quicker and more efficient forms of transportation. However, similar to cuneiform writing, the steamboat was a primary development. I use this term because this innovation also became the foundation of other developments.

III. The Origins of Wired Communication

          Lastly, I have remained consistent on the innovations on which I have chosen to do research on. Each one being a primary development which became the bases for future advancements. It is no different with telegraph, which I focused on in my last essay. Like the cuneiform writing, which was the first written communication, the steamboat, which was the first quick means of transportation, the telegraph was the first development of wired communication. Without wired communication, it would not have been a possibility of developing wireless communication. I argue the telegraphs importance in my third essay by arguing, “This initial invention of wired communication changed the face of politics, commercial advertising, and United States expansionism more so than any communication innovation before due to its ability of instant communication, in addition to, being impacted by humans by experimentation which eventually led to the instant communication devices such as the cell phone in which we rely upon today.” [Artifact 3] Like the steamboat, the telegraph was innovated in the 1800s. In the United States, which at this point was a very disconnected country, the telegraph not only connected the country, but also gave rise to a sense of imagination which has driven the ambition to innovate like no other time in history.

1. My Beliefs of the Impacts of these Innovations

In my opinion, the effects of these advancements have gone much further than connect the world and increased the standards of living. Throughout my research of diverse topics of information technology, it has become clear to me that technology not only affected people in physical instances but also enhanced mental abilities. I say that because, for instance, the invention of telegraph created a surge of engineer rivalry to further innovate wired communication. Technology has changed the imagination in the past 200 years then it has in the history of our world. For example, between the years 300 AD and 1000 AD, there are not many advancements in which can be taken into serious consideration. However, just in the last 100 years we have evolved from being able receive news by radio to having the ability to facetime with someone across the planet instantly. It is only up to speculation the vast amount of powerful and efficient technology we will possess in the near future. However, as I remain consistent in my beliefs, none of the innovations we have today or will acquire in the future would not have been possible if it were not for the developments which I have researched throughout this course. With this introduction of precision technology the world has arrived at a new milestone in the history of the world. As we are not limited by barriers such as oceans and mountains, but have instant communication and access to massive amounts of information throughout the worlds databases. Having the capability to manipulate technology has given us the possibility of hearing diverse views and ideas while also sharing our own. This concept is the reason the technology surge is so prevalent today.

1. Why I am Satisfied with CIS-270WX

          To be completely honest, I came into this class with the mentality to get my credit in order to receive my history degree. However, this class has become much more beneficial to me than I initially expected. As a history major, unlike most beliefs, I study more than just the narrative of historical events. I analyze the causes and outcomes of these events and time periods. In finding the effects it is essential to understand the driving factors which resulted in these causes. Before this class I have never put into consideration the communicational technology available to humans at the times of these events as a variable. Therefore, throughout my semester in my history classes I have been to implement the factor of communicational resources when crafting a thesis or argument. In conclusion, this class has not only improved my understanding of information technology, but has also assisted me in becoming a better historian.

1. Conclusion

          With the semester coming to a completion I am confidently able to say I am pleased with my growth over the course of the semester. I have put many influential hours into studying, researching, drafting, revising, and understanding the material presented in this class. With the help of the professor to give me quick feedback, in addition to, the manipulation of you tube video sources, I was presented the tools for success throughout this course. Also, the use of the eportfolio has given me the ability to track my essays to reveal my advancement in my research and my overall ability to write a solid essay. I am pleased at my progression in the course and recommend it to students of all majors and abilities.

 

 

References

Topping, Tyler. “Sumerian Achievement of Written Communication”, 2/15/17.

Topping, Tyler, “Fulton’s Steamboat Successes during the Early Republic”, 3/23/17.

Topping, Tyler, “The Introduction of the Telegraph on Modern Communication”, 4/18/17.

