Meucci Vs Graham Bell Essay

666 Words2 Pages

Saera Sophareth
Meucci vs. Graham Bell: Final Fight

Debate continues to who should be credited with inventing the telephone. In 2002, even the US Congress succumbed to the truth and “changed its mind” on the issue gave credit to the real inventor and rewrote history that the original telephone was in fact invented by Antonio Meucci. Bell was a cunning opportunist who took all the credit for a more brilliant scientist’s work. The House of Representatives voted to recognize telecommunications genius Antonio Meucci as the father of modern communications. Credit usually goes to the person with the patent and in the history books Alexander Graham Bell as the inventor of the telephone after Bell was awarded US Patent Number 174,465, Improvement on Telegraphy, on March 7, 1876.
On April 13 1808, the eldest child of the nine children; 4 of his siblings would later die at a young age. At 15, Meucci admitted Florence Academy of Fine Arts where he became the youngest student to take mechanical and chemical engineering. Two years later, he didn’t have enough money for school to attend anymore. That did not stop him from continuing his studies by working part-time as an assistant gate-keeper and customs official for the Florentine government. Later, Antonio Meucci became employed as a stage technician at the Teatro della Pergola and assisted Artemio Canovetti. Meucci began developing the design of a “telegrafo parlante" or talking telegraph in 1849. He continues his life’s work mostly from a home lab when he moved to New York with his wife. In 1871, Meucci could not afford the $250 needed for a patent for his "talking telegraph" he filed a one-year caveat for his design instead. Due to his wife’s health, He faced financial hardship and wasn...

... middle of paper ...

...er of things but im going to guess it had something to do with medicinal bills.
Based on the articles I read it seems that Meucci had everything made and ready to go but he had to take care of his wife and then the next person Graham Bell had the chance to file it. In January 1887, Meucci sued and Bell’s patent came into question in court and the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case and fraud charges were initiated against Bell. The patent was issued on the grounds of fraud and misrepresentation. The case was discontinued when Antonio Meucci died in 1889. The legal action died with him. The Bell patent was set to expire in January 1893. On June 11, 2002, long after his death, the U.S. Congress passed House Resolution 269, introduced by Rep. Vito Fossella, which recognizes the life and achievements of Antonio Meucci, and his work in the invention of the telephone.

Open Document