Communication: The Road Through History
Check out the resources below to help you explore how communication has changed through history.
1600s and 1700s
In the 1600s and 1700s, European settlements were being established in America. The British were colonizing the east coast of North America, which led to the creation of the thirteen colonies.
Many colonists still had families in England. At the time, there was not a postal service. If they wanted to communicate with their families, they would have to write letters and send it by ship. This would take time, and replies would take months to receive. Because there was not a postal service, if colonists wanted to communicate with other colonists, they would have to hire horseback messengers to deliver the letters.
Town criers and broadsides were also common. Town criers went around town shouting news and making announcements. Broadsides were posters that would have announcements or news. They would be posted on trees, posts, and buildings. They would also sometimes be advertisements or recruitments for military.
Newspapers became more common in the mid-1700s. The first newspapers would have typically been one page, with print on both sides. They would have typically come out once a week and would have had mostly news from England. This website shows a timeline of media (newspaper in this case) development in America.
In the 1760s and on, Committees of Correspondence were also developed. At this time, colonists were starting to be unhappy with the laws and ruling imposed by the King. The Committees of Correspondence acted as a way for colonies to meet with each other, share information, and get on the same page. Each colony would send representatives to the committees. The delegates, or representatives, would then go back and share the information that was discussed with the other colonists. They helped to unite the colonists and played an important role in leading to The American Revolution.
In the 1600s and 1700s, European settlements were being established in America. The British were colonizing the east coast of North America, which led to the creation of the thirteen colonies.
Many colonists still had families in England. At the time, there was not a postal service. If they wanted to communicate with their families, they would have to write letters and send it by ship. This would take time, and replies would take months to receive. Because there was not a postal service, if colonists wanted to communicate with other colonists, they would have to hire horseback messengers to deliver the letters.
Town criers and broadsides were also common. Town criers went around town shouting news and making announcements. Broadsides were posters that would have announcements or news. They would be posted on trees, posts, and buildings. They would also sometimes be advertisements or recruitments for military.
Newspapers became more common in the mid-1700s. The first newspapers would have typically been one page, with print on both sides. They would have typically come out once a week and would have had mostly news from England. This website shows a timeline of media (newspaper in this case) development in America.
In the 1760s and on, Committees of Correspondence were also developed. At this time, colonists were starting to be unhappy with the laws and ruling imposed by the King. The Committees of Correspondence acted as a way for colonies to meet with each other, share information, and get on the same page. Each colony would send representatives to the committees. The delegates, or representatives, would then go back and share the information that was discussed with the other colonists. They helped to unite the colonists and played an important role in leading to The American Revolution.
1800s
1900s
Major Events Related to Communication
Check out these resources to learn more about major events that impacted communication.
Check out these resources to learn more about major events that impacted communication.
- www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=1457&HistoryID=aa93>rack=pthc
- www.conferencecallsunlimited.com/history-of-communication-technology/
- www.bisd.us/curriculum/Old%20Files/Downloads/Frameworks/Secondary/Language%20Arts/COMMUNICATION%20TIMELINE.pdf
- www.timetoast.com/timelines/67104
- www.quia.com/jg/1396404list.html
- www.slideshare.net/ianwienclawski/a-brief-history-of-the-media-in-the-usa
- www.interexchange.org/articles/career-training-usa/2012/12/13/history-of-u-s-media-television-and-cinema/