While returning to America from Europe by sea, Morse overheard a conversation about electromagnetism and its potential for transmitting signals. This sparked his initial interest in the idea of an electric telegraph.

Morse created his first rudimentary telegraph model. He began experimenting with electromagnetism and developing a system for transmitting messages electronically.

Morse filed a patent application for his telegraph in the United States. He faced numerous challenges in refining his invention and securing funding.

Morse, with the assistance of Alfred Vail, developed the Morse code, a system of dots and dashes representing letters and numbers, crucial for transmitting messages over the telegraph.

With Congressional funding, Morse constructed a telegraph line between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. On May 24, 1844, he sent the famous message, 'What hath God wrought!' marking a major milestone in communication history.

Telegraph lines rapidly expanded across the United States and Europe, transforming communication and facilitating business, news dissemination, and personal correspondence. Morse's invention became a global phenomenon.