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Questions and Answers
What was the significance of the first telegraph cable across the Atlantic in 1858?
Who developed Morse Code?
By what year had Samuel Morse developed Morse Code?
What was the first message sent using the telegraph in 1844?
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What company built the first transcontinental telegraph line in 1861?
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What was the significance of 1914 in the development of the telegraph?
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How many people claimed to invent the first electrical telegraph by 1838?
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When did Samuel Morse begin working on his version of the telegraph?
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What was the approximate length of Western Union's telegraph wire network in 1866?
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What was the primary reason for the passage of the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910?
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What was the estimated growth in Western Union's value between 1857 and 1867?
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What was the approximate value of Western Union in 1864?
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What was the impact of the radio and telephone on the telegraph by the mid-20th century?
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What was the name of the act that switched regulation of the telegraph industry to the Federal Communications Commission?
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What was the approximate value of Western Union's capital stock in 1866?
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What was the agency responsible for regulatory oversight of telegraph rates after the passage of the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910?
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Study Notes
The Invention of the Telegraph
- The telegraph was invented in the 1840s, which significantly reduced the distance between different parts of the world.
- The first telegraph cable across the Atlantic was laid in 1858, enabling stockbrokers in New York to track the price of gold in London.
The Origins of the Telegraph
- The idea of sending electric signals across wires originated in the early 1700s.
- By 1798, a rough system was used in France.
- Samuel Morse, a professor at New York University, began working on his version of the telegraph in 1832.
- Morse developed Morse Code, a set of sounds corresponding to particular letters of the alphabet, in 1835.
The Development of the Telegraph
- By 1838, Morse presented his concept to the U.S. Congress, but he was not the first to think of the idea.
- 62 people had claimed to invent the first electrical telegraph by 1838.
- Morse got political backing and a business model for his telegraph, which made him successful.
- In 1843, Morse built a telegraph system from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore with Congress's financial support.
- The first message, "What hath God wrought?", was sent on May 24, 1844.
The Expansion of the Telegraph
- The telegraph system progressed slowly, with many attempts failing to make the system work for the entire country.
- Morse extended the telegraph line to New York, while other companies opened their own systems in other parts of the country.
- Western Union built its first transcontinental telegraph line in 1861.
The Impact of the Telegraph
- In 1864, Western Union operated on 44,000 miles of wire and was valued at $10 million.
- Within the next year, its worth jumped to $21 million.
- Between 1857 and 1867, the company's value grew by 11,000 percent.
- By 1866, its network included about 100,000 miles of wire and its capital stock value was in excess of $40 million.
Regulation of the Telegraph Industry
- At the end of the 19th century, demands for constraints on Western Union's power resulted in the passage of the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910.
- The Mann-Elkins Act granted the Interstate Commerce Commission regulatory oversight of telegraph rates.
- Later, the Communications Act of 1934 switched regulation of the telegraph industry to the newly created Federal Communications Commission.
- By this time, the radio and telephone had diminished the impact of the telegraph.
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Description
Explore the impact of the telegraph on global communication in the 1800s and its similarities to the Internet. Discuss how it revolutionized news transmission and global connectivity.
