Samuel Morse invented the telegraph in 1832, along with his invention of Morse code. This digital invention used the symbols of 0s and 1s of Morse code to communicate. This allowed for long-distance communication as it was a point-to-point messaging system. The simplicity of Morse code, involving long and short beeps, allowed for easy use and understanding, with little room for human error as each letter had its own combination of short or long beeps. Very quickly, people were able to learn and use this new language! In 1842, Samuel Morse demonstrated his invention to the members of Congress. Before this invention, it took 12 days to get a message from London to New York, 33 days to India, and 10 weeks to get one all the way to Australia. With the telegraph, this could be done in minutes! Not surprisingly, the Congress members were convinced of its undeniable value! By 1861, they had connected the East and West coasts through long-distance communication via the telegraph. Imagine going from receiving a letter from your sister once every few weeks to being able to have a full conversation throughout the same day!
