Title: Before Cell Phones, How Did People Communicate During the 18th Century? - 18th Century History -- The Age of Reason and Change
Headings: Before Cell Phones, How Did People Communicate During the 18th Century?
Before Cell Phones, How Did People Communicate During the 18th Century?
Details
18th-Century Communication Standards
Safety and Modern Communication
Blending Past and Present

Content: Communication has changed dramatically since the invention of cell phones. Some impacts of this technology are positive, but there is surely a less desirable side to new technologies. How did communication look in the 18th century? What implications does today’s world of smartphones have on health and safety? What might the future of communication look like? 18th-Century Communication Standards
Cell phones didn’t exist in the 1700s, so people who wanted to send and receive messages had to rely on other methods. Letter writing was the go-to method, but it was unreliable at best. Letters could sometimes take two weeks to reach their destination, and the sender wouldn’t know if their letter was delivered unless they received a response. There were no read receipts in the 18th century. The U.S. Postal Service was improving during this time, largely thanks to the work of Benjamin Franklin, who became U.S. postmaster in 1775.