Inventing American Telecommunications
Peoples & Things
00:00
Why Is the Government Taking Over of the Telegraph a Problem?
Postmaster general Amos Kendall originally wanted to sell the technology to US Congress, that it would be kind of a state-owned or national system. So why did that option make, you know, that too, I think, to our ears or eyes, that makes this seems very strange? But why was that at something that made sense at the moment? Right. It not only made sense, it was the only option. There's almost unanimous support for the government takeover of the telegraph until I think some point in 1846. That turns out to be a disastrous strategy.
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