Morse's initial plan for the telegraph involved using numbers to represent words. This code was cumbersome and inefficient.

Alfred Vail, Morse's assistant, played a crucial role in refining the code. He suggested using dots and dashes based on the frequency of letters in the English language.

The original Morse Code, also known as the American Morse Code, was further developed and standardized for use on telegraph lines in the United States. It became widely adopted by railroads and other industries.

A more simplified version of the code, known as International Morse Code, was adopted internationally, allowing for cross-border communication. This code differed slightly from the American Morse code.