The Introduction of the Telegraph on Modern Communication

 

1. Introduction

What is the first object people reach for in the instance of an emergency? Most of the time this object is a telephone or a cell phone. However, what would you do if this advancement had not been invented yet? Unfortunately, people in the mid-1800s experienced this situation extremely often where they had no possible way for quick communication over long distances. In addition, the United States in the mid-1800s was a growing country which was becoming continuously disconnected due to the ever-growing geography and the lack of quick sources of communication. At this point in history, the only available source to transmit information was through slow steam powered vessels, locomotives, and muscle. The solution to this growing problem and inconvenience was founded by an unlikely engineer, who discovered a way to transmit information over long distances by using electromagnets. In hind sight, the telegraph may not be used any today due to the much easier availability of cell phones, however, this advancement opened the door to wired communication which ultimately led to the foundation of wireless communication. This initial invention of wired communication changed the face of politics, commercial advertising, and United States expansionism more so than any communication innovation before due to its ability of instant communication, in addition to, being impacted by humans by experimentation which eventually led to the instant communication devices such as the cell phone in which we rely upon today.

 

1. The Origins of the Telegraph

First of all, the word telegraph was derived from the European language in order to describe long-distance optical signaling, which practically means long-distance written communication. [1] Before this earth changing advancement the United States and other countries would use “telegraph hills” or “beacon hills”, which relayed information through an optical perception. However, this method was not employed long mainly due to its cost and difficult use made it very ineffective when compared with a rider on a horse or transportation by locomotive. [1] The most common type of this telegraph hill is referred as Semaphore Telegraphs. These telegraphs submitted information solely by visual signals. As seen in figure 1, large blades and paddles, otherwise known as pivoting shutters, are positioned in different positions to form different encoded messages. However, this way of communication did not last and went into extinction with the introduction of the electronic telegraph due to the fact that eye sight is only but so strong and geographical barriers. [2]

Figure 1: A Semaphore was the first form of the telegraph. Even though made obsolete with the introduction of the electronic telegraph, this form of early American communication should not go unrecognized.

 

III. Morse’s Journey to Innovation

 

When asked, who would be the one to achieve the realm of inventing a form a wired communication, Professor Samuel F. B. Morse would have not been included in that mind process. This is mainly because Morse was not a mathematician, engineer, nor scientist. Rather he was a professor of fine arts in the New York University. [1] However, Daniel Walker Howe, in his book, What Hath God Wrought, admits many other scientist and engineers paved the way for Morse’s success by stating, “Alessandro Volta had invented the electric battery in 1800; Hans Christian Oersted and Andre Marie Ampere researched electromagnet signals; William Sturgeon devised the electromagnet in 1824; and in 1821 the American Physicist Joseph Henry announced his method for strengthening the intensity of an electromagnet so that the current could be transmitted across long distances.” [1] Therefore, Morse cannot be given full credit to being the sole reason the electronic telegraph emerged in the mid-1800s due to the reason he had much scientific research to expand upon. However, the telegraph is not the only contribution by Morse to communication. Morse Code, which is a variation of sequences of taps and pauses to represent letters, has been used for communications still to this very day by military operations. Figure 2 displays a chart which shows the variation of taps and pauses which represents words and has the purpose to make words to transmit information.

Figure 2: Morse Code figuration chart. The dots represent taps while the lines represent pauses.

 

1. The Impacts of the Telegraph on the United States
2. I. The Impacts on Politics

          To continue, in present day, we use wireless communication for both commercial and majority for social reasons. We use it when we want to get in contact with a friend or a family member to ask a question or to simple see how he/she is doing. However, the telegraph in its early years did not have this purpose. Its largest impact was upon the political atmosphere. Howe supports this claim by admitting, “unlike the telephone, invented later in the nineteenth century, the telegraph was used much more for commercial than social purposes. But the telegraph also carried news of sports events and lotteries for the benefit for avid gamblers.” [1] At this time in American politics quick communication was an important resource when trying to figure out the polls, see who won elections, and to keep an eye on the opposing party. The biggest example of how the telegraph was welcomed by politics occurred in 1843 when congress had finally appropriated Morse with $30,000 to demonstrate the ability to connect a telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington D.C. However, when the Whig National Convention met in May, Morse and his team had only completed half the wire between the two large cities. With Morse determined to show the power of his innovation he traveled by train to the midway point where his wire connected to Washington D.C. and sent his message. The message was received in Washington D.C. over an hour and half before the train carrying the information made it to the city. The information included that the Whig party had nominate Henry Clay for president and Theodore Frelinghuysen for vice president, which was very vital for the democratic party in the upcoming election. When the time came for Morse to formally transmit his first message from Baltimore to Washington D.C. the room was filled with curious politicians, who eventually received the first message which entail, “What hath God Wrought.” [1]

