The key to the new, faster methods of transportation in the 1800s was the invention of the .

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The world had gone through two industrial revolutions. The first revolution began in the 1700s. And the second revolution happened in the 1860s. Both of the revolutions were the most important periods in the history of human society because they influenced almost every aspect of life and especially brought the world entirely new kinds of transportations. Steam engine, waterway, road, and railroad experienced mainly improvement during the first revolution, and the second revolution brought the inventions of automobile and airplane; both they played an essential role in the development of transportation in history.

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The steam engine was one of the most vital components that had been invented during the first industrial revolution. It contributed a lot to the improvement of transportation. Thomas Newcomen was the first person who invented the steam engine. However, the use of the steam engine was expensive and not efficient. (World History textbook) Until 1765, James Watt, one of the greatest contributors to transportation, reformed the steam engine to be more efficient and consume less fuel by adding a separate condenser to Newcomen’s engine. Watt’s improvement had saved almost 75 percent of the fuel that had previously been used by the engine. (Kendra Bolon) After the improvement, the steam engine had been used broadly on the other transportations, such as steam ship and steam locomotive. The steam engine not only improved the way of transporting, but also the quality of life. For example, people could travel by taking locomotive and steam ship. Moreover, they could enjoy the life by watching the landscape during the trip. Therefore, the steam engine was the most incredible transportation in the world.

Roads, canals, and railways were three major components of transportation improved during the first industrial revolution. People used the roads as the basic way to transport the goods from one place to another. Roads were in very bad repair before the first revolution, and it were not efficient for people to transport goods. (World History textbook) John MacAdam, Thomas Telford, and John Metcalfe all developed the new roads construction techniques. Thomas Telford made new foundations in roads with large flat stones. John MacAdam equipped roadbeds with a layer of large stones; therefore, people could transport goods on a rainy day. Canal was another vital part of transportations, which allowed goods to be transported through a series of man-made waterways. Transporting goods by canal lowered the risks of smashed products during route. Moreover, a canal barge could carry more products than the other forms of transportation during that time. Canal also cost less money for transporting merchandise. For the reason of transporting heavy goods from place to place, the improvement of railway began in 1800, which made a great leap in transporting technology in human history. The improved steam engine led the running locomotive with properly powered technique of rolling. The improvement of railways allowed the towns and cities to grow rapidly. In the mid-18th, Abraham Darby made a plate way of cast iron on top of rails that allowed the furnaces working and able to lift the iron plate. In 1789, William Jessop developed an “L” shaped rail which held the wagon on the track. Goods could be transferred within a short amount of time, which helped to foster the agricultural and fishing industries. The locomotive was capable of transporting triple amount of goods compared to the horse-pulled wagons. (Mrs. Abiah Darby) The improvement of road, canal, and railway changed the way of transporting, the amount and distance of transporting goods increased significantly and affected how people lived accordingly.

The automobile and airplane were the two most incredible forms of transportations that were been invented during the second industrial revolution in the 1860s. Automobile was crucial form of transportation since it affected the whole world. The automobile was first invented by Karl Benz in 1886. Later on, in 1908, Henry Ford made the automobile affordable for people by introducing the assembly line. (World History textbook) Automobile enabled people to go anywhere they wanted to at any time. It’s the most convenient tool for people to move.

As for the other important invention, airplane, was built in 1903 by Wilbur and Orville Wright. (World History textbook) Around 400 BC, Archytas was reputed as the first person designed and built the first self-propelled flying device. While the Wright brothers made the first successful try to carry a man rose by airplane. The first airplane flew naturally at even speed, and descended without damage. Although the flight lasted only 59 seconds, it marked an important start of the aircraft industry. The appearance of automobile changed the whole world entirely in that it provided a convenient and affordable way to transport and move for people. The creation of airplane broadens the scope and distance of the transportation, which may transports passengers and goods across continents and land. These two inventions both brought significant influence to people.

In conclusion, during the first and second industrial revolutions, transportation had gone through dramatic change and improvement. It not only brought effective and efficient way of transporting, but also influenced and shaped people’s life, almost every aspect in people’s daily life. With the advance of technology, transportation progressed. The steam engine led to the application of locomotive and steamboat, which increased transporting capacity and thus facilitated more production machines for manufacturing in other industries. Trade expansion was fostered by the introduction of canals, improved roads and railways. The invention of automobile grounded the basic way of transportation for people while the airplane provided a faster way from place to place. The first and second industrial revolution marked a turning point in human history, and transportation played a vital role affecting people’s life socially and economically.

