Following the revolutionary war a stream of improvements in
communication systems speeded the distribution of information, greatly
increasing the likelihood that people would encounter new ideas and
unfamiliar points of view.
In colonial America the tavern provided a meeting place for the exchange
of information.
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Postal riders such as the one from Troy in this ad contracted to deliver information in remote
locations.
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Newspapers were able to disseminate news more quickly as the system
of roads and other transport media improved.
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Electronic and photographic technologies made the delivery of
information faster, more immediate, and emotionally more impactful.
- Telegraph (about 1844)
- Facsimile (about 1865)
- Stll photography (1855)
- Telephone (1876)
- Motion pictures (about 1900)
- Radio (about 1900)
- Phonograph (about 1880)
- Television (about 1950)
- VCR (about 1980)
- Computer based technologies (about 1985)