Advances+in+Communication

Advances in Communication By: Jack Howell

19th Century History Project

Communication in General: · As defined by Dictionary.com, communication is the interchanging of thoughts or ideas with other organisms. During the Industrial revolution, people were able to communicate in many different ways. Communication advances as technology advances and will always have a large impact on how societies operate.

Communication before the Industrial Revolution: · There were really only two forms of existing communication during the pre-19th century time period. One of the forms of communication was talking and interacting with other humans physically. The other form was by mail. Mail companies such as the pony express would deliver mail across large areas of land. However, while mail was good at the time, it took a very long time to be delivered. Additionally, many pieces of mail would get lost on the way from city to city. Since they were riding on horseback, it was also very exhausting during the hot days of summer. Communication would significantly change for the better when the age of the industrial revolution appeared on the horizon.

I will explain each of the following questions in each of the four paragraphs below: · Communication during the Revolution: o What impact did it have? o How was it a departure from the past? · Communication after the Industrial Revolution: o How did it advance into the future?

The Telegraph: · · In Britain, physicist Sir Charles Wheatstone and engineer Sir William Cooke were the first people to start working with electrical instruments in order to achieve a telegraphic transmission. With their hard research, a new product emerged called the telegraph. The newly invented telegram was able to send and receive messages over long distances using Morse Code. While a majority of the telegraphic research was completed in Britain, American, Samuel Morse (commonly known for inventing the Morse Code) was able to actually send the first public telegram from Washington to Baltimore in 1844. The telegraph was really the first modern form of communication in which people could talk without actually physically moving. As if the regular telegraph was not good enough, in 1874, Thomas Edison invented the first quadruplex telegraph which allowed for 8 or more messages to be sent at once. By 1875, many countries around the world were able to communicate with each other via the telegraph. Never before had so many different people been able to communicate so easily and affectively. A message could be sent around the world in less than five minutes, which is remarkable for that day and age. Printing presses also benefitted from the telegraph because they were able to receive news quickly. The telegraph was the main and most popular form of communication during the 19th century. Overall, the telegram revolutionized the way that people communicated in everyday life. Specifically, it impacted the revolution because for the first time, people could now talk to friends and family from long distances. More people were able to communicate with other societies at great ease. The telegraph was a departure from the past because no other form of communication had ever been united with electricity. With electronic waves, everything is faster and more proficient. The telegraph advanced into the future by essentially being the first form of a modern day telephone. Perhaps the telegram is described best by //The New York Herald// in 1848 when they claim that”steam, electricity and machinery, operated upon by Heaven-born intellect, produce the whole.”

· PICTURE: A Western Union Telegraph Building (1875):

The Early Radio: · · Towards the later years of the 19th century, Guglielmo Marconi desired to invent the radio (otherwise known as the wireless telegraph). Marconi was able to make the radio because Marie Curie discovered a new element called radium 1897. Radium allowed for waves of sound to be transferred from one person to another with great speed. In 1901, he actually completed the first radio signal, which took place across the Atlantic Ocean. The radio had a major effect on governments because they could contact people within seconds. Additionally, the radio impacted war at the time greatly because communication was essential for troops during battle and at sea. The United States actually passed a law that made it mandatory for war ships to carry a radio on board. Along with the telegraph, the radio was the most widely used form of long distance communication at the time. The newspaper and the radio were the two main sources of news to the general public during the 19th century. The radio had an impact on the century because broadcasters could now voice their opinions and news topics over the radio in order for them to be heard. The radio was the most modern and popular form of media. It helped promote the future because back then, the radio was only used as a household item. Now, people have radios in their cars and portable devices. This invention was a departure from the past because now multiple people could hear one person talk from miles and miles away; it was the start of the media market, which now controls people’s everyday lives.

· PICTURE: The Early Radio:

The Early Telephone: · · In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell patented the first working telephone. With the first, early version of the telephone, “the user had to crank by hand to ring an operator.” There was also a middle box which consisted of a mouthpiece; the bottom part held a battery and a transmitter. For the common person, it was generally difficult to use; however, advances would be made in the later 20th century to fix those problems. In 1879, President Hayes established the first telephone in the white house. While the phone was not extremely popular at the time, it was another device for him to receive important news with. Additionally, the early telephone allowed for President Hayes to communicate with people more efficiently across the country. It impacted the revolution because with money and profit in mind, many companies tried to start new businesses in order to sell and promote the use of telephones. However, only one of those companies today is still around as a leader in the industry: AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph). Eventually over time, the telephone began to gain popularity over the telegraph because it was more convenient and easier to work. The telephone allowed for people to communicate back and forth quicker than ever before during the revolution. The telephone was a departure into the future because now, there was no pause in between the two people that were communicating. The advancement in speed was important because people could communicate faster than ever from long distances.

· PICTURES Below Page:

The Printing Press (newspapers and books): · · With so much information coming in from telegraphs and telephones, the printing presses during the 19th century had to improve their speed of production. Steam powered, rotary printers and driving presses were able to meet the demand for mass quantities of the demanded information. Ottmar Mergenthaler created the Linotype printer, which is considered to be the first modern day printer. This printer was able to produce written papers with a wide range of styles and speeds (for the time at least). The new printing technologies were able to produce mass quantities of information for more people to read. The printing press impacted the revolution because newspapers and books became more popular than ever before. Since it was not rare to receive a book or paper anymore, more people were to read and learn more about the world around them. The large amounts of books available decreased their original prices which allowed for a wide variety of people (in all social classes) to purchase these books. Since more people were reading, literacy rates increased during the future years. This is great department into the 20th century because a modern society always wants to have as many educated people as possible. The printing press advanced education because with education, more people were able to think critically and help promote growth in their communities. With new people coming up with fresh ideas, more inventions (specifically in communication) were being considered and made.

Overall:

The telegraph, radio, telephone, and printing press all impacted the revolution by replacing mail as a form of communication during the 19th century. The new inventions allowed for people to be in contact with their friends and family instantly. Businesses also prospered because people were able to discuss important ideas more easily and not just in person. These new communications during the Industrial Revolution drove companies like the pony express out of business. Mail could take up to months for arrival; however, these advanced ways of communication contacted people with minutes. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, countries were able to communicate across the seas with much ease. Since more communication was taking place with different societies, cultural exchanging was becoming more and more popular. The communities were able to prosper, and the people were able to be more diverse because they were familiar with a variety of backgrounds. Overall, communication changes and promotes the environment of any culture. Overall, the greatest departure and advancement from the communication revolution was the blending of different, unique cultures. Arguably, communication had more of an impact on the Industrial Revolution than any other advancement.

Images:

ADVANCING INTO THE FUTURE – Phone Timeline (ALL PICTURES):

Mr. Bell’s first model of the telephone (1875):

The First box phone (1980):

A Desk phone (1890s-early 1900s):

1930 Telephone:

Cell phone (1970s):

1990s Phone:

21st Century - Modern day phone:

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