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http://www.history.rochester.edu/steam/thurston/1878/ . Web.

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Bulter, Scott, Keats, Thedawnbringer, Hedleygb, and Peter. How has transport changed since the Industrial Revolution? N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

Industrial revolution research. N.p.: HTML5 UP, n.d. N. pag. Web.v Mack, Pamela E. Transportation. N.p.: n.p., 2002. N. pag. Web. 27 Sept. 2002.

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From the book The Making of America, published by National Geographic Society © 2002, National Geographic Books

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Transportation Revolution

Before the Industrial Revolution, there was a time lag in almost everything that took place in the United States. It took weeks and sometimes months just to send a letter or pass information. It took months to send packages or goods across the country. Everything happened at a glacial pace. The Transportation Revolution changed all of that. 

The five elements that revolutionized transportation are:

1. Roads
2. River Traffic
3. Steamboats
4. Canals
5. Railroads

Before the Industrial Revolution, there were very few roads, and even they were in bad condition. They were muddy, flooded easily, and were filled with boulders. This made travel by stagecoach or wagon very difficult and dangerous. 

That all changed in 1817. In 1817, Congress authorized the construction of the National Road, also known as the Cumberland Road. This road extended from Maryland to the Ohio River at Wheeling, Virginia. This was the first road to cross the Appalachian Mountains into the territory known as the Old Northwest. The National Road was the largest road-building project to occur before the 20th century, and it was a route of crushed stone. Although this is not as advanced as roads later became, it was a huge improvement! Crushed stone was much easier to travel over. It would not get muddy or flood. Along withthe National Road, states chartered turnpikes, or toll roads. These roads not only provided easier and quicker travel, but also collected revenue for the states. Roads made transportation by wagon much faster than it was before.

Before the Industrial Revolution, rivers were the easiest and the fastest way to transport goods from the North to the South because the river's current carried all of the goods to where they needed to go. But how would you transport goods by river if you wanted to go upstream? By the flatboat, the previously used boat, it would be extremely difficult and slow.

With the Transportation Revolution came keelboats. Keelboats were built around a rigid timber in the middle with sails; they were built to go upstream. You could also pole or row them upstream if there was no wind. This improved transportation by river because flatboats could quickly transport downstream, and keelboats could quickly transport upstream. 

At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the invention of the steam engine became widely popular. In 1787, John Fitch demonstrated the first steamboat, which had twelve paddles and was propelled by a steam engine. From 1787 to the 1830s, steamboats were improved. In 1787, James Rumsey created the world's first boat moved by jet propulsion. In 1804, John Stevens built a steamboat with a new high-pressure steam engine. Countless people attempted to improve steamboats so that they could carry passengers and cargo. Robert Fulton was the first to accomplish this task. By purchasing a steam engine built by James Watt, he was able to use the engine to power a 133-foot steamboat, the Clermont. In 1807, Robert Fulton's boat made a journey from New York City to Albany. By the 1830s, steamboats were the convention. They were used as methods of transportation in canals and other navigable waterways. They were used to promote trade. 

Canals are man-made waterways. By building canals, you could connect cities by water and make inland transportation quicker and easier. In April 1817, New York authorized the construction of the Erie Canal. The Erie Canal was a 363-mile canal connecting Albany on the Hudson River with Buffalo, New York. When completed in 1825, the Erie Canal was immediately popular. It was an inexpensive route from New York to the Old Northwest. Not only were goods able to be transported faster, but the cost went down as well. The cost of inland transportation plummeted from $100 a ton to less than $8 a ton. The Erie Canal also linked farms in the West to markets in the East. This led to a growth in agriculture and growth of the national markets, otherwise known as the Market Revolution. The Erie Canal revolutionized transportation and set the path for states to begin building their own canals to promote industrialization. 

Of all the advancements of the Transportation Revolution, the construction of railroads was the most significant. The first railroads carried goods for short distances, but the idea of a railroad sparked interest. Inventors and engineers wanted to be able to develop a railroad that could be used to carry goods or even passengers long distance. In 1826, a group of businessmen launched the first American railway, named the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O). After the success of the B&O in Maryland, many other companies began building railroads. However, many problems emerged. Railroads were expensive and were hastily built. There were many accidents and delays. Also, different companies used different widths of track, so only certain trains could travel on certain railroads. In 1830, Robert Livingston Stevens solved this problem by designing an iron T-shaped rail. After this invention, railroads grew from three thousand miles to thirty thousand miles in only 20 years. Shipping costs greatly decreased and industry expanded. This also contributed to the Market Revolution.