Morse, Samuel Finley Breese
Published: August 18, 2006, 6:41 pm
Updated: August 18, 2006, 6:41 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Peter Saundry
Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791–1872), famous American inventor of 'lightning wires' and 'Morse code', an electronic alphabet that could carry messages. Morse applied for a patent for his inventions in 1840; a line was subsequently constructed between Baltimore and Washington and the first message, "What hath God wrought!", was sent on May 24, 1844. By 1861, the two coasts of the United States were linked by telegraph. Morse’s work was clearly built upon advances made by others on both the telegraph and from earlier codes, such as the semaphore. This led some to question his title as “inventor of the telegraph,” and he was forced to defend his invention in court. By then, however, his public demonstrations had captured the attention of the world, and he was forever linked with the invention of the telegraph.
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Morse, Samuel Finley Breese". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 18, 2006; Last revised Date August 18, 2006; Retrieved June 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Morse,_Samuel_Finley_Breese>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791–1872), famous American inventor of 'lightning wires' and 'Morse code', an electronic alphabet that could carry messages. Morse applied for a patent for his inventions in 1840; a line was subsequently constructed between Baltimore and Washington and the first message, "What hath God wrought!", was sent on May 24, 1844. By 1861, the two coasts of the United States were linked by telegraph. Morse’s work was clearly built upon advances made by others on both the telegraph and from earlier codes, such as the semaphore. This led some to question his title as “inventor of the telegraph,” and he was forced to defend his invention in court. By then, however, his public demonstrations had captured the attention of the world, and he was forever linked with the invention of the telegraph.
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