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'Samuel Finley Breese Morse' (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American painter of portraits and historic scenes, the creator of a single wire telegraph system, and co-inventor, with Alfred Vail, of the Morse Code. ^[1]

Contents

Birth and education

Painting

Telegraph

Later years

Marriages

Death

Patents

Trivia

References and notes

Further reading

See also

Birth and education

Samuel F.B Morse was born on April 27, 1791 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the first child of geographer and pastor Jedidiah Morse and Elizabeth Ann Breese Morse. ^[2] Jedidiah was a great preacher of the Calvinist faith and supporter of the American Federalist party. He not only saw them as great preservers of Puritan traditions (strict observance of the Sabbath), but believed in their idea of an alliance with English in regards to a strong central government. Jedidiah strongly believed in education within a Federalist framework alongside the instillation of Calvinist virtues, morals and prayers for his son. After attending Phillips Academy, Andover, Samuel went on to Yale College to receive instruction in the subjects of religious philosophy, mathematics and science. While at Yale, he attended lectures on electricity from Benjamin Silliman and Jeremiah Day. He earned money by painting portraits. In 1810, he graduated from Yale. ^[3]

Painting

Morse's Calvinist beliefs are evident in his painting the ''Landing of the Pilgrims'', through the depiction of simplistic clothing as well as the austere facial features. This image captured the psychology of the Federalists; Calvinists from England brought to the United States ideas of religion and government thus forever linking the two countries. More importantly, this particular work attracted the attention of the famous artist, Washington Allston. Allston wanted Morse to come with him to England to meet the famous British artist Benjamin West. An agreement for three year stay was made with Jedidah and young Morse set sail with Allston aboard the Lydia on July 15, 1811 (1).
Upon his arrival in England, Morse diligently worked on perfecting painting techniques under the careful eye of Allston and by the end of 1811; he gained admittance to the Royal Academy. At the Academy, he fell in love with the Neo-classical art work of the Renaissance paying close attention to Michelangelo and Raphael. After observing and practicing sketches of curvatures and muscle formations, the young artist successfully created his own masterpiece, Dying Hercules. Immediately, Benjamin West secured Morse’s position at the Academy and received a gold medal from the Adelphi Society(2).
There definitely was a political statement against the British but also American Federalists with Dying Hercules. The muscles represented the strength of the young and vibrant United States that was undermined by the dubious the British and their American supporters. During Morse’s time in Britain the Americans and English were engaged in the War of 1812 and division existed within United States society over loyalties. Anti-Federalists Americans aligned themselves with the French, abhorred the British, and believed a strong central government to be inherently dangerous to democracy.(3) As the war raged on his letters to his parents became more anti-Federalist in their tones. In one such letter Morse said,
"I assert that the Federalists in the Northern States have done more injury to their country by their violent opposition measures than a French alliance could. There proceedings are copied into the English papers, read before Parliament, and circulated through their country, and what do they say of them… they call them (Federalists) cowards, a base set, say they are traitors to their country and ought to be hanged like traitors”(4).
Although Jedidah did not change his political views, he did influence Morse’s in another way. It unmistakably clear that Jedidah’s Calvinist ideas were and integral part of Morse’s other significant English piece ''Judgment of Jupiter.''
