The following is a chronological listing of significant events in the development of the field of Information Technology during the 1700s. For other time periods see:
- Chronology of Events - Pre-1700
- Chronology of Events - 1800s
- Chronology of Events - 1900-1930s
- Chronology of Events - 1940s
- Chronology of Events - 1950s
- Chronology of Events - 1960s
- Chronology of Events - 1970s
- Chronology of Events - 1980s
- Chronology of Events - 1990s
- Chronology of Events - 2000s
- Chronology of Events - 2010s
1710 — The Statute of Anne is enacted in England. It is considered the origin of modern copyright law. It ends the private publishing monopoly of the
Stationers' Company. It gives authors/creators the exclusive right to publish their works and profit from them for a limited time, after which it falls into the public domain.
1714 — Henry Mill is issued a patent for an "artificial machine or method" for forgery-proof writing (e.g., a typewriter.
1725 — An early form of punch cards begin to be used in textile looms.
1747 — Sir. William Watson demonstrates the transmission of electricity along a metal wire.
1782 — The U.S. Congress enacts legislation making the opening of mail in transit a criminal offense.
1787 — Article 1, §8, clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution provides that "Congress shall have power . . . to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries."
June 23, 1789 — First federal bill relating to copyrights (H.R. 10) is presented to the first U.S. Congress.
1790 — The French Chappe brothers create the first optical telegraph system. It consists of a system of pendulums that can be moved to send messages from one tower to the next.
May 31, 1790 — U.S. Congress enacts the Copyright Act of 1790 — the country's first copyright law. The law provides for a term of 14 years with the option of renewing the registration for another 14 year term. The law only applied to books, maps, and charts.
1790 — U.S. Congress enacts the Patent Act of 1790 — the country's first patent law.
1791 — The U.S. Bill of Rights is enacted.
1792 — Claude Chappe invents the wireless semaphore telegraph.
1791 — Thomas Jefferson invents the Jefferson disk cipher.
1799 — The Rosetta Stone is found. It makes it possible to decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphs.