<i>STATE PROMOTION AND REGULATION OF THE TELEGRAPH INDUSTRY, 1845–1860</i>

Abstract

Construction on the first commercial telegraph line in the United States began in 1845. Over the next 15 years, states promoted and regulated the industry through a variety of statutes. This article explores the patterns of telegraph legislation over time and across states. The patterns of telegraph legislation are shown to fit general regulatory patterns of economic activity during the nineteenth century.