During our EOTO presentations, I was taught a lot about Carrier Pigeons and their effects on communication in history. This was a topic that was briefly mentioned to me in school but I never did my research on them. As Salem did her presentation on these pigeons, I was introduced to a lot of new and interesting information. The main factor that surprised me the most was how big of a role they had in World War I. Different troops would use these carrier pigeons to transport messages to others because obviously at the time there were no handheld cell phones to make a simple call. It is not just that these carrier pigeons were barely used during this era, they were heavily relied on. They would receive information on their enemies and their specific location. Without them, our country could have fought a completely different battle. I learned that the usage of carrier pigeons tracks all the way back to Ancient Greek times. They eventually became "extinct" right after the World War because of how much they were used.
If we track back further in history, we know that carrier pigeons were the main source of communication back then. Along with sending handwritten letters, these birds were in charge of receiving and sending messages back and forth. They would either clutch the small piece of paper for their journey or wear a contraption that would ensure that their note would not fall out. During the "carrier pigeon era" everyone used these to communicate, from presidents to the middle class to anyone who could get access to these birds. I also learned from Salem that the French used carrier pigeons to resemble power when they would riot and fight. To conclude, carrier pigeons helped to establish a steady source of communication and helped us get where we are today with technology.
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