Jupiter in the cloud, accompanied by his eagle, with his hand over the parties, is pronouncing judgment. Marpessa with an expression of compunction and shame, imploring forgiveness, is throwing herself into the arms of her husband. Idas, who tenderly loved Marpessa, is eagerly rushing forward to receive her, while Apollo stares with surprise… at the unexpectedness of her decision (5).
A case can be made that Jupiter is representative of God’s omnipotence watching every move that is made. One might deem the portrait as a moral teaching by Morse on infidelity. Although Marpessa fell victim she realized that her eternal salvation was important and desisted from her wicked ways. Apollo shows no remorse for what he did, but just stands there with puzzled looked. A lot of the American paintings throughout the early nineteenth century had religious themes and tones and it was Morse who was the forerunner. ''Judgment of Jupiter'' allowed Morse to express his support of Anti Federalism while maintaining his strong spiritual convictions. This work represented American nationalism through Calvinism because these individuals expelled from England, contributed to the expulsion of the English (1776 and now in 1812) and established a free democratic society. West sought to present this image at another Royal Academy exhibition; unfortunately his time had run out. He left the United States on August 21, 1815 and began his full time career as an American painter (6).
The years, 1815-1825, mark significant growth in Morse’s paintings as he sought to capture the true essence of America’s culture and life. He had the honor of painting former Federalist President John Adams (1816). He hoped to become part of grander projects and saw his opportunity with the clash between Federalist and Anti-Federalists over Dartmouth College. Morse was able to paint Judge Woodward (1817) who was involved in bringing the Dartmouth case before the Supreme Court and the college’s president, Francis Brown. He sought commissions in Charleston, South Carolina (1818). Morse’s painting of Mrs. Emma Quash symbolized the opulence of Charleston. It seemed for the time being, the young artist was doing well for himself (7).
Between 1819 and 1821, Morse experienced a great change in his life. Commissions ceased in Charleston when the city was hit with an economic recession. Jedidah was forced to resign from his ministerial position as he was unsuccessful in stopping the rift within Calvinism. The new branch that formed was the Congregational Unitarians which he deemed as detestable anti-Federalists because these persons took a different approach over salvation. Although he respected his father’s religious opinions, he sympathized with the Unitarians. A prominent family that converted to the new Calvinist faith was the Pickerings of Portsmouth of whom Morse painted. This portrait can then be viewed as a further shift towards anti-Federalism. A person could argue that he made his full transition to anti- Federalism when he was commissioned to paint President James Monroe (1820). Monroe embodied Jeffersonian Democracy by favoring the common man over the aristocrat; later reemphasized upon the ascension of Andrew Jackson (8).
There were two defining commissions that shaped Morse’s art career from his return to New Haven until the establishment of the National Academy of Design. The Hall of Congress (1821) and the Marquis de Lafayette (1825) embroiled Morse’s sense of democratic nationalism. The artist chose to paint the House of Representatives, to show American democracy in action. He traveled to Washington D.C. to draw the architecture of the new halls, carefully placing eighty individuals within the painting and believed that a night scene was appropriate. He successfully balanced the architecture of the Rotunda with the figurines and the glow of the lamplight serving as the focal point of the work. Pairs of people, those who stood alone, individuals bent over their desks working were painted simply but had characterized faces. Morse chose nighttime to convey Congress’ dedication to the principles of democracy transcended day. The Hall of Congress however, failed to draw a crowd in New York City. One possible reason for the disappointment was the shadow of John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence that won popular acclaim in 1820. Perhaps some individuals did not appreciate the inner-workings of the American government (9).

