EOTO POST: The Invention of the Telephone

The invention of the telephone is one that revolutionized the field of communication and over the centuries has been transformed in unimaginable ways

The invention of the telephone is one that revolutionized the field of communication and over the centuries has been transformed in unimaginable ways. The image above illustrates what the first ever telephone to successfully transmit sound waves looked like. According to Britannica, Alexander Bell invented the telephone in 1876, in which he filed a patent in February, but did not have the product functioning until the month of March.

CLICK HERE FOR TO WATCH THIS VIDEO

 Alexander Bell accomplished the ability of noise to be relayed by discovering that noise makes sound waves. Sound waves omit electric vibrations out of a transmitter which allows the sound waves to travel to other connected receivers(Britannica). What one should keep in mind is that this invention did not work for long distances as it's power source was an electromagnet which was fueled by one's vocal vibrations(Britannica). However, later down the road others invented telephones with stronger power sources allowing the person to communicate over greater distances.  

During the 1870's the Reconstruction Era was continuing to unfold in which the United States continued to face polarizing Civil Rights issues. The main form of communication during this time was the telegraph and writing letters. In hopes of improving the feasibility and efficiency of communication, Alexander Bell decided to work towards improving the telegraph but instead unintentionally invented the telephone. 

As a result of Bell's groundbreaking invention, the Bell Telephone Company was created in 1877, with the hopes of making the telephone available to the public. During this time, telephones were mainly prioritized and used for businesses(Grant and Meadows 15). After 6 months of the telephone existing,  a total 1,300 were being used(Grant and Meadows 15). 

Thomas Edison's version of a telephone

Soon after Bell's original telephone creation, Thomas Edison created another version of a Telephone that made it so the piece intended to speak and the piece intended for listening were separate (Forrester 2). As a result of separating these two key components, a person using the telephone could hear the other person more clearly. Thomas Edison was not the only inventor that built off of Alexander Bell's original telephone invention, as this creation continued to evolve. 

During the 1890's Almon Strowger created the automatic telephone which made the communication process even more easier(Forrester 2). As a result of this, instead of having a physical person facilitate the call you are making and connecting you to the other line, it could be done automatically(Britannica).

Brittanica defines a telephone as a product that allows for the, "simultaneous transmission and reception of the human voice". Reading how revolutionary this product was puts into perspective the historical impact it had, as now in days it is a product is incorporated in every day life. The telephone solved  communication problems of timeliness, misinterpretation, and a general sense of connection. Even today the telephone is greatly appreciated as it gave people the ability to directly speak to one another. 

Sources 

Borth, David E.. "telephone". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/telephone. Accessed 7 November 2023.

Forrester, Rochelle. “Invention of the telephone.” SSRN Electronic Journal, Jan. 2020, pp. 1–5, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3513276.

Grant, August  E, and Jennifer H Meadows . Communication Technology Update . 10th ed., Elsevier Inc, 2006.

    Hochfelder, David. "Alexander Graham Bell". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-Graham-Bell. Accessed 7 November 2023.