The Evolution of Encryption
1795 CE - America
In 1795 Thomas Jefferson invented a cipher system known as the Jefferson disk. The disk used 26 wheels with letters of the alphabet arranged randomly around them. The ordering of the disks is the central part of the encryption. With the disks in order the coder spells out the message with the disks, then picks any of the other sections that are encoded to write out the message. The receiver then has to put the disks in the prescribed order, put in the message, and the coded text will be revealed.
This interactive media project was created by students for educational purposes at The Art Institute of Atlanta and is in no way intended for commercial gain or as a source of public information.