 

1. II   The Commercial Impact of the Telegraph

          In addition, the telegraph opened a vast new array of opportunities for both farmers and merchants in the mid-1800s by creating easier and more reliable exchange of information and prices between the two businessmen. Howe supports this claim by saying, “In the United States, decades of long-term economic expansion only temporarily reversed by downturns after 1819 and 1837 encouraged the business community to accord the electric telegraph an enthusiastic reception.” [1] Investment bankers, as we know them today, run stocks on moment’s notice. With the introduction of the telegraph this opened an entire new field to investors by enabling them to acquire prices extremely quick and make investments as quick as possible. This gave the rise of America’s fast paced stock market which in many ways fuels the economic growth of the country. Immediately following Morse’s initial demonstration of his telegraph, lines began rising in North America drastically. This was mainly to transmit prices of stock and commodities between farmers and merchants. This shows the rise of the business relationship between farmers and merchants, rather than close ties where business is done in person or through mail, business men could conduct exchange much more quickly and efficient.

 

1. The Peoples Impact on the Telegraph

It is no argument to say that the telegraph was not in use for an extended period of time. However, this does not relinquish its importance and influence in the history of information and technology. Similar to the railroad and steam engine, with so much excitement of the benefits of this hasty form of communication, telegraphs were constructed as cheap as possible. [1] In some place cornstalks were tied together in order to support the wires between telegraph stations. This led to much failure and gave a realm of weakness in a country which began to rely on quick communication. In addition, the Mexican-American war began in 1848 which increased the importance and demand of the transferring of information from the battlefield to headquarters to Washington D.C. With the war, the deconstruction of telegraph wires began to be a primary goal for the enemy in order to have the upper hand against their adversaries. In order to fix this problem, poles were made higher which not only delayed the enemy from tempering communications, but also enhanced the quality of the signals. However, the telegraph needed to be improved. These driving factors which included, current scientific knowledge, ambition, and the war, pushed innovators to create a more efficient way of communication. Therefore, with tools in hand, scientist and engineers began innovating upon this innovation. Eventually, wired communication evolved into wireless communication which brings us to the reliant world of technology in which we live today. The electronic telegraph created the foundation for future developments. Without the telegraph, the availability to wireless communication may have greatly been delayed in the history of communication.

 

 

1. Conclusion

            It is no secret that the many generations of humans which make up the world’s population take wireless communication for granted on a daily bases. However, in a period in which this notion was barely a fathom in the mind, the ability to acquire communication as quickly and as efficient as the telegraph created a new spectrum of imagination in the United States. Politics changed as leaders for the first time could communicate views instantly. News of elections tolls assisted political party conventions by giving them the upper hand against their opposition. The business relationship between farmers and merchants became more efficient, where farmers could maneuver their crop prices as the economy adjusted. While merchants could invest in a larger variety of markets and prices. Furthermore, as the telegraph became a base/template for communication, ambitious innovators expanded upon the idea and finally evolved wired communication into a wireless field. This imagination in which the telegraph instilled in the brains of innovators is the reason the world is as technologically savvy and connected as it is today.

 

 

References

[1] D. N. Howe, What Hath God Wrought, Oxford University Press, 2007.

 

[2] Author Unknown, “Semaphore Line”, Wikipedia, March 2017.

