Samuel Morse

Morse married twice. His first marriage was with Lucretia Pickering Walker on September 29, 1818. The marriage bore him three children: Susan, Charles and James. Lucretia died on February 7, 1825.

Morse married Sarah Elizabeth Griswold on August 10, 1848. The couple had four children: Samuel, Cornelia, William and Edward.

Morse passed away on April 2, 1872, in New York City. He was interred at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

Samuel Morse was born on April 27, 1791 in Charlestown, Massachusetts to Jedidiah Morse and Elizabeth Ann Finley Breese.

Morse gained his early education from Philips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts before enrolling at the Yale University to study religious philosophy, mathematics and science of horses.

While at Yale, he attended lectures on electricity. To support his living, he took to painting. In 1810, he graduated from Yale with Phi Beta Kappa honors.

His most notable early work includes ‘Landing of the Pilgrims’ which caught the attention of Washington Allston. Impressed by his work of art, he encouraged Morse to move to England.

It was in England that Morse gave finesse to his artwork. He perfected his painting technique so much so that by 1811, he gained admission at the Royal Academy.

Taking inspiration from the works of Renaissance artists, Michelangelo and Raphael, he came up with his masterpiece, ‘Dying Hercules’ that gave an insight into his political view against British and American Federalists.

On August 21, 1815, he left England and moved to United States. In United States, he received commission to paint portraits of former Presidents, John Adams and James Monroe. Additionally, he painted portraits of several wealthy merchants and important political figures.

He moved base to New Haven where he came up with a series of allegorical works that depicted the internal working of the US government. The paintings, though not appreciated much, were later hanged in the Hall of Congress.

Failing to make an impact with his historical canvas, he turned to portraiture yet again. He received the honor of painting the portrait of Marquis de Lafayette, leading French supporter of the American Revolution who helped establish free and independent America.

Before creative waves in the field of electromagnetism, Morse was a renowned painter. He was a master at the art, beautiful putting into canvas his bold subjects in a technical manner but with a touch of Romanticism. He took to portraiture and throughout his early career painted portraits of important persons.

Morse is credited with the invention of a single-wire telegraph that allowed long-distance communication. He along with his partners co-developed the Morse Code thus helping make telegraph a viable commercial-use device.