Morse felt a great degree of honor of painting the Marquis de Lafayette,leading supporter of the American Revolution.He felt compelled to paint a grandiose portrait of the man who helped to establish a free and independent America. In his image, he enshrouds Lafayette with a magnificent sunset as he stands to the right of three pedestals of which two are Benjamin Franklin and George Washington with the final reserved for him. A peaceful wooden landscape below him symbolized American tranquility and prosperity as it approach the age of fifty. The developing friendship between Morse and Lafayette and the discussion of the Revolutionary War, affected the artist upon returning to New York City (10).
Morse was in Europe for three years improving his painting skills, 1830-1832, travelling in Italy, Switzerland and France. The project he eventually selected was to paint miniature copies of some 38 of the Louvre's famous paintings on a single canvas (6 ft. x 9 ft) which he entitled "The Gallery of the Louvre". He planned to complete "The Gallery of the Louvre" when he returned home to Massachusetts and to earn an income by exhibiting his work and charging admission. This was typical of Morse who stumbled haphazardly from one money-making scheme to another in those days.

Telegraph

On the sea voyage home in 1832 Morse encountered Charles Thomas Jackson of Boston who was well schooled in electromagnetism. Witnessing various experiments with Jackson's electromagnet, Morse developed the concept of a single wire telegraph, and "The Gallery of the Louvre" was set aside. He was devising his telegraph code even before the ship docked.¹ In time the Morse code would become the primary language of telegraphy in the world.
In 1836 Morse ran unsuccessfully for mayor of New York under the Nativist banner. His anti-Catholic views, however, only garnered 1496 votes.
William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone reached the stage of launching a commercial telegraph prior to Morse. They started later. In England Cooke became fascinated by electrical telegraph in 1836, four years later than Morse, but with greater financial resources. Cooke abandoned his primary subject of anatomy and built a small electrical telegraph within three weeks. Professor Charles Wheatstone also was experimenting with telegraphy and (most importantly) understood that a single large battery would not carry a telegraphic signal over long distances, and that numerous small batteries were far more successful and efficient in this task (Wheatstone was building on the primary research of Joseph Henry, an American physicist). Cooke and Wheatstone formed a partnership and patented the electrical telegraph in May 1837, and within a short time had provided the Great Western Railway with a stretch of telegraph. However, Cooke and Wheatstone's multiple wire telegraph signaling method would be overtaken by Morse's superior code within a few years.
Samuel Morse encountered the problem of getting a telegraphic signal to carry over more than a few hundred yards of wire. His breakthrough came from the insights of Professor Leonard Gale, who taught chemistry at New York University (a personal friend of Joseph Henry). With Gale's help Morse soon was able to send a message through ten miles (16 km) of wire. This was the great breakthrough Morse had been seeking ²
Morse and Gale were soon joined by a young enthusiastic man, Alfred Vail, who had excellent skills, insights and money. Morse's telegraph now began to be developed very rapidly.
In 1838 a trip to Washington, D.C. failed to attract federal sponsorship for a telegraph line. Morse then traveled to Europe seeking both sponsorship and patents, but in London discovered that, due to Cooke and Wheatstone's already established patent, no patent was available for his work.
In 1839, Samuel Morse published, from Paris, the first American description of daguerreotype photography by Louis Daguerre.
Morse made one last trip to Washington, D.C. in December 1842, stringing "wires between two committee rooms in the Capitol, and sent messages back and forth -- and, for some reason, this time some people believed him, and a bill was finally proposed allocating $30,000 towards building an experimental line".³
The general public was highly skeptical, and there were also a great many skeptics in Congress.
A thirty eight-mile line was constructed between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. The most convincing demonstration was when the results of the Whig National Convention at Baltimore in the spring of 1844 reached Washington via telegraph prior to the arrival of the first train. On 24 May, 1844 the line (which ran along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad between the Capitol and Baltimore) was officially opened as Morse sent his famous words "What hath God wrought" along the wire.
In May 1845 the Magnetic Telegraph Company was formed in order to radiate telegraph lines from New York City towards Philadelphia, Boston, Buffalo, New York and the Mississippi.⁴
Morse also at one time adopted Charles Wheatstone and Carl August von Steinheil's idea of broadcasting an electrical telegraph signal through a body of water or down steel railroad tracks or anything conductive. He went to great lengths to win a law suit that he might be called "inventor of the telegraph", and promoted himself as being an inventor, but Alfred played an important role in the invention of the Morse Code, which was based on earlier codes for the electromagnetic telegraph.
Samuel Morse received a patent for the telegraph in 1847, at the old Beylerbeyi Palace (the present Beylerbeyi Palace was built in 1861-1865 on the same location) in Istanbul, which was issued by Sultan Abdülmecid who personally tested the new invention ^{[4] 5}
In the 1850s, Morse went to Copenhagen and visited the Thorvaldsens Museum[1], where the sculptor's grave is in the inner courtyard. He was received by King Frederick VII, who decorated him with the Order of the Dannebrog. Morse expressed his wish to donate his portrait from 1830 to the king. The Thorvaldsen portrait today belongs to Margaret II of Denmark.
The Morse telegraphic apparatus was officially adopted as the standard for European telegraphy in 1851. Great Britain (with its British Empire) remained the only notable part of the world where other forms of electrical telegraph were in widespread use (they continued to use the needle telegraph invention of William Fothergill Cooke and Professor Charles Wheatstone). ^[5]

Later years

In the United States Morse had now had his patent for many years, but it was being both ignored and contested. In 1853 the case of the patent came before the Supreme Court where, after very lengthy investigation, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney ruled that Morse had been the first to combine the battery, electromagnetism, the electromagnet and the correct battery configuration into a workable practical telegraph.⁶ Nevertheless, in spite of this clear ruling, Morse still received no official recognition from the United States government.
Assisted by the American Ambassador in Paris, the governments of Europe were approached regarding how they had long neglected Morse while using his invention. There was then a widespread recognition that something must be done, and "in 1858 Morse was awarded the sum of 400,000 French francs (equivalent to about $80,000 at the time) by the governments of France, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Piedmont, Russia, Sweden, Tuscany and Turkey, each of which contributed a share according to the number of Morse instruments in use in each country.".⁷
There was still no such recognition in the USA. This remained the case until 10 June, 1871, when a bronze statue of Samuel Morse was unveiled in Central Park, New York City.
In the 1850s, Morse became well known as a defender of America's institution of slavery, considering it to be divinely sanctioned. In his treatise "An Argument on the Ethical Position of Slavery," he wrote:

