CDL:  The Telegraph:  The “Wonder Working Wire”

Samuel F. B. Morse invented the telegraph, or was given the credit for it, because he obtained a patent June 20, 1840.  Samuel combined the ideas of several scientists in order to create the telegraph device.  The telegraph consisted of a code that Morse created where tapping into the device went through wires to another location in the form of dashes and dots.  The dashes and dots that resulted at the end of the wire were then translated from a language named” Morse Code” to create messages and letters.  The device was first tested by the U.S. in an experiment between the Supreme Court to Baltimore, 41 miles away.  This communication tool was so effective that soon there were lines all over the country paralleling the railroad lines.  Fifty thousand miles of telegraph wire were in place by 1861 when the telegraph reached the west coast.  The telegraph was an effective and speedy communication device that changed the way Americans conveyed business, news, and other information. 

Questions:

Why was the telegraph such a successful invention for Americans?

How was Samuel F. B. Morse able to develop the technology for the telegraph?

CDL: Transatlantic Abolition

1.  How/why did Americans view slavery as acceptable during the early decades of the republic?

The African slaves were cheap labor for the Americans on their farms.  Americans viewed slavery as acceptable in the early decades of the republic because they had a view that anyone with darkened skin was a lesser being and therefore could be enslaved.

2. If the end of the slave trade was considered a critical first step in abolishing slavery, why were the southern states in favor of banning the slave trade?

The southern states favored banning the slave trade because it increased the value of the naturally born slaves in the U.S. that were sold and transported west. 

3. What were some future consequences of banning the importation of slaves into America?

One positive consequence was that the ban of slaves into America was a cooperative effort with multiple nations.   One negative consequence was that the southern slave owner were profiting with an increased value for natural born slaves being sold and transported west. 

This was a very big step in equality in America and even though it would take decades for all U.S. citizens to have equal rights it was a step in the correct moral direction for our country.