Surprising Facts About First Telegraph, First Message & Morse Code

Developed in the 1830’s and 1840’s by Samuel F.B. Morse, the telegraph covered a long distance communication. Samuel sent his first message after his invention in 1844. The telegraph worked by transmitting electric signals between two stations. He also created a code that included a set of dots and dashes to each letter of the alphabet and permitted easy exchange of messages across telegraph lines.

First telegraphs were made in the late 1700’s but these were hard to use because they included many wires, while Samuel Morse was the first person who created telegraph using only 1 wire.

The importance and the use of the telegraph quickly gained fame and many commercial interests contributed the spread of telegraph lines throughout the US.  Samuel Morse telegraph made it easier for people to anyone staying far away.

The Morse code became popular for many years as it provided an essential means of communication. Some people even called the code as the Victorian Internet because it allowed worldwide communication in a way before possible.

Charles Thomas Jackson

Source = Wikimedia

Charles Thomas Jackson told Samuel Finley Breese in 1832 that an electric impulse could be carried along a long wire. It was this fact that admired him to sketch his first designs of Telegraph according to Notable Biographies. (14.1)

Morse Sketch

Source = Blogspot

Morse Sketch showed the three important parts of the telegraph: a receiver for recording the signal, a sender and a code for transmitting the signal into letters and numbers for an understandable message.

Alfred Vail

Source = American-historama

Alfred Vail (mechanic) further helped Morse, they formed a partnership in 1837, devised a system of dots and dashes which then became the Morse code and tried to secure funding for their invitation.

Obtained funds from the US Congress

It was in 1843 when Morse finally obtained nearly $30,000 funds from the US Congress to build the telegraph line which connected Baltimore and Washington D.C. 

The Very First Telegraphic Message

The message read “ What hath God wrought” was the first telegraph message ever sent on May 24, 1844. The message was a passage from the Bible’s book of numbers, which was chosen by Annie Ellsworth.

Morse Code

Source = Readthedocs

The telegraph code introduced by Samuel Morse was popularly identified as American Morse Code, another version was developed in Europe which was recognized by as Continental Morse code. The code was adopted by most of the world and became the standard for different telegraphic communications.

Telegraph For News

The telegraph was effectively used for sending and receiving the messages; it soon became proof that could be used for sharing the news. Though, the first telegraphic press association was established in 1848. 

Here are some First Telegraph Facts

Inventor - Samuel Finley Breese Morse

Date of First Message – 24th May 1844

First Message Sent – “What hath God Wrought”

First Message end Points – Washington and Baltimore

Distance between locations – 40 miles