The History of the Telegraph

  • Period: to

    Telegraph and Samuel F.B. Morse

  • Morse's Idea

    Morse's Idea
    Samuel Morse and his assistant, Alfred Vail, thought of the idea for an electromechanical telegraph. Morse called it the "Recording Telegraph."
    http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=324
  • Made Possible

    The commercail application of elevtricity was made possible when they made a working model (that wasn't very good). The model was probable never used outside or Morse's room, however it was used for demonstrations.
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  • Working Mechanical Form

    Working Mechanical Form
    The telegraph was further refined by Morse, Vail, and another coleague named Leanard Gale. It was fined by using an 1836 invention called intelsity batteries. Morse also filed for a patent of the telegraph this year.

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  • Corporation

    Corporation
    Morse perfected his ability to send and recieve codes, and also created a corporation, making Vail and Gail his partners. http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=324
  • Set Up Line

    Set Up Line
    Morse got funds from Congress to demonstrate the telegraph between Washington and Baltimore. However, he had not prepared to set up lines, so instead of putting them underground (their origional plan), the lines were put on poles.
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  • First Message

    First Message
    Samuel Morse sent the first message on the telegraph from Washington D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland. Vail was the one who recieved the message, and it said, "What hath God wrought!." http://www.history.com/topics/telegraph
  • New Company

    New Company
    Morse hired Andrew Jackson's postmaster general, Amos Kendall, to help him sell telegraphs. The Magnetic Telegraph Company was formed. http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=324
  • New Line

    The first commercial telegraph line was completed between Washngton, D.C., and New York City.
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  • New Companies

    There were over 50 different telegraph companies in the United States.
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  • Three Rivals

    There were three main rival telegraph companies, one of them being the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company. the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company later beat the other two companies and recapitalized.
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  • Renamed

    The New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company was renamed the Western Union Telegraph Company. http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=324
  • Pacific Telegraph Act

    Pacific Telegraph Act
    The Pacific Telegraph Act was passed, and it allowed the Secretary of Treasury to construct a transcontinental line. http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=324
  • Last Message

    Last Message
    http://www.telegraph-history.org/ The last telegraoh by Samuel Morse from the Acadamy of music.
    The message was his signature, SFB Morse.
  • Death

    Death
    Samuel Morse died.