Fulton’s Steamboat Successes During the Early American Republic

 

• Introduction           

Can people of today’s society imagine having the accessibility to only muscle powered transportation. Where your only ways of travelling were either by foot or by animal. Well this hardship was enduring for much of humanity until the vital invention of the steam engine which gave rise to the glorious steamboat, which positively affected the world in numerous ways. Before the early 1800’s, transportation was an aspect of life which had not been advanced in the emerging era of innovation. In the early American republic transportation of people, merchandise, and mail was very expenses and extremely slow. For example, in 1800,the price to ship a package fifty miles into the American interior cost the same as shipping the same package to England. [1] However, John Fulton’s introduction of James Watt’s steam engine on to boats changed the lifestyles and future of Americans profoundly by introducing faster, more efficient, and less painful transportation. The development of the steamboat was the most important transportation advancement in the early American republic which impacted the economic development by establishing quicker, more efficient, and more reliable water transportation, which gave to rise to massive internal improvements, abolishment of isolation, and boosted the infant economy. 

• Why the World Needed this Innovation

 

          Fulton’s innovation of the steamboat opened the imagination of a promising future to American society. But why were people so excited? In today’s age technological advancements are becoming a very common thing and we do not seem to get excited, but rather expect it. However, life in the early 1800’s was a different world than we are accustomed to. Public transportation was non-existent and transportation that was available consisted of horses, carriages, or wind powered boats which all was hard on the body. Before Fulton’s break through, the Mississippi river, which today is considered a highway of water commerce, was barely being used as a transportation source. This is mainly due to the southward current which the river has. Therefore, merchants traveling from the North to the South to sell products would use sail powered vessels to reach their destination. After arriving, they would ideally sell their products and have two choices of methods to travel to their home port. One being to take their vessel northward on the Mississippi on an opposing current which would take three times as long to make compared to the initial voyage. Two, they could either sell their vessel in the southern port or disassemble it and sell the lumber for an additional profit. In most cases, merchants decided to make the second choice in order to save money. However, this shows the need to for transportation advancement in the young, underdeveloped, struggling economy of the United States. [1]

•  Fulton’s Innovation of the Updated Steam Engine

Furthermore, Fulton did not create the first “American” steamer. John Fitch in 1787 made this development from James Watts steam engine. However, Fitch could not obtain any financial support as his business venture seemed very obscure to most investors in this age. However, Fulton was successful because unlike Fitch, he was a businessman and a risk taker, ready to submit all his money to his innovation. Once Fulton’s innovation reached the public eye (mainly the business eye) an impact in the economy occurred. As states in the previous paragraph, shipping lanes down the Mississippi was a one-way street. The sheer power in which Fulton’s steamboats possessed enabled the possibility of two-way water shipping lanes. In addition, steamboats could reach destination quicker and carry much more merchandise than sailing ships, which were becoming obsolete in the merchant transporter viewpoint. [1]

Figure 1: Fulton’s first steamboat, the “Clermont” was a spectacle to see to

the American Republic. The large smokestack which has never before been

used created a large amount of smoke as steam engines were first being

manipulated.

The use of steam in water transportation was not the only reason the steamboat was much faster than the sailing vessel. Fulton’s steamboat employed many different variations of the hull to promote smoother riding and the ability to travel through much shallower water. To allow this ability, the hull of the boat was made much different from the sailing vessel. By creating a flat bottom hull the steamboat was able to wade through water very smoothly, in addition to, steam through as shallow as two foot of water. Some people said steamboats could float on heavy dew. However, even with the American imagination in hopes of such an innovation, contrary to popular belief, the steamboat was extremely dangerous in its first developing years. Between 1825 – 1830 steamboat explosions were responsible for 273 deaths. In 1838, a steamboat in Charleston exploded which claimed 140 lives itself. Therefore, with the steamboats benefits and problems, the government and citizens would react in a way which would be Americas first steps to massive internal improvement projects. [1]

Figure 2: This image depicts the devastating explosion of a steamboat

in a port in Charleston. 140 lives were lost which ultimately lead to

creating of government regulation on steamboats in the United States.

