Annihilating both time and space: What the telegraph gave email

The telegraph, which compressed continental communication from weeks to hours starting in 1861, established technological and cultural patterns that email inherited over a century later. From abbreviated language and delivery receipts to mass messaging capabilities, the telegraph pioneered instant communication conventions that defined modern electronic messaging. Though Western Union ceased telegraph service in 2006, the technology fundamentally transformed how society approaches speed, brevity, and constant connectivity.