Stories of America’s Past
Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of regular people who made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around and see what inspires you! — Kate Kelly

On
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On March 7, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for the telephone. Bell taught at a school for the deaf in Boston. During this time, he wondered if speech could be transmitted over wires. Samuel Morse’s telegraph transmitted data—what if wires could carry voice? Bell developed a prototype of a “harmonic telegraph” Three days after filing the patent, the telephone carried its first intelligible message–”Mr. Watson, come here, I need you”–from Bell to his assistant.
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Part of the inspiration for this site comes from this remark: “People do not want to hear about simple things. They want to hear about great things – simply told.”
Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams (1860-1935)