The Conquest of Time, Space, and Political Opponents

Abstract

It is commonplace to think that we live in a communications revolution; in middle of nineteenth century, many Americans were convinced that they did too. In both eras, new technology inspired dreams of prosperity and peace. The difference is that nineteenth-century Americans saw their society torn apart by war and struggled for decades to restore political order. The hard realities of first information age may give perspective on turbulence of our own.1 In 1844, when Samuel F. Morse and his associates proved they could send messages along telegraph wires, they were in same position as startup computer companies c. 1980 who could build machines for a desk top. These innovators awaited killer application that would make technology a success in market. The personal computer was launched by software for word processing, spread-sheets, and games. The killer application of telegraphy was news. Menahem Blondheim's book is a reminder that telegraph was an invention in search of a commercial role. The account books of 1845 show that system could have handled six times as many customers. Capitalists were slow to see potential here. Newspaper proprietors were dominant investors in commercializing telegraph on East Coast. To west, editors were courted by indefatigable Henry O'Reilly, telegraph promoter who used small papers to nurture grass-roots sentiment in favor of putting towns on the great highway of thought (p. 42). The fragility of newspaper organization was at least as important as pioneering spirit in creation of first wire service. Publishers had given