Under the Atlantic Ocean: History of the Transatlantic Telegraph Cable
In 1858, the first telegraph cable was successfully laid across the Atlantic Ocean, marking the culmination of years of effort. It was the first of many cutting-edge innovations that enabled accurate and faster information transmission between the United States of America and Britain. This achievement was expected to allow news to spread more quickly, improve cooperation between nations, and expedite business and trade. However, the first cable failed after a few weeks, and it would take several more years before a reliable and fast communication link was established.
The Significance of the Transatlantic Telegraph Cable
Before the transatlantic telegraph cable, the only way to communicate between the United States and Britain was by mail, which was slow and prone to delays. Once overland telegraphs improved communication speed and accuracy on land, scientists began exploring the possibility of an underwater telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean. Optimism about the project led to swift financing and planning for an expedition, but challenges in figuring out how the cable would be constructed and laid caused delays. Despite these setbacks, the transatlantic telegraph cable eventually provided a dependable communication link between North America and Europe that brought people closer together and made business and trade more efficient.
Who Was Behind the Project?
Cyrus West Field, a New York paper manufacturer who retired at the age of 33 with $250,000, spearheaded the transatlantic telegraph cable project. Field had the vision, energy, and financial means to pursue this ambitious undertaking. In 1856, he established the Atlantic Telegraph Company with the support of many investors, including the United States and British governments.
One Failure After Another
In August of 1857, the Atlantic Telegraph Company made its first attempt at laying the cable. Two ships sailed out of Valentia Bay, Ireland, and began their work; however, after a few days, the cable snapped and could not be retrieved. Work was halted for the winter, with both ships returning to shore.
The following year, a second attempt was made. This time, the two ships would start in the middle of the Atlantic, splice their cables together, and then sail away from each other, laying cable as they went. However, two days later, the cable stopped being able to carry a signal. Both ships returned to the start point, cutting the cable loose and splicing a new connection to start over. This time, two days into the journey, the cable snapped. The boats returned to port to regroup, then tried again the following month. Finally, their plan worked; they spliced together a new cable, sailed apart, and successfully reached Newfoundland on one side and Ireland on the other.
After a few days of testing, the cable was ready for use. It was officially opened to the public on Aug. 16, 1858, with Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan exchanging messages on the first day of operation. But there was little opportunity to celebrate. The signal quality began to degrade, and just a few weeks later, the cable was unusable.
Perseverance and Success
In 1866, after the Civil War, the Atlantic Telegraph Company successfully installed another transatlantic telegraph cable. This cable worked better and was more reliable. At first, the cable was only used by the government and the military, but later, it was opened to the public, allowing immigrants to stay in touch with their families across the Atlantic.
Although at first, the transatlantic telegraph cable was a historic disaster, it turned out to be successful. The slogan "two weeks to two minutes" was used to emphasize the great improvement in communication speed over mail dispatched by ships. The transatlantic cable transformed commercial, political, and personal relationships between people on opposite sides of the ocean.
- Milestones: Landing of the Transatlantic Cable, 1866
- The Great Telegraph Breakthrough of 1866
- Timeline of the Great Transatlantic Cable
- The First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable (1858)
- A Wire Across the Ocean
- 1830s to 1860s: History of the Telegraph
- Transatlantic Telegraph Cable, 1858
- Perseverance Pays Off: The Transatlantic Telegraph Cable
- Laying of the Transatlantic Telegraph Cable
- First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable Completed, 1858
- History of the Atlantic Cable as it Happened
- Atlantic Telegraph Cable Timeline
- The 145th Anniversary of the Transatlantic Telegraph Cable
- July 27, 1866: The Transatlantic Cable That Worked
- How Perseverance Laid the First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable
- The Trade Impact of the Transatlantic Telegraph
- The First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable Was a Bold, Beautiful Failure