Samuel Morse Research Paper

Proper communication has played a critical role within the foundation of America; cell phones and numerous other technological innovations sprouted from crude prototypes invented during the 19th and 20th centuries. During the early 1800’s, communication relied on letters and spread very inefficiently by foot. One of the most prominent examples of improper communication was portrayed during the War of 1812, as the Battle of New Orleans took place after a treaty was established. Luckily, the Industrial Revolution (1820-1840) brought many technological enhancements, including the introduction of modernized “telecommunication”. These inventions included the printing press, steam locomotives, and Samuel F. B. Morse’s telegraph, which quickened

His father was the author of the first American history book, while his great grandfather was the president of Princeton College (Kerby 14). Throughout his youth, Morse was an advanced child and eventually entered Yale University at the age of 14 (Kerby 16). School only slightly interested young Morse, so he was often considered a lazy and disoriented student. His true passion lied in art, where he would earn pocket money by sketching and drawing portraits of his friends. Initially Morse’s parents did not approve of his lofty ambitions as an artist, and his father forced him to sell books at the Charleston Bookstore (Kerby 17). Finally, Morse got his parents permission to pursue a career as a painter, and he left for London in 1811 to study as an art major. While in London, Morse attended the Royal Academy, where many other respected artists studied; one of the artists who attended was Benjamin West (Silverman 42). Samuel Morse’s privileged upbringings gave him a head start in life, but his future was soon tainted by misfortunes he had to rise

His early works included The Dying Hercules, which he painted in 1813, and The Judgment of Jupiter (1815). After leaving the Academy, Morse aspired to attend school in Paris so he could study landscape paintings, but his parents believed Americans would only be interested in portraits; he later painted landscapes after being popularized by the Hudson River Valley School, but he worked independently (Kerby 21). This was not true though, as finding a paying career was a challenging task for any new artists in Northeast America. While looking for career opportunities, Samuel Morse met his future wife, Lucretia Pickering Walker; they later had three children named Susan, Charley, and Finley (Silverman 21). This was not his sole accomplishment, as Morse’s artist career finally blew up after a brief period of relying on inventions for cash (those including an unsuccessful marble cutter and water pump). In 1819 Samuel Morse painted a portrait for President Monroe, recommencing his career as a accomplished artist. He went on to paint a portrait of the House of Reps. Called Congress Hall in 1822 and French General Lafayette in 1825 (Kerby 23). Although his profession as a portrait painter was relatively short, Morse learned the valuable lessons of sales and created a name for