1. I – The Governments Reaction to Steamboat Contribution

Firstly, the disastrous death toll in which steamboats were causing created a need for government involvement in order to regulate these unsafe forms of transportation. This directly shows the peoples impact of the steamboat because the need for safety ensure engineers to create a more efficient and safe model of steamboat transportation. Therefore, the government would create there first government regulation in their history on any form of transportation. In 1838, after the steamboat explosion in Charleston occurred, Congress created there first federal regulation by the interstate commerce clause. From this impact of people on steamboats, each vessel had to obtain a certificate from a government inspector in order to be able to operate under the jurisdiction of the United States. Therefore, with the safety violations of the steamboat, the government impacted the safety of this form of transportation through mandatory regulation. [1]

 

1. II – The Geographical Impacts Created by the Steamboat

In addition, there is no doubt in the early republic which was the biggest geographical impact of the Steamboat. The Erie Canal, underwent construction in 1817 and finished in 1825, connected Albany to Buffalo. The Erie canal was a massive economic success. Not only providing a waterway from New York to the Great Lakes, but also because settlement and major ports began to arise near the canal to reap from its benefits. Statistics gives a very good representation of the enlargement of interstate commerce due to the canal. In 1824 there was 324 vessels in the New York Harbor, however, after the canal was finished in 1836 there was 1,241 vessels counted in the New York Harbor. This shows the great rise of mercantilism in the early republic which is all due to the development of the steamboat. The income to the government, its investors, and the general public from steamboat transportation on the Erie Canal was so large, the $7,143,789 it took to construct was fully paid off in only nine years. With cities and ports arising close to the canal, the economy began to boom as the limits of transportation was ceased due to the connection from internal improvements due to the innovation of steamboat technology. [1]

 

1. Conclusion

The Steamboat lead the Unites States toward a path of internal development which created a prosperous economy. This lead to the rise of the standards of living in the early republic, in addition to, future developments of better water transportation. People impacted this technology by applying regulations to ensure safety, changing the dynamics of the hull for quicker voyages, and beginning transportation routes funding by state and federal governments. This technology impacted people by giving a faster transportation service of both merchandise and people, creating the opportunity to expand trade and profit among businesses, and connecting the country like it had never been before. Robert Fulton may have not made the safety form of water transportation, however, he opened the door for the rest of the world to advance upon his initial breakthroughs.

References

1. Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815 – 1848. The Oxford University Press, 2007.
2. Frank Mackey, Steamboat Connections: Montreal to Upper Canada, 18116-1843. MacGill-Queen’s University Press, 2000.
3. Louis C. Hunter, “The Invention of the Western Steamboat.”, The Journal of Economic History. Cambridge University Press, 1943.

Sumerians Achievement of Written Communication

I. Introduction
Communication through the form of writing has evolved drastically in the history of mankind. Some civilizations advanced quickly, acquiring a form of communication while others lagged. For example, once an officer asked a native American to give a friend a message for him. After writing the letter the Indian looked at the officer perplexed because he did not believe information could be traveled in any other way than through vocal methods. In order to persuade the Indian that he was not wasting his time, the officer wrote a note instructing the receiver to give the Indian a piece of candy upon delivery. Unbelieving the officer the Indian carried out the task and received a piece of candy which changed his view of written communication (Puhvel, Jaan) Stories like this, whether true or not are prime examples of the unawareness of written communication, boundaries that set apart civilizations, and the slowness of technological advancement in cultures separated by geography. The Sumerians were among the first civilizations to create a simple form of written communication, known as cuneiform. Therefore, the ability to establish a comprehendible communication gave a clear pathway for the Sumerian culture to higher advancement, better functioning society, replication from other civilizations, and gave humans the ability to positively impact cuneiform writing methods.

