The Telegraph (1): Erasing Time, Compressing Space Presentation by Mindy McAdams Week 8.1 / MMC 2265

The Optical Telegraph: 1792-3 Invented by Claude Chappe (1763 – 1805), a Frenchman In 1794 , first messages sent between Paris and Lille, France No electricity used Line of sight only (no good at night or on rainy days)

Invented by Claude Chappe (1763 – 1805), a Frenchman

In 1794 , first messages sent between Paris and Lille, France

No electricity used

Line of sight only (no good at night or on rainy days)

Timing Is Everything 1789: Storming of the Bastille in Paris 1792: Chappe asks the French legislature for funding to build telegraph ; he is denied 1792–1797: French at war with Austria and Prussia 1793: Chappe asks the French legislature for funding (again); he gets money! 1793: King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette executed 1793–1794: In the Reign of Terror, at least 18,000 people are executed (many on the guillotine)

1789: Storming of the Bastille in Paris

1792: Chappe asks the French legislature for funding to build telegraph ; he is denied

1792–1797: French at war with Austria and Prussia

1793: Chappe asks the French legislature for funding (again); he gets money!

1793: King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette executed

1793–1794: In the Reign of Terror, at least 18,000 people are executed (many on the guillotine)

Distance and Speed This is not the first time people had tried to communicate between two distant points The goal: Get the message to its destination faster than a man (or a horse) could travel Top: African drums were used to send a signal to a nearby village. Bottom: Homing pigeons were used by the ancient Persians and Greeks.

This is not the first time people had tried to communicate between two distant points

The goal: Get the message to its destination faster than a man (or a horse) could travel

Chappe’s System (Hardware) The vertical bar can be moved to four positions (only two were used) The two boards (one on each end) could each be moved into seven positions

The vertical bar can be moved to four positions (only two were used)

The two boards (one on each end) could each be moved into seven positions

Chappe’s Code 98 possible positions Six position reserved for instructions 92 could be employed With a codebook, the 92 positions could be made to represent 8,464 words or phrases (not letters) 92 positions of the Chappe telegraph

98 possible positions

Six position reserved for instructions

92 could be employed

With a codebook, the 92 positions could be made to represent 8,464 words or phrases (not letters)

“Hardware” and “Software” The hardware was slow The software made it more efficient The human factor: Two men required at each station had to repeat (accurately) the signal sent by the previous station

The hardware was slow

The software made it more efficient

The human factor: Two men required at each station had to repeat (accurately) the signal sent by the previous station

Chappe's telegraph stations, c. 1840 Most stations were about 3 to 4 miles apart

Getting the Message Visibility Average 6 hours a day in summer Average 3 hours a day in winter A line of telegraphs transmitted 1 to 3 signals per minute Speed improved over time It took 15 to 30 minutes to decode the message at the end of the line

Visibility

Average 6 hours a day in summer

Average 3 hours a day in winter

A line of telegraphs transmitted 1 to 3 signals per minute

Speed improved over time

It took 15 to 30 minutes to decode the message at the end of the line

Government Control Even though the French government changed drastically several times, each government supported the telegraph system Napoleon provided funds to expand the network along with his growing empire (1804 – 1814) Military operations justified the huge expense needed to run the network Public use of the network was forbidden until 1850 (except for transmission of lottery numbers )

Even though the French government changed drastically several times, each government supported the telegraph system

Napoleon provided funds to expand the network along with his growing empire (1804 – 1814)

Military operations justified the huge expense needed to run the network

Public use of the network was forbidden until 1850 (except for transmission of lottery numbers )

Republic and Empire France had its revolution (1789 – 1799) Then seesawed between republic and empire for 80 years 1792–1804: First Republic 1804–1814: First Empire (Napoleon I) 1848–1852: Second Republic 1852–1870: Second Empire (Napoleon III) 1870–1940: Third Republic

France had its revolution (1789 – 1799)

Then seesawed between republic and empire for 80 years

1792–1804: First Republic

1804–1814: First Empire (Napoleon I)

1848–1852: Second Republic

1852–1870: Second Empire (Napoleon III)

1870–1940: Third Republic

Communications and Democracy Claude Chappe, among others, argued that the network of telegraph stations would enable the nation-state to coalesce Fast communication over long distances: The key to a republican style of government? Critics (who supported empire) said France was “too large” to operate as a republic

Claude Chappe, among others, argued that the network of telegraph stations would enable the nation-state to coalesce

Fast communication over long distances: The key to a republican style of government?

Critics (who supported empire) said France was “too large” to operate as a republic

Connections: The Age of Reason “ Modern” philosophy began in the 1600s (with Descartes, who died in 1650) Followed the Renaissance (da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli; the Protestant Reformation) Preceded the Enlightenment (Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Paine), where the seeds of democracy were sown

“ Modern” philosophy began in the 1600s (with Descartes, who died in 1650)

Followed the Renaissance (da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli; the Protestant Reformation)

Preceded the Enlightenment (Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Paine), where the seeds of democracy were sown

Connections: The Nation-State State : political and geopolitical ( note: the liberal state) Nation : cultural and/or ethnic (language, religion, customs) Contrast: An empire is a state usually consisting of many diverse (conquered) nations

State : political and geopolitical ( note: the liberal state)

Nation : cultural and/or ethnic (language, religion, customs)

Contrast: An empire is a state usually consisting of many diverse (conquered) nations

Other Countries Copied France Britain and others built their own optical telegraph networks , copying Chappe’s ideas An aide to the King of Sweden learned of Chappe’s system by reading a magazine in 1794

Britain and others built their own optical telegraph networks , copying Chappe’s ideas

An aide to the King of Sweden learned of Chappe’s system by reading a magazine in 1794

The Telegraph (1): Erasing Time, Compressing Space Presentation by Mindy McAdams University of Florida