Matthijs Slapak
9/23/2016
9/23/2016
Before Industrial Revolution
The transport was very basic and very poorly built. This meant that the products like food were transported by horse drawn wagons or river barges, which was very expensive and slow. There was no railway network, because the train was not invented yet, which is why it took several days to travel from town to town.
What changed in the Industrial Revolution?
Roads
In Britain, groups of local people owned and managed the roads in there area. They had 6 days a year to repair the roads, but this was not enough. In the 1750's, Turnpike trusts were created. These were groups of people who maintained the roads full time. If they needed money they could borrow it to repair. In the 1750s there were 1700 Turnpike trusts. The Turnpike trusts were an improvement because the roads became flatter, straighter, harder and bridges were build.
In 1800s almost every road in Britain was controlled by Turnpike trusts. They transportation was far better and fragile goods could transported without getting damage. The public transport became popular as well and people could travel way faster in better conditions.
But then the government took over Turnpike trusts. Although the roads were still good quality, the cheaper and faster way of transportation became popular: traveling by railway.
Canals
Britain had a lot of rivers and waterways. But because it was not going the direction where people needed to go, and because it was difficult to navigate, it was not used in Britain often. France and Holland used canals for a long time, but it became popular in Britain at the Industrial Revolution. Canals are man-made waterways.
In 1959, a man called James Brindley had a job. His purpose was to improve the transportation for coal from mines in Worsley to Manchester. His idea was to built a canal that would connect from the river Irwell strait to Manchester. It was an expensive idea, but the deal went on and the first canal in Britain was built.
After this, canals became very fast and popular way for transportation. Although it expensive to built, it was good for the economy in the long term. People would sit in a barge, and horses that walked next to the canal would pull them. It was a new smooth, fast and comfortable way of transportation.
Between the 1770s and 1830s was the golden age of canals. Canals were built at Oxfort, Mersey and Trent. But then again, the improvements of the steam engine ended the popularity of the canals and no canals were built anymore.
Railways
The early railways were built with wooden tracks. They went from the mines to roads or canals to transport coal. Horses pulled the carriages. It suddenly changed when the steam engine technology from James Watt was applied to the railways
In 1804, the first steam engine locomotive was created by Richard Trevithick. It ran on smooth metal rails. The next successful steam locomotives were the Salamanca built by Matthew Murray in 1812 and the Puffing Billy built in 1813. The usage of steam railways took over popularity of the canals and roads, and was built all over Britain.
The best things about the new technology was the speed, and how it carried the goods more effectively. The locomotive transported small goods and raw materials, and it ended up with less damage than transported by roads or canals.
People traveled from one side of Britain to the other quickly. Because of this transportation, there were lots of villages created in this time, near to the railway. In conclusion, the railways changed the pace of the Industrial Revolution. The textile and iron-making industries began the revolution, but railways added momentum.
The transport was very basic and very poorly built. This meant that the products like food were transported by horse drawn wagons or river barges, which was very expensive and slow. There was no railway network, because the train was not invented yet, which is why it took several days to travel from town to town.
What changed in the Industrial Revolution?
Roads
In Britain, groups of local people owned and managed the roads in there area. They had 6 days a year to repair the roads, but this was not enough. In the 1750's, Turnpike trusts were created. These were groups of people who maintained the roads full time. If they needed money they could borrow it to repair. In the 1750s there were 1700 Turnpike trusts. The Turnpike trusts were an improvement because the roads became flatter, straighter, harder and bridges were build.
In 1800s almost every road in Britain was controlled by Turnpike trusts. They transportation was far better and fragile goods could transported without getting damage. The public transport became popular as well and people could travel way faster in better conditions.
But then the government took over Turnpike trusts. Although the roads were still good quality, the cheaper and faster way of transportation became popular: traveling by railway.
Canals
Britain had a lot of rivers and waterways. But because it was not going the direction where people needed to go, and because it was difficult to navigate, it was not used in Britain often. France and Holland used canals for a long time, but it became popular in Britain at the Industrial Revolution. Canals are man-made waterways.
In 1959, a man called James Brindley had a job. His purpose was to improve the transportation for coal from mines in Worsley to Manchester. His idea was to built a canal that would connect from the river Irwell strait to Manchester. It was an expensive idea, but the deal went on and the first canal in Britain was built.
After this, canals became very fast and popular way for transportation. Although it expensive to built, it was good for the economy in the long term. People would sit in a barge, and horses that walked next to the canal would pull them. It was a new smooth, fast and comfortable way of transportation.
Between the 1770s and 1830s was the golden age of canals. Canals were built at Oxfort, Mersey and Trent. But then again, the improvements of the steam engine ended the popularity of the canals and no canals were built anymore.
Railways
The early railways were built with wooden tracks. They went from the mines to roads or canals to transport coal. Horses pulled the carriages. It suddenly changed when the steam engine technology from James Watt was applied to the railways
In 1804, the first steam engine locomotive was created by Richard Trevithick. It ran on smooth metal rails. The next successful steam locomotives were the Salamanca built by Matthew Murray in 1812 and the Puffing Billy built in 1813. The usage of steam railways took over popularity of the canals and roads, and was built all over Britain.
The best things about the new technology was the speed, and how it carried the goods more effectively. The locomotive transported small goods and raw materials, and it ended up with less damage than transported by roads or canals.
People traveled from one side of Britain to the other quickly. Because of this transportation, there were lots of villages created in this time, near to the railway. In conclusion, the railways changed the pace of the Industrial Revolution. The textile and iron-making industries began the revolution, but railways added momentum.