Télégraphie

Télégraphie, also known as telegraphy, is a method of long-distance communication that uses electrical signals to transmit messages. It was developed in the 19th century as a means to overcome the limitations of traditional communication methods, such as couriers and postal services, which were slow and unreliable over long distances.

The telegraph system consists of a network of telegraph stations connected by wires, which transmit electrical signals representing letters, numbers, or other characters. The most common type of telegraph was the Morse code telegraph, which uses a series of dots and dashes to represent letters and numbers. Each telegraph station has a telegraph key, which is used to send messages by manually opening and closing an electrical circuit.

Telegraphy revolutionized communication by enabling instantaneous transmission of messages over long distances. It played a crucial role in the development of modern telecommunications and laid the groundwork for later technologies such as the telephone and radio. Despite its eventual replacement by more advanced communication methods, telegraphy remains an important historical milestone in the evolution of telecommunications.