What is telegram, what is telegraph?

The terms "telegram" and "telegraph" are related, but refer to different aspects of communication technology:

Telegraph: The telegraph refers to the entire communication system developed by Samuel Morse and others in the 19th century. It involved the transmission of messages over long distances using electrical signals sent through wires. The main components of the telegraph system included telegraph stations, wires, a signaling device (such as Morse code), and receiving stations. Messages were encoded using Morse code, a system of dots and dashes to represent letters and numbers.

Telegram: A telegram specifically refers to a message sent using the telegraph system. It is a method of communication in which a written or typed message is transmitted over long distances to a recipient. Telegrams were typically sent through telegraph stations where operators would receive, encode, transmit, receive, and decode messages. Before the advent of more advanced technologies, telegrams were widely used for urgent communications, official announcements, business transactions, and personal messages.

Key differences between Telegram and Telegraph:

Scope: The telegraph refers to the entire communications system, including infrastructure and technology, while a telegram refers specifically to the printed-out message sent over that system.

Technology: The telegraph system used wires, electrical signals, and Morse code to encode messages. A telegram was the actual text message sent over this system.

Use: Telegraphy was the technology, while telegrams were the practical applications of that technology for sending written messages.

In summary, the telegraph was the technological infrastructure that enabled long-distance communication via electrical signals, while a telegram was the specific message transmitted using that technology. Together, they represented a significant advance in communication during the 19th and early 20th centuries.