Samuel Morse: A Revolutionary Visionary

My name is Quinn Paton, and this podcast will explore the captivating story of painter and visionary Samuel Morse. Born in Charlestown, Massachusetts in the year 1791, Samuel Morse grew up to be one of the most significant figures in the beginnings of technology. At age 14, Morse enrolled in Yale College, and graduated five years later with an art major. Aspiring to be a painter in July of 1811, Morse headed to London, England to attend the Roehl Academy of Arts. Five years later, Morse returned home to the United States, where he opened an art studio in central Boston. While running his studio, Samuel Morse continued his voyages to Europe to further his studies in art. In 1832, on a ship headed home to America, Morse conceptualized the idea for an electric telegraph after overhearing a conversation on electromagnets. Still, with his main focus residing in painting, Morse devoted most of his time to teaching art at the University of the City of New York. Five years later, in 1837, Morse, with the help of two friends, turned their attention to the electric telegraph. In this time, Morse was able to develop a code comprised of dots and dashes that corresponded to letters in the alphabet. This was later named the Morse Code. Gaining support from the U.S. Congress in 1843, Morse was able to begin construction. A year later, in May of 1844, Morse sent the first telegraph message from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland, reading, What Hath God Wrote? A quote that resounded through history. The telegraph was a pioneer for much of the communication technology that we see today. Telephones, radios, messaging, its influence still resonates worldwide with modern communication technology, nearly two centuries after its creation. I'm Quinn Paton, and thank you for listening.