'Mr Watson, come here, I want you.'
The race: An exciting inventing race was on across Europe and America in the 1870s. Who could invent the first working telephone? Several inventors thought it was possible to send the human voice along a wire using electricity - but how?
Morse code
!
The telegraph: Before the telephone was invented, the quickest way of sending messages over long distances was by telegraph ('graph' meaning to write, and 'tele' meaning from far away).
What was it like in your day, Grandma?
Looking back: In the early 19th century (1800s), many people were trying to find better ways to communicate with each other. At that time:
- letters and other written messages were transported by horse-drawn carriages or riders
- new railways were helping to speed up deliveries
- there was no radio or TV
Communications Project Primary: Teacher's notes: How communications have changed our lives
