The Telegraph Credit: masterclips

The electric telegraph was the first long distance, rapid communication systemdeveloped. Its inventor was Samuel Morse, the portrait painter. He got theidea on board a ship returning from England in 1832. In 1844 the first messagewas sent using the telegraph, from Baltimore to Washington. The telegraph wasfirst made of a key switch and each end of a electromagnet ended with a seriesthat had a wire and a battery. Earth acted the return line.

Samuel Morse Credit: masterclips

He also invented a special alphabet called the Morse Code that is stillused today. The telegraph system has a key and a sounder each ended with awire. There is an electric battery to give power to work.

When the key is pressed down it sends an electrical pluse down the wirewich energizes the sounder at the other end of the wire.