Transatlantic Cable
Before the Transatlantic Cable communication through different continents took over two weeks. News could only travel as fast as the swiftest horse or fastest sailing ship, and news rarely reached North America from Europe in under two weeks. For example, in the War of 1812 the Treaty of Ghent was signed two weeks before the major battle. The people fighting the war had no clue that either country had signed the treaty, that ended the war.
Taking two weeks for telegraph to get to another continent was very normal for the time. The idea of a Transatlantic Cable was first proposed in 1845 by Cyrus Field. The idea was laying a cable under the ocean so that telegraphs messages could go back and forth between North America and Europe. He began working in 1854 making 5 attempts to lay the cable, it snapped every time. 1858 two American ships managed to lay a cable between Ireland and Newfoundland. Field then arranged for Britain's Queen Victoria in London to send the first Transatlantic message to President James Buchanan in Washington D.C. For 3 weeks Cyrus Field was a hero, but the cable broke. Field would not give up. In 1866 Great Eastern succeeded in laying the cable. The Transatlantic Cable brought the United States and Europe closer together. This made him famous, and he marveled in his success.
Taking two weeks for telegraph to get to another continent was very normal for the time. The idea of a Transatlantic Cable was first proposed in 1845 by Cyrus Field. The idea was laying a cable under the ocean so that telegraphs messages could go back and forth between North America and Europe. He began working in 1854 making 5 attempts to lay the cable, it snapped every time. 1858 two American ships managed to lay a cable between Ireland and Newfoundland. Field then arranged for Britain's Queen Victoria in London to send the first Transatlantic message to President James Buchanan in Washington D.C. For 3 weeks Cyrus Field was a hero, but the cable broke. Field would not give up. In 1866 Great Eastern succeeded in laying the cable. The Transatlantic Cable brought the United States and Europe closer together. This made him famous, and he marveled in his success.
"History Magazine - The Transatlantic Cable." History Magazine - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.history-magazine.com/cable.html>.
"Milestones:Landing of the Transatlantic Cable, 1866 - GHN: IEEE Global History Network." IEEE Global History Network - GHN: IEEE Global History Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/in
"Milestones:Landing of the Transatlantic Cable, 1866 - GHN: IEEE Global History Network." IEEE Global History Network - GHN: IEEE Global History Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/in
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