Telegraphy facts for kids
Telegraphy is a way to send messages over long distances without physically moving letters. The word "telegraphy" comes from two Greek words: tele, meaning "far," and graphein, meaning "to write."
A telegraph sends messages using electric pulses. These pulses create a special code made of short and long signals. One of the most famous codes used is Morse code. Even today, many people who enjoy amateur radio still use Morse code to talk to each other.
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How Telegraphs Work
Imagine sending a secret message using flashes of light or sounds! Early telegraphs worked a bit like that. They used different signals to represent letters and numbers.
The most common type, the electric telegraph, sent electricity through a wire. A special key was used to make short or long electrical pulses. These pulses traveled along the wire to another machine far away.
At the other end, the machine would turn these pulses into sounds or marks on paper. An operator would then listen to the sounds or read the marks and write down the message. It was like sending a very fast, coded letter!
The History of Telegraphs
Some of the first telegraphs were invented in the late 1700s. However, these early versions were often tricky to use because they needed many wires.
Samuel Morse's Invention
A big change happened when Samuel Morse created a telegraph that only needed one wire. This made it much simpler and easier to use. In 1844, he built the very first long telegraph line in the United States. It connected Baltimore to Washington, D.C..
Soon after, telegraph lines spread all across the country. This invention made it much easier for people to talk to others who lived far away. It also helped people move out West, as they could stay in touch with family and friends.
Connecting the World
By the end of the 1800s, the world became more connected. A special cable, called a transatlantic telegraph cable, was laid across the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. This cable allowed messages to be sent between America and Europe!
In the early 1900s, radio telegraphy became popular, especially for ships at sea. This meant messages could be sent without any wires at all!
The End of Telegrams
People used to send messages called telegrams. You would give your message to a telegraph operator. They would use Morse code to send it to another operator far away. That operator would then write down the message and deliver it to the person it was for.
After the 1930s, making long-distance telephone calls became cheaper than sending telegrams. Because of this, fewer and fewer telegrams were sent. Western Union, a famous American company that started with telegrams, sent its very last one in 2006.
Telegraphs Today
Telegraphs are now very rare. This is because of amazing new technology that helps people communicate. We now have the telephone and the Internet, which allow us to talk and share information instantly.
However, Morse code is still popular! Many people who enjoy amateur radio, also known as "ham radio," still use Morse code to chat with others around the world. It's a fun and challenging way to communicate.
More to Explore
Images for kids
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This image shows the Great Wall of China.
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A drawing of a Prussian optical telegraph tower from around 1835.
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This is an early electric telegraph machine from 1837, made by Cooke and Wheatstone.
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A Morse key, used to send Morse code, from around 1900.
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An old telegraph machine used for railways at the National Railway Museum.
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Australian soldiers using a heliograph (a device that sends messages with sunlight) in 1940.
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A US Forest Service lookout using a heliograph in 1912.
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A Baudot keyboard from 1884, used for a different type of telegraph.
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A machine that reads messages from paper tape.
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The first message arriving in London from Paris via an underwater telegraph cable in 1851.
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A map showing the Eastern Telegraph Company's network of cables in 1901.
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Alexander Bain's machine from 1850, which could send images over telegraph lines.
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Marconi watching his team set up an antenna using a kite in Newfoundland in 1901.
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Engineers inspecting Marconi's radio equipment in 1897.
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An example of a Western Union telegram from 1930.
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A Teletype machine used for telex messages.
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An old drawing suggesting that the underwater cable would bring peace between England and France.
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See also
In Spanish: Telegrafía para niños
