by, as early as

[kjc0123]

What is the difference between 'by' and 'as early as'?

1. By 1910 Taft's party was divided, and an overwhelming vote swept the Democrats back into control of Congress.

2. The president had called for a far-reaching and integrated program of conservation, reclamation and irrigation as early as 1901 in his first annual message to Congress.

[ursula62]

Hi kjc

There's not that much difference in meaning. The "as early as" gives more emphasis.  In both these sentences you could use either expression and still get much the same meaning.

[Ouisch]

In Number 1, the division of the party had started earlier, and it was final by the year 1910.  In Number 2, the changes ordered by the President had started some time before, but historians don't know the exact date.   They apparently have evidence that some of the changes were in effect in 1901, so they used that as an approximate date.

[Hippy]

"As early as ..." seems to suggest that the writer and maybe the expected reader might have thought that the thing being mentioned was a more recent phenomenon. For example, "It is a little known fact that as early as 1720 scientists had dicovered the secrets of genetic manipulation." (fictitious example)