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The Civil War: How The Telegraph Has Changed The World

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In 1974, Claude Chappe invented the first non-electrical telegraph, and though, not given much credit, Samuel Soemmering, using 35 wires with gold electrode through water, sending messages about two thousand feet away, re-invented it, known as the electrical telegraph. Soon, Samuel Morse took credit for sending the ‘first message’ using the telegraph, reading,"What hath God wrought?". This invention changed the world by broadening communication, and expanding productivity. It helped through wars and business, including the Civil War, WWI, and WWII, demonstrating its importance to America, and businessmen comparing and contrasting ideas. Focusing on the Civil War, the telegraph helped Lincoln win the war, as well as put his leadership forward. In fact, Lincoln would hardly leave the office, and be deeply anxious about recording new telegrams. Henceforth, the telegram became a worldwide phenomenon, known to change the world in considerable ways. As the telegraph came into the new era, an abundance of people began to use it more than …show more content…

It was used for commercial use among citizens and common folk. People knew who was fighting, and wanted to see who was winning or who died. Most journalists began to write for the papers, communicating with soldiers and colonels to figure out what was happening. “The telegraph, which was used heavily by the press during the Civil War, had a long-lasting effect on journalism,” (The Press' Experience During the Civil War 10), because of the way journalists were being paid - per word - they would extend into as much detail as possible. Most journalists had to prioritize and become distinctly factual during this time. Being that the news was one of the only objects of entertainment, people began to read more frequently. More words on a page paid journalists a profusion of money; furthermore, this led to the telegraph being used successively and

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From the late 18th century to the early 19th century, the Industrial Revolution in the United States created advancements in the fields of manufacturing and technology. One of the most influential innovations that emerged from this period was the telegraph. Invented by Samuel F. B. Morse, the telegraph transformed how information was transmitted by allowing messages to be sent and received over long distances. The invention influenced many sectors of the economy, including warfare. Most significantly, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was the first to deploy this technology to gain a strategic advantage over an opponent.

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During the War the Union’s economy caused by factories provided the stable enough economy to influence a growth in communication. The North began to produce more and more newspapers because of the newer invention of a more efficient printing press that would spread the propaganda of the war. The political cartoons in the newspaper would give a moral boost and part out opinions of the war (Martin). Also the mass use of the telegraph allowed President Lincoln to be the first to be able to communicate directly and quickly with the battlefield (Civil War Technology). During the Civil war the Union had “trained 1,200 operators, strung 4,000 miles of telegraph wire and sent more than a million messages to and from the battlefield,” which was

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To start, the Freedom of the Press is so important in America that it is the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. In addition the people of the nation at this time were well educated and well read. This free press, educated society combined with the citizens’ desire to become involved within it meant there was more demand than ever for newspapers. These factors meant that the number of different newspapers in the United States increased from 31 in 1775 to 1,200 in 1835, with the number more than tripling between 1810 and 1835 (Document G).

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The repeating rifle not only made fighting a war much easier, it began to change the dynamic of the battle field. This dynamic though was not quickly envisioned during the Civil War, as the combatants in the war continued to use the old age linear style warfare. This new repeating rifle did not have any early effects on politics as it was introduced too late in the war to have a substantial effect on the outcome. The rifle did however cause issues politically later on in its life, as more advanced versions were being made, and the fight for gun rights were coming to the

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Anderson, in Imagined Communities, eloquently mentions the new advancement of print-journalism. One problem journalist had was reaching readers. Prior to the Enlightenment, print was under heavy scrutiny by the crown and church. The presses were exclusively ecclesiastical. As populations began to further their thinking, they were closely linked to print, as well as commerce.

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The Civil War was a terrible tragedy that affected millions of people, but helped toward the abolition of slavery. Compromises over slavery failed, huge disagreements over slavery developed, and the people were in outrage in both the North and South. Slavery was the main reason for sectionalism and the outrage over it. The nation was divided on the subject. Ultimately, sectionalism slavery were the main reasons for the Civil War.

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President Lincoln was able to issue orders to his commanders, move troops, receive battle results, and much more through the telegraph. Hot air balloons were used locate and track movements of other soldiers. They would then communicate with their commanders so they could reposition and fire more accurately. Railroads were a vital innovation to the Civil War, they kept troops supplied.

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Samuel B. Morse later invented the telegraph in 1836. The telegraph worked by a series of dots and dashes which could be transmitted electrically. The first telegraph service opened was 8 years later between Baltimore and Washington D.C. It began to expand as well as the railroad industry did. Later that decade Alexander Graham Bell invented the

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These telegraphs played a big role in the Union because President Lincoln decided to take advantage of this useful weapon. They allowed Lincoln to communicate with the generals and soldiers on the front on how to fight. It also allowed for the front to give him live updates on how they are holding up down on the battlefield. Without this instant communication, the North would have to depend on horseback deliveries, like the South, which is not that reliable, because if the horseman dies, the information is never delivered. This gave the North the upper hand in the war because they were able to quickly change their battle strategies and adjust to the South’s plays as they deal them.

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The telegraph made it possible for president Abraham Lincoln to send messages on the spot to his officers on the battlefield. The telegraph coming from the white house made it possible to monitor the battle

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We are expected by each other to look a certain way, buy certain things, and act accordingly. There is a cardboard-cutout version of everyone that we must adhere to in order to be deemed pleasing by society. When we don’t quite fit in – when we don’t put forth an illusion and force people to confront reality – we are left alone. Until a time where those around you finally see that there is more to a human being than what they look like on the outside. It is often said that individuals are of what they do not know, terrified of what they do know, and frightened of what they have the potential of finding out.

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The telegraph also enabled news sources to report on the war in a timely fashion, leading to an entirely new headache for the government: how to handle the media.” (PBS.org). The telegraph was a wonderful invention, and helped many people during the war. It’s one and only downfall was that now the government had to find new ways to deal with the

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Regardless of all, he had been taught at Yale, he felt that he didn’t have enough knowledge of the qualities of electricity. After his encounter with Jackson, Morse turned to a fellow colleague by the name of Leonard Gale for help. Gale was a professor who was well versed in electrical work. Gale’s familiarity and knowledge were critical to Morse’s telegraph, not only would Gale point out problems in the telegraph system, he would also show Morse how he could boost the signal. Around December of 1837, Morse had enough self-confidence in his telegraph system and he tried to apply for Federal Government funding.

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The American civil war was one of the biggest wars of its time and the bloodiest in the history of the country. The American civil war is also considered by many to be the first modern war. Modern warfare as combines many aspects that in the past weren’t used at all or were scarcely used. Some of the aspects of modern war are use of new technologies, the civilians who affected the war, the people who were affected by the war and the use of factories to mass produce weapons. There were many new technologies that were used to gain advantages in the war.

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In as much as market area was expanded, one fact that remains clear is that telegraph proved to be more expensive per word when a comparison is made with letters, but overall, the communication was made less

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