The History of Transportation

412 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Modern Transportation Technology

The History of Transportation

Ever since the invention of the wheel, transportation has improved in many areas. Safety, comfort, and travel speed are a few of these areas in which transportation has improved. There is a big difference in the safety, comfort and travel speed of transportation in the 1800's compared to the 1900's.

Safety in the 1800's needed great improvement. While traveling on the rough dirt roads, it was not uncommon for a wooden wheel to break off of a horse drawn buggy and cause serious injury. Travelers in the 1800's also had to worry about their horses being spooked. If a horse was startled, the buggy could be upset and the travelers could be injured.

The safety in the 1900's has greatly improved since the 1800's. The worry of a wheel breaking off of a vehicle today is not thought of, and almost every roadway throughout the country is paved. Vehicles today are structured of steel, which is very durable. Because the vehicle is operated by its passenger, it is unlikely to do something unexpected. This may only occur if the operator acts irresponsibly.

The comfort of transportation in the 1800's was very poor. Because of its rigid construction, the ride in a buggy was extremely uncomfortable. The horse-drawn buggy had very little suspension, if any. Traveling on a hot summer's day was unpleasant. In most cases, there was little protection from the sun's rays. Passengers were overwhelmed by the heat, and had to fight off the unwanted insects. Winters were just the opposite of summers. The horse and buggy provided little protection from the cold. If the weather was too severe, traveling by horse and buggy became impossible.

The comfort of a vehicle in the 1900's shows great improvement since the 1800's. There is now suspension on the vehicles, so the passengers cannot feel the uneven ground beneath them. Vehicles today are totally enclosed, and come complete with air conditioning and heating. Air conditioning provides cool, comfortable transportation in the summer and heating keeps passengers warm in the winter. With these conveniences, traveling in the severe winter weather is made possible.

Travel speed in the 1800's also needed improvement. Even though horses are strong animals, they cannot match the power of today's gasoline engines. One day a week was set aside for the trip into town to gather goods.

Show More
Related

  • Life in Appalachia from a Pre and Post-Civil War Perspective

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    To urban middle-class Americans of the late 19th century, nothing symbolized the progress of the American civilization quite as much as the railroad. Not only had the great surge in railroad construction after the Civil War helped to create a modern market economy, but the iron horse itself seemed to embody the energy, force, and technology of the new order. In fact, the fanning out of railroads from urban centers was an integral part of the modernizing process, tying the natural and human resources of rural areas to the industrializing core.

    Read More

  • U.S. History 1877-1933

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    This time period also saw many new inventions that would change American society forever. Such things as the telephone, radio, and television are things that the average present day American could not imagine living without. But a hundred years ago people were amazed at such things. Railroads were now able to bring people all over the country while steam ships could bring you all around the world and airplanes could let you fly. The horseless carriage turned into the automobile.

    Read More

  • railroad and disease

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    The adoption of the rail system in the United States not only revolutionized the transportation of people, goods, and information but also revolutionized the transportation of pathogens. The rapid growth in transportation, the cramped living spaces, travel arrangements and poorly organized sanitation protocols exacerbated the rampant spread of disease. The lack of public health policies of the time showed that the United States was not ready for the silent killers that would accompany passengers as they rode the rails. The United States government was forced to find a way to deal with the spread of disease throughout the nation’s railways. The railroad played a major role in forging the history of many countries, including the United States of America.

    Read More

  • Transforming America: Transportation Innovations in the 1800s

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    One positive of the new transportation networks was how it made travel faster around the country. “They made travel, if not enjoyable, at least faster, less expensive, and less perilous than it had ever been. The 1830s had reduced the travel time between Boston and New York to a day and a half” (Historical Background on Traveling in the

    Read More

  • The Reality Of The 1920's

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    The 1920's was a time of change in the United States. “The Roaring Twenties” had an outstanding impact on the economy, social standards and everyday life. It was a time for positive results in the industry of consumer goods and American families, because of higher wages, shorter working hours, and manufacturing was up 60% in consumer goods. But it was also a time of adversity and opposition for others, such as immigrants and farmers. Immigrants had lots of competition when they were looking for work and they weren't treated fairly by Americans, depending on where they came from and what they believed. Farmers were paid very little because the price of food kept going down, they also had the Dust Bowl to worry about. African Americans became further infused with mainstream America during the Harlem Renaissance. They were also able to organize and elect officials who would make life better for them. The Roaring Twenties was a very exciting time to live in and we can all learn what the real world is like, and how we can prepare to be ready for it, today and in the future.

    Read More

  • How The Ford Model T Improved Peoples Lives

    1543 Words  | 4 Pages

    Before the 1920's Americans use to walk and ride their horses for transportation. But when Henry Ford came along, he invented the first car that would drastically change American lives. This car was so popular that 4 out 5 of Americans owned a car. Many Americans also bought it because it was affordable to the rich and poor. It was named car of the century by critics. The Model T improved peoples lives because it united families, improved working conditions, improved social lives between couples, and it was used in many different ways.