2. 1
As many people may believe, written forms of communication did not happen overnight. Just like cuneiform and other forms evolved until its simplest form was derived. Sumer in 3500 B.C.E had become more advanced and its merchants were beginning to reach out beyond it boundaries to other young civilization in order to trade for foreign products. However, when transporting numerous products merchants had to derive a way to keep track of their products. The first thing merchants created was by carving out clay coins to represent a certain amount of merchandise. For instance, three pounds of salt may have equaled to three circular clay tokens. Many merchants also relied on workers to transport their products to these faraway lands. However, in many cases the transporter would temper with the merchandise to derive a profit themselves. After time of having to deal with untrustworthy workers, merchants began to put their clay tokens in a lock box or envelop with a seal on it. This made it so if the seal was broken upon delivery the merchant would realize the merchandise was tampered with and the thief would ultimately serve the consequence. However, not all transporters were thieves and having to transport material without knowing the amount made it difficult to have successful deliveries. Therefore, transporters began getting wet clay tablets and making impressions into a square tile to keep track of the quantity or quality of the merchandise. This opened the door to written communication. Eventually someone had the idea that tokens were pointless to have if a tablet with all the information on it was available. Therefore, envelopes and lock boxes stopped being used and the worlds first form of written communication was born. (The Flow of History, no author)

3. 1
With the first writing symbols able to represent merchandise, the fathers of this form of written communication then began making more complex notions using sharp rocks to make indentions in moist clay tablets. After this, they began to find other uses for this new form of communication. Religious and town records began being recorded and preserved using cuneiform. Being the first form of writing beside the complicated forms of glyphs, more people could eventually learn the writing style for their own benefit. Starting out with large amounts of symbols eventually decreased and made the language simpler. By simplification, more people could read and write. This ability gave people the ability to express themselves by literature and poetry for the first time in history. However, few people had the ability to read or write. These people who could were known as scribes and mainly consisted of the higher social class in Mesopotamia society. Furthermore, with this new ability to express emotions, thoughts, ideas, and opinions literature began to be made. The very first epics this world has ever known was written on cuneiform clay tablets. Epics such as, The Saga of Gilgamesh and The Curse of Agaade were written.

(Figure 1: Tablet containing The Saga of Gilgmesh. One of the first epics written and preserved using cuneiform writing methods.)

4. 1
This form of writing and its worthiness of learning quickly spread to other parts of Mesopotamia and other regions of the Middle East. Originally forming in the southern Mesopotamia, their northern neighbors, the Akkadians soon adopted the written form. However, the Akkadians impacted cuneiform by forming a much simpler form by using less symbols and using symbols to act as sounds rather than entire words. Unfortunately, to deciphers many of their words resembled Sumerian cuneiform. This text created by the Akkadians is known as “old Akkadian cuneiform. This written communication can be seen in the world’s first written law doctrine, known as the Code of Hammurabi. Such as many instances of the transportation of communication in history this set a format for many other current and future nations to embody. Eventually, in the 3rd millennium, cuneiform reached and was adopted by the southern region of modern day Iran, known as the country Elam. Finally, in the 2nd Millennium cuneiform was reaching much further than its origins. Mesopotamia and its surrounding regions began expanded militarily to other parts of the world by conquering land. Taking this written communication with them thus became a universal written communication to the small world people new in this age of history. (Puhvel)

5. Conclusion
Cuneiform, even though not used to today and unreadable by a majority except those who learn it, is and obsolete language. However, this point in history is a keystone which put future advancement in place to be made. Without this writing system there would have been not platform from which to expand from. Therefore, due to the invention of cuneiform by humans, merchandise, religious records, town records, and more were able to be saved for the remainder of history. The expansion of this form of writing quickly reached other states which were close to Sumer. This gave the opportunity for other civilizations to be affected, in addition, gave the ability for humans to impact this young writing form. These impacts included the simplification and decreasing of letters to make the form more comprehensible to others. This language opened the door to the future ways of communication between humans and also the preservation of historical records which allow us to take a small look of were we came from.

References
Jaan Puhvel, “Cuneiform: Writing Systems”
The Flow of History, “The Birth of Writing and its Impacts” (Author not found)