Alexander Graham Bell and the Telephone

      Alexander Graham Bell was born in Scotland in 1843. When he grew older he attended college in London and afterwards he became his father’s assistant where he taught the deaf by using “visible speech”. He was able to use his experience with deaf students and combine it with his education on producing complex sounds to later create the telephone. In 1874 Bell began experimenting with an ear and magnets. He theorized that he could take an electrical current and use it to change intensity as air density varies during sound production. This theory created the telephone. Bell began creating telephones with Thomas Watson. Together, Bell and Watson were able to transmit a music note in 1875 and the first sentence spoken over the phone was between them in 1876.  
     Alexander Bell was granted a patent for the electric speaking telephone and it was time to make the telephone available for the public. Bell presented at many public demonstrations; then finally in 1877 the first telephone was installed in a home. Eventually the Bell Telephone Company was formed and they were able to build the first long distance phone lines. After introducing the telephone to America, Bell traveled to England and France to show them his great new invention. France decided to reward Bell for his invention with ten thousand dollars which he used to create the Volta Laboratory. He used this lab in order to improve the telephone. The telephone was a remarkable invention which created an easy and efficient way to communicate. After Bell’s success with the telephone he continued to work with the deaf before he died in August of 1922.

Source:

"Alexander Graham Bell." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol. 2. 2^nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 129-131. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. University of Texas at Arlington. 23 Sept. 2010 .

written by....Caitlin W.