Overview
We live in a world where new technologies and devices are changing the way we communicate and interact with each-other. Have you ever asked yourself, “How did we get here”? What were the main principles and technologies that lead to the invention of the internet and other technologies that we use to communicate today?
This website is about a fundamental invention, the telegraph, and more specifically the Morse key, which is the device used to send a message using Morse code. The telegraph was the first communication technology that used electric current, and it worked by transmitting electrical signals over a wire laid between stations to send a message. Like the internet that we use today, the telegraph made the world feel smaller and connected. Instead of taking a few weeks or longer to get a message from coast to coast or across the Atlantic ocean, messages could be sent immediately.
Who we are
We are team telegraph, a group of four graduate students in the Communication, Culture and Technology (CCT) program at Georgetown University. We have conducted research on the telegraph and have studied it as part of a socio-technical system that changed not only the way people started to communicate with each-other across the ocean, but also had an impact on the working life, government and business. This website was built for entirely academic purposes. All educational uses are permitted with attribution and link to this page or appropriate pages. Cited and quoted sources are the property of the copyright holders.
Want to know more?
Check out our Interview with Dr. Finn.
Take a look at our Poster Design and our Socio-technical analysis.
