Case Study 1 - Question 1

 Case Study 1 - Question 1

What is the impact to the world in terms of social economic value as the result of the retirement of Western Union telegrams?
After 145 years one of the last remaining vestiges of the Old West has finally come to an end. On January 27, 2006, Western Union sent its final telegram.
It’s sad in the nostalgic way that it so often is when the world moves forward, leaving behind those very same institutions that brought us where we are today. After all, it was the telegraph that put the Pony Express out of business; the railroad that eliminated the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails; the automobile that has all but made railroad passenger service a thing of the past.
In 1837, Morse applied for government assistance to develop the telegraph; however, the nation suffered an economic disaster known as the Panic of 1837 and nothing was done with the application. In the meantime, Morse began to give public demonstrations of his device, finally gaining some credibility.
In the meantime, other technology had advanced rapidly, including the telephone. However, long distance was an expensive service and telegrams peaked during the 1920s and ‘30s when it was much cheaper to send a telegram than to place a long distance telephone call.
But as technology continued to evolve, the success of the telegram was not to last. As long distance rates began to drop, Western Union phased out its couriers in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. Then came faxes, email, and even cheaper long distance rates. The telegram was doomed. By 2005, only about 20,000 telegrams were sent worldwide.
Though the telegram is gone forever, Western Union continues to thrive, as over the years it has diversified into financial services.

Reference:
Kathy Weiser (2010) : AMERICAN HISTORY An Era Ends As the Telegraph Passes Into History
Available at: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-telegraph.html/