1838 Archives | HISTORY

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1838

Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

Jan06

Inventions & Science

Samuel Morse unveils the telegraph, revolutionizing communication

On January 6, 1838, Samuel Morse’s telegraph system is demonstrated for the first time at the Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown, New Jersey. The telegraph, a device which used electric impulses to transmit encoded messages over a wire, would eventually revolutionize long-distance communication, reaching the height of its popularity in the 1920s and 1930s.

Painted portrait of American artist and inventor Samuel Morse (1791 - 1872), who invented the Morse code system used in sending messages by telegraph, circa 1850. He poses beside a telegraph device. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Jan12

19th Century

Joseph Smith flees Ohio

After his bank fails in the Panic of 1837, Joseph Smith flees Kirtland, Ohio, to avoid arrest and heads for Missouri to rebuild his religious community.

Jan26

19th Century

Tennessee passes nation’s first prohibition law

The first Prohibition law in the history of the United States is passed in Tennessee, making it a misdemeanor to sell alcoholic beverages in taverns and stores. The bill stated that all persons convicted of retailing “spirituous liquors” would be fined at the “discretion of the court” and that the fines would be used in support of public schools.

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