At the forefront of most technological advancements in the last three hundred years has been the human need to communicate with other people. It seems to be inherent in all human beings and the desire is as strong now as it has ever been. Where long distances separated people, Morse Code was the first widely used electrical system that made communications possible in just seconds.
Perhaps the first instances of long distance communications involved messages being taken to on foot to other villages and settlements by foot. The use of animals such as horse made this process much quicker and saw the development of several post offices across the world. However, many urgent messages would arrive at their destination far too late for actions to be taken.
There was nowhere in the world in more need of a fast system of communication than the newly unified States of America. The distances involved were unprecedented and many messages could take weeks to arrive, particularly where state lines were being crossed. Work quickly began on developing a system that could electronically send messages over vast distances in a matter of minutes. The discovery of electromagnetism by Hans Christian Oersted led many people to the conclusion that electrical signals could be sent over very long distances and be utilized to send messages.
A British team of researchers called William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone began government funded research in England. An American team set about their own research project. Samuel Morse enlisted the help of leading American scientists, Alfred Vail and Leonard Gale to research a similar project to that of the British.
While the British invention was restricted to the country's railway system, the American system was used for more general communications. Perhaps the main reason for this was its simplicity and value for money. The technology would spread across America and the world very quickly.
The American telegraph consisted of electrical signals being sent by pushing a button and closing an electrical circuit. In doing this, a single electrical signal could be sent for many many across a wire. The system required a circuit, operated by a simple switch, copper wiring, poles and a basic receiver.
Despite the breakthrough, a system still needed to be designed, aimed at converting electrical signals to readable messages. Morse overcame this issue by assigning a series of dots and dashes to each letter and number in the English language. Every telegraph office in the US was given a key to decipher messages and the world's first electrical communications system was born.
The US Congress saw great possibilities for the system and allocated funds for the first long distance network, to be constructed between Washington DC and Maryland. The first words to be communicated were "What hath God wrought" and would signal the start of a new era in human technology. The first transcontinental wire was laid by the commercial enterprise, Western Union.
Morse Code was developed over the years to increase speed of communications and many different versions appeared in different parts of the world. However, it was soon realized that an international standard was required to help communication between international navies and commercial enterprises. The standard was agreed at the International Telegraph Congress in 1865 and remains to this day, often used in covert military operations. The American Morse Code survived for many years alongside the international standard, but is now only used in historical contexts.
Perhaps the first instances of long distance communications involved messages being taken to on foot to other villages and settlements by foot. The use of animals such as horse made this process much quicker and saw the development of several post offices across the world. However, many urgent messages would arrive at their destination far too late for actions to be taken.
There was nowhere in the world in more need of a fast system of communication than the newly unified States of America. The distances involved were unprecedented and many messages could take weeks to arrive, particularly where state lines were being crossed. Work quickly began on developing a system that could electronically send messages over vast distances in a matter of minutes. The discovery of electromagnetism by Hans Christian Oersted led many people to the conclusion that electrical signals could be sent over very long distances and be utilized to send messages.
A British team of researchers called William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone began government funded research in England. An American team set about their own research project. Samuel Morse enlisted the help of leading American scientists, Alfred Vail and Leonard Gale to research a similar project to that of the British.
While the British invention was restricted to the country's railway system, the American system was used for more general communications. Perhaps the main reason for this was its simplicity and value for money. The technology would spread across America and the world very quickly.
The American telegraph consisted of electrical signals being sent by pushing a button and closing an electrical circuit. In doing this, a single electrical signal could be sent for many many across a wire. The system required a circuit, operated by a simple switch, copper wiring, poles and a basic receiver.
Despite the breakthrough, a system still needed to be designed, aimed at converting electrical signals to readable messages. Morse overcame this issue by assigning a series of dots and dashes to each letter and number in the English language. Every telegraph office in the US was given a key to decipher messages and the world's first electrical communications system was born.
The US Congress saw great possibilities for the system and allocated funds for the first long distance network, to be constructed between Washington DC and Maryland. The first words to be communicated were "What hath God wrought" and would signal the start of a new era in human technology. The first transcontinental wire was laid by the commercial enterprise, Western Union.
Morse Code was developed over the years to increase speed of communications and many different versions appeared in different parts of the world. However, it was soon realized that an international standard was required to help communication between international navies and commercial enterprises. The standard was agreed at the International Telegraph Congress in 1865 and remains to this day, often used in covert military operations. The American Morse Code survived for many years alongside the international standard, but is now only used in historical contexts.
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