My creed on the subject of slavery is short. Slavery per se is not sin. It is a social condition ordained from the beginning of the world for the wisest purposes, benevolent and disciplinary, by Divine Wisdom. The mere holding of slaves, therefore, is a condition having per se nothing of moral character in it, any more than the being a parent, or employer, or ruler.^[6]

Samuel Morse was a generous man who gave large sums to charity. He also became interested in the relationship of science and religion and provided the funds to establish a lectureship on 'the relation of the Bible to the Sciences'.⁹ Morse was not a selfish man. Other people and corporations (particularly in North America) made millions using his inventions, yet most rarely paid him for the use of his patented telegraph. He was not bitter about this, though he would have appreciated more rewards for his labors. Morse was comfortable; by the time of his death, his estate was valued at some $500,000.

Marriages

Morse married first, Lucretia Pickering Walker on 29 September, 1819, in Concord, New Hampshire. She died on 7 February, 1825, shortly after the birth of their third child. He then married, Sarah Elizabeth Griswold on 10 August 1848 in Utica, New York.

Death

He died on 2 April, 1872 at his home at 5 West 22nd Street, New York City, at the age of eighty, and was buried in the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. ^[7]

Patents

★ Telegraph, May 1, 1849

Trivia

★ Morse invented a marble-cutting machine that could carve three dimensional sculptures in marble or stone. Morse couldn't patent it, however, because of an existing 1820 Thomas Blanchard design.

★ New York University's core curriculum and list of requirements is known as the Morse Academic Plan (MAP).

★ A letter to a friend describing the challenge of defending his patent on the electromagnetic telegraph, although he had no part in its invention since his friend Alfred Vail imported this invention by Carl Friedrich Gauss from Europe, and Morse is even suspected to have received the Morse Code from Vail.[2] (1848).[3]
:''I have been so constantly under the necessity of watching the movements of the most unprincipled set of pirates I have ever known, that all my time has been occupied in defense, in putting evidence into something like legal shape that I am the inventor of the Electro-Magnetic Telegraph!! Would you have believed it ten years ago that a question could be raised on that subject?''

★ There is a blue plaque commemorating him at 141 Cleveland Street, London, where he lived 1812-15.

References and notes

1. Defends His Father's Claim to Paternity of the Telegraph. Edward Lind Morse
2. Samuel F. B. Morse
3. One of Yale's twelve residential colleges, Morse College, was subsequently named after Morse in 1961
4. Istanbul City Guide: Beylerbeyi Palace
5. Franklin and his Electric Kite-Prosecution and Progress of Electrical researches--Historical Sketch of the Electric Telegraph--Claims of Morse and others--Uses of Electricity--Telegraphic Statistics.
6. From ''An Argument on the Ethical Position of Slavery in the social system, and its relation to the politics of the day ''(New York, Papers from the Society for the Diffusion of Political Knowledge, no. 12, 1863) in Slavery Pamphlets # 60, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript library, Yale University. Quoted in "Yale, Slavery, & Abolition," an online report on Yale honorees, at http://www.yaleslavery.org/WhoYaleHonors/morse.htm
7. Prof. Samuel Finley Breese Morse.

Further reading

★ Reinhardt, Joachim, "''Samuel F. B. Morse (1791-1872) Congo, 1988''".

★ Samuel F. B. Morse, ''Foreign Conspiracy Against the Liberties of the United States: The Numbers Under the Signature'' (Harvard University Press 1835,1855)

★ Kenneth Silverman, ''Lightning Man - The Accursed Life of Samuel F.B. Morse'' (De Capo Press 2004)

★ Paul J. Staiti, ''Samuel F. B. Morse'' (Cambridge 1989).

★ Lauretta Dimmick, ''Mythic Proportion: Bertel Thorvaldsen's Influence in America'', ''Thorvaldsen: l'ambiente, l'influsso, il mito,'' ed. P. Kragelund and M. Nykjær, Rome 1991 (Analecta Romana Instituti Danici, Supplementum 18.), pp. 169-191.

★ Tom Standage, ''The Victorian Internet'', (London:Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1998) pp. 21-40.

See also

★ List of coupled cousins