    Read More

  • The History of the Automobile

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    Starting in the late 1700's, European engineers began tinkering with motor powered vehicles. Steam, combustion, and electrical motors had all been attempted by the mid 1800's. By the 1900's, it was uncertain which type of engine would power the automobile. At first, the electric car was the most popular, but at the time a battery did not exist that would allow a car to move with much speed or over a long distance. Even though some of the earlier speed records were set by electric cars, they did not stay in production past the first decade of the 20th century. The steam-driven automobile lasted into 1920's. However, the price on steam powered engines, either to build or maintain was incomparable to the gas powered engines. Not only was the price a problem, but the risk of a boiler explosion also kept the steam engine from becoming popular. The combustion engine continually beat out the competition, and the early American automobile pioneers like Ransom E. Olds and Henry Ford built reliable combustion engines, rejecting the ideas of steam or electrical power from the start.

    Read More

  • A Career in Truck Driving

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before motor trucks, railroads controlled inland transport of goods and services in the nineteenth century. The powerful railroad industry was the focus of technological innovation in an era when intermediate transportation needs were largely met by vehicles drawn by pack animals. Trains are quick and efficient but limited in their reach. The “flexibility of the horse” in transportation had n...

    Read More

  • Benefits of the Market Revolution on the Economy

    616 Words  | 2 Pages

    Transportation improved from the market revolution through many new inventions, railroads, steamboats, and canals. Pressure for improvements in transportation came at least as much from cities eager to buy as from farmers seeking to sell. The first railroad built was in 1792, it started a spread throughout the states. Cumberland which began to be built in 1811 and finished in 1852, known to be called the national road stretched over five hundred miles from Cumberland to Illinois. By 1821, there were four thousand miles of turnpike in the United States. Turnpikes were not economical to ship bulky goods by land across long distance across America, so another invention came about. Robert Fulton created steam boats in 1807; he named his first one ‘Clermont.’ These steam boats allowed quick travel upriver against the currents, they were also faster and cheaper. The steamboats became a huge innovation with the time travel of five miles per hour. It also stimulated agricultural economy of west by providing better access to markets at lower cost. While steamboats were conquering the western rivers, canals were being constructed in the northeastern states. The firs...

    Read More

  • Impact of the Automobile in America

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the twentieth century, the introduction of the motor vehicle in the United States became not only noteworthy, but also vital in the development of modern American civilization. This technologically complex machine led citizens to vast future dependence on the invention. While mobility was suddenly not limited to alternative, more convoluted options such as railroad stations or bicycles, yet copiously amplified to aid convenience and expanded leisure opportunities. From auto-racing to redesigning infrastructure, motor vehicles allowed progression, digression, and essentially uttermost change to the lifestyles of the American people. This radical idea of the automobile permeated throughout America with most, if not all, credit renowned to Henry Ford.

    Read More

  • How Did Bicycles Affect The Victorian Age

    571 Words  | 2 Pages

    It all started with a small idea then became one of the most popular inventions in the Victorian Era. It was the vélocipède or now know as the bicycle. Bicycles were changed several different times through a span of only a few years, which made bicycles a major focal point in the Victorian Age. Bicycles are famous for their two front wheels, which made maneuvering much more convenient, and it was a faster alternative for waiting for a carriage. The invention of bicycles evolved transportation and people's everyday life in a big way.

    Read More

  • Impact of the Automobile from 1900-1945

    2225 Words  | 5 Pages

    The impact of the automobile between 1900 through 1945 was immense. It paved the way for a future dependency on the automobile. To paint a better picture, imagine life without an automobile. Everyday life would be dull, cumbersome, and tedious. An individual's mobility would be very limited. Basically, the life without an automobile could not be fathomed. The importance of the automobile is often taken for granite. Society may not know what appreciate the impact of the automobile and effects it has created. The impact of the automobile had both positive and negative effects on America between 1900 through 1945. Automobile provided an outlet for individuals and spread the freedom of travel among all classes of people. It also helped to introduce rural dwellers to the aspects of urban life and vice versa. One of the negative effects was that automobiles helped to put of big decline in the use of railroads. Over the course of the paper, I will try to expose the huge impact of the automobile an early twentieth century life.

    Read More

  • How the automobile has changed America

    592 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the main reasons that the automobile has changed America for the better is because of its effect it has had on transportation. For example, with the invention of the automobile came a need for highways this allowed easy travel for people to get to work or to go on vacations. It also had a huge effect one the war. The automobile allowed soldiers to haul weapons food and other supplies. The automobile also allowed soldiers to get from battlefield to battlefield quick and easily. with the invention of the automobile gave a whole new mea...

    Read More

  • Peterbilt: The Need For Trucks In The Trucking Industry

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    When our country was at war, the military identified the need for trucks. Trucks were very important because it was difficult to find away to transport all the supplies, troops, and food. After WW1, this brought an increase in good roads plus an expanding economy. This helped grow the trucking industry. The 1920’s were the years of innovation. The balloon tires were introduced along with the rail road’s that were established “piggy-back” service. The first mechanically refrigerated van was introduced. In 1925, there were 500,000 miles of hard surface roads in the U.S. In 1926, a fully loaded 2 ton truck was driven from New York to San Francisco in five days.

    Read More

  • Industrial Revolution Essay

    798 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before the industrial revolution, transportation played a huge role in daily life. The only way to make money was to trade goods, but the only method of transportation was the wagon and horse. It took ages to transport from one place to another. Improved technology brought railroads and canals. These made transportation cheaper and 100 times more efficient. This not only made more money but brought jobs when trying to build the railroads. The canals were overcrowded so the government made laws to improve them (“Industrial Revolution” 1). Overall the in...

    Read More

More about The History of Transportation

Open Document