Samuel Morse
An American painter and inventor who contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system and co-developed the Morse code.
Most quoted
"The mere transmission of intelligence is the smallest part of the work of the telegraph. Its great mission is to serve as a bond of peace and friendship between the nations of the earth."
— from Speech, 1868
"This mode of instantaneous communication must inevitably become an instrument of immense power, to be wielded for good or for evil, as it shall be properly or improperly directed."
— from Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, 1838
"This mode of communication will enable the people of the United States to communicate with each other, and with the government, with a rapidity and certainty hitherto unknown."
— from Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, 1838
All quotes by Samuel Morse (396)
I have fought a long battle for justice in the matter of my invention.
The electric telegraph is the forerunner of a new era.
My faith in God has been my support through all my trials.
The world is my country, and all mankind are my brethren.
A single wire may carry the thoughts of a continent.
The beauty of invention lies in its utility.
I would rather be the inventor of one useful thing than the painter of a hundred pictures.
Time and space are now annihilated.
The telegraph is a blessing bestowed by Providence.
My greatest reward is seeing my invention used for the good of humanity.
Do not be discouraged by the skepticism of others. Believe in your idea.
The artist must see what others overlook.
The telegraph will make one neighborhood of the whole country.
I have lived to see my dream realized.
The electric current is the messenger of the mind.
Simplicity is the soul of invention.
Contemporaries of Samuel Morse
Other Inventions born within 50 years of Samuel Morse (1791–1872).