John Miller, Georgia Institute of Technology, discusses the differences between the Union and the Confederacy in their approaches to telegraph technology. He argues that the North made use of the telegraph in direct and practical ways that aided its war effort, while the South failed to fully exploit the technology, weakening its strategic advantage of internal lines of operation.
Joan Boudreau, curator of Graphic Arts at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, highlights the role of tabletop portable printing presses in field communications, from rapid production and distribution of urgent military orders to dissemination of more entertaining documents, such as unit newsletters.
A production of the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center. Written, hosted, and audio production by Laurel Fritzsch, podcast program manager. Art Molella, executive producer. Joyce Bedi, webmaster. John Miller and Joan Boudreau were originally recorded on 10 November 2012 during “Astride Two Ages: Technology and the Civil War,” the Smithsonian Institution Civil War Sesquicentennial Symposium. Introduction music is "Toby’s Theme," composed and performed by Brandon Belman; the closing music is “Home,” composed and performed by Brandon Belman, both used with permission. This podcast was released on 21 December 2012.
Tell us what you think! Take our podcast survey.
