The Invention of the Telephone 

Only 7 percent of Americans do not have a phone or landline in their house. This statistic is unbelievable considering that a little over 150 years ago there wasn’t even a telephone in existence. The telephone is one of the most universally used inventions. Many people can’t imagine living their life without a phone. Phones can be used in many different ways such as calling a loved one, messaging someone far away, or just simply for entertainment. The invention and advancement of the telephone has made communication easier and more convenient.

Most people give credit to Alexander Graham Bell for inventing the telephone. What most don’t know is that there were actually multiple inventors who could be credited with the invention. The first man who could be accredited with the design of the telephone is an Italian man, Antonio Meucci. Meucci was born in 1808 in Florence, Italy. There was a period in time where Meucci and Bell had shared a lab, some researchers think this is where Bell came up with his final idea for the telephone.

Meucci is credited with designing the first sketch of a telephone. Bell however created the communication device that would go on the inside (‘Who Invented the Telephone?”). This piece of equipment would go on to become the most important part of the telephone.

Even though Bell was not the only inventor of the telephone, he was the first one to patent the idea and therefore brought it to life. Bell was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, UK.

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He designed and made probably one of the most important pieces of the telephone and that is the phone we use to listen and hear. Bell had been interested in science and how things worked since he was a young child. He was especially interested in sound and how it traveled because of how his family had impacted him. His father and grandfather were both involved in a speech development program elocution, so that encouraged Bell to also look into hearing and speech patterns. Another huge reason that Bell was so interested in the speech and hearing was that he had a deaf wife and mother. Bell hated to see them suffer and wanted to try to come up with a device that could help them to hear. (‘Who Invented the Telephone?”). This shows how Bell wanted to help the people by creating the most beneficial device he could. In conclusion there were multiple creators of the telephone.

There has been almost no modifications to the original design. As time passed, the invention of the telephone went on to evolve and become a more efficient device. There were many great scientist who contributed to the evolution of the telephone such as Thomas Edison ,Thomas Watson, and Emil Berliner. Although these scientists helped modify the telephone the design and makeup of the telephone remained untouched for more than a century. (“Telephone’). This evidence shows how great the invention of the telephone was because there were almost no modifications to the original design. To conclude, the design of the telephone was very

Communication has evolved immensely since some of the earliest days. Some of the first ways people, like the Roman gods, communicated was by a messenger with the name of Mercury. The first American indians used smoke signals with one another to communicate with each other, but these methods of communication took too long and most of the time were inefficient.(Webb, M.) This shows how nowadays people want things instantly. So Bell tried to his best to make communication quick and easy as possible.

At first Bell used electricity to broadcast the sound, then he equipped with a telegraph wire to aid sound from place to place. The success of this invention then took off. (“Who Invented the Telephone?”). Bell was the first man to make a call that was dispatched by electricity just a short time after he received his patent. During the first ever call made with electricity Bell said, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want you!” This illustrates the first major step in the evolution of the telephone. (Caffrey, Cait). Just a while after Bell made the first call telephones started to be used more often and over longer distances. The first coast to coast call was made in 1915. There was a man at the Eiffel Tower and one in Virgina. This is referred to as the first transatlantic transmission. Once Bell heard about this called that had been made he could foresee the day when a phone call could be produced without the use of wires. (Bell, Alexander Graham). This is evidence shows that Bell was a wise man and knew the potential of his invention.

The first mass telephone usage was during WW1. The men would fight in the war while the women would operate the switchboard for the telephone in France. Most women would volunteer themselves to help their country. After the war was over the job position of switchboard operator was taken over by women because they were more efficient and helpful then the men who had previously held that job. (Webb, M.) After the world wars were over the need for a switchboard had become almost inessential.

The first hand-held telephones were released during the 1970’s. As more and more cell-phones were being sold there were less landlines and more radio towers and mobile networks. (Webb, M). The most recent step in the evolution of the telephone is the smartphone, which was released during the 2000’s. While the telephone could only connect people verbally while smartphones can do much more. They can do things like send a text, take a picture or video, and connect to the internet at the touch of a finger. (Caffrey, Cait). This shows one of the most revolutionary steps in the evolution of the telephone.

Bell’s death took place on August 2, 1922. He peacefully died at his estate in Nova Scotia, Canada, after struggling with diabetes for many years. Bell had received his last patent just a few years before before his death at the age of 75. As a tribute to one of Bell’s greatest inventions all 14,346,701 of the cell phones at his funeral went silent for one minute. (Bell, Alexander Graham). This shows how thankful people were for Alexander Graham Bell and his extraordinary inventions. To this day people are so thankful for Bell’s amazing invention of the telephone.

In conclusion the invention and advancement of the telephone has made communication easier and more convenient. The inventors of the telephone have created one of the greatest inventions in history. The telephone has also thoroughly evolved since its creation in 1876. Telephones have greatly impacted the lives of all people worldwide and have a great deal of significance in today’s world.