Changes in American Transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Changes in American Transportation - Essay Example Transportation includes transportation of people, goods, and even animals.There were various means of transportation in America during the 1800's, including Steam Boats, Horses and the use of Public Ferry. Nowadays, transportation and communication are usually treated in different contexts. However, during early 1800's, long distance communication was very much dependent upon transportation. During that period, transportation was synonymous to communication, and the growth of transportation directly affected the developments in communication to a great extent. During the 1800's the 'pony couriers', a means of transportation as well as communication, influenced the history of transportation in America.In order to appreciate the changes in transportation during that period, it is necessary to analyze the process under the then prevailing circumstances, and gain an understanding of transportation methods and processes back then. A careful analysis of the newspapers of this period in the history provides glimpses of the status of transportations prevailed in those times. In America, transportation in the sea and waterways was already quite developed between 1800 and 1810. The use of steam boats started between 1800 and 1810. ... Transportation of the agricultural and industrial commodities strengthened the economy of the country. Within few years steam boar services grown very fast, catering to the development of the economy, and a news article is given below. Natchiz, Jan 2: Important Arrival - Arrived here on Monday last, the Steam-Boat from Pittsburgh which had as a regular trader She was only 921 hours underway from Pittsburgh to this place a distance of near two thousand miles."1 Before then, only the inland methods of transportation, like horses, mules and asses which remained primitive because of their slow pace of technological development, that Americans relied upon. Animals like horses, mules and asses were the means of transportation before 1800.This change in the mode of transportation enabled Americans to move from place to place more conveniently than they could before 1800. During the 1800's it was normal to come across the advertisements in newspapers, a sample of which is given below, for trading in horses. "A Mare and Horse for Sale, Classified Ad 4"2 Another change in the mode of transportation between 1800 and 1810 was the commencement of the use of Public ferries. Adverts like the one below were to be regularly seen in the newspapers then. "Be it ordained by the Mayor, Aldermen, Common Council, and Freemen of the City of Hartford, That if any person shall willfully, or negligently, ride or drive any kind of Carriage, or Vehicle, or ride, lead, or drive any horse upon any Side Walk in laid City, now laid out, or hereafter to be laid out, unless for the purpose of necessarily... and to pay to such party just damages."3 "The port cities and ferry places were active with import and export of cargo of various types. Primitive types of