Question
Messages sent by telegraph over the first long-distance telegraph line from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., could take several minutes, depending on how long the message was and how skilled the operator was. On May 24, 1844, Samuel Morse sent his colleague Alfred Vail the historic first telegraph message: “What hath God wrought!” It was short and sweet, because the longer the message, the more it cost to send.
As a mode of communication, what was the biggest challenge the telegraph faced?
A Because the telegraph required a network of wires on wooden poles, extending it over long distances was very expensive and took a lot of resources.
B The telegraph was limited in its usage because the equipment was only available in the eastern United States—access proved to be a major hindrance in other areas.
C Because telegraph messages could take days to be sent, communication was limited, and people often chose to write letters instead.
D Morse code, the system used to send messages, was notoriously tricky to learn and interpret, so many people avoided using it.
This question is taken from BSCom 100 – Introduction to Communication » Summer 2023 » Week 1 Summative Assessment
