The Influence Of The Telegraph Modernized Communication

The urgency of communication was never much felt until the beginning and use of the telegraphy. It was much easier to transmit and receive messages over long distances that no longer needed physical transport of letters. Telegraph created a new way of communication and invented the Morse Code that was used during the Civil War for the soldiers and troops to stay connected. The invention of the telegraph modernized communication, added the US victory of the Civil War, and improved the economy in the aftermath. Before the telegraph became a common way of communication in the United States of America, the Pony Express was known as the fastest way of communication. Pony Express was the original delivering system for express mails. It was very …show more content…
It closed down Pony Express and came to a popular use for communication across the country. The innovation of the telegraph was widely celebrated. As it widely spread across the country, the wires for telegraph were hung from coast to coast and the fast communication began. It was first presented by Samuel Morse. He got an idea of single-wire electric telegraph and later got a patent for it. Morse created a business so he could sell his patent to the governors and other businessmen. Later, Morse received $30,000 grant from the Congress to build an experimental wire between Baltimore and Washington (Nonnenmacher). This was the turning point of the telegraph and the Congress started to use this new technology. Before telegraph became the main use of communication, it was originally used for people to talk about the weather, but as the war approached, it was seen as a fancy tool for business. Then the use of the telegraph took a step into the world of communication (“Lincoln and the …show more content…
After the wires were all set up, it was easier to send messages to others. Morse Code was used to communicate via telegraph. It is a sound that can be in specific pattern to describe letters or phrases. The signals were sent through an electric current by the electrical wires. The telegraph was mainly for the military after it became a convenient tool for the armies to transmit codes more smoothly with the commanders (“The US Civil War”). It was used to provide important information about the War, to report battle information, and to talk about the plan. People who used the telegraph needed to be very professional. “Skill and patience were necessary for efficient telegraph work, especially when lines were frequently destroyed by Confederate incursions or through hostile inhabitants of the country” ("The Military Telegraph Service"). The Morse Code had to be studied and practiced. The codes had to be perfect and clear for the others to understand and decipher them. The soldiers who worked with the telegraph were required to be professional and patient. Their important job was to interpret the codes fast and accurate then, report any information about the war to commanders and to the President. The team play between the soldiers and the commanders created improved communication and spread the use of the