The Invention of the Telegraph and Telephone in American History

Book excerpt: In 1832, Samuel Morse began sketching ideas for a device that could send and receive messages through long pieces of wire. This idea became known as the telegraph, an invention that blazed a trail for Alexander Graham Bell's development of the telephone. The telegraph and telephone transformed long-distance communication in America by allowing people to relay messages more quickly. In The Invention of the Telegraph and Telephone In American History, author Anita Louise McCormick takes a look at the early history of telecommunications. She also gives detailed portraits of the inventors that developed communication methods and devices, which are still used today! Excellent source documents help tell the story of America's introduction to the telegraph and telephone. Book jacket.