Transatlantic Telegraph Cable of 1858: How Wired Communication Preceded the Wireless Age
According to a Primal Space video, a 2,000-mile cable, laid across the Atlantic Ocean 168 years ago, established the inaugural direct communication link between Europe and North America. Known as the Victorian Internet by Tom Standage, the telegraph preceded this cable. In 1746, Jean-Antoine Nollet transmitted static electricity through 200 monks. Later, in 1792, Claude Chappe introduced a system of semaphoric towers. The electric telegraph became feasible with Alessandro Volta's battery in 1800. Samuel Morse devised the dot-and-dash code during the 1830s, while William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone developed a sophisticated telegraph system. Although the 1858 cable was unsuccessful, the idea proved its strength. Currently, around 600 undersea cables facilitate global internet traffic. The article was authored by Colin Marshall.
Key facts
- A 2,000-mile cable was laid across the Atlantic Ocean 168 years ago, enabling the first direct communication link between North America and Europe.
- The 1858 transatlantic cable failed within months, but its basic concept proved unusually robust.
- In 1746, Jean-Antoine Nollet sent a jolt of static electricity down a line of 200 monks.
- Claude Chappe's semaphoric tower system was first implemented in 1792 and used no electricity.
- Alessandro Volta's chemical battery in 1800 helped make the electric telegraph viable.
- Samuel Morse devised the dot-and-dash code bearing his name in the eighteen-thirties.
- William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone developed a telegraph system without a codebook, but its five wires made it more expensive and complex.
- Roughly 600 undersea cables now carry global internet traffic.
Entities
Artists
- Jean-Antoine Nollet
- Claude Chappe
- Alessandro Volta
- Samuel Morse
- William Cooke
- Charles Wheatstone
- Tom Standage
- Colin Marshall
Institutions
- Primal Space
- Economist
- Open Culture
Locations
- Atlantic Ocean
- North America
- Europe
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Seoul
- South Korea