Final answer:
Samuel Morse's invention of the telegraph and Morse code in 1844 revolutionized communication by enabling rapid, long-distance message transmission, profoundly affecting business, politics, and the dissemination of information across the nation and later globally.
Step-by-step explanation:
The invention of the telegraph by Samuel Morse in 1844 had a profound impact on communications in the United States. Morse's system, which included the now-famous Morse code, enabled people to send messages over long distances in a fraction of the time it would take to deliver the same message by horseback or train.
This rapid communication method transformed many aspects of American life, including business, economics, and politics, facilitating the almost instantaneous dissemination of news and information.
With the support of Congress, the first telegraph line was established between Washington, DC and Baltimore. This breakthrough paved the way for further developments in communication technology, eventually leading to the construction of transatlantic cables, the dominance of the telegraph in global empires, and the expansion of telecommunications.
The telegraph system made it possible to communicate across the nation and laid the groundwork for future innovations in communication, such as the telephone and wireless transmission, changing the landscape of how information was shared both nationally and globally.