Transportation1820

Railroads became the most popular mean of transportation around the 1850's. But before railroads were popular people traveled on boats on rivers, lakes, etc. As a result, settlement clung to the nation’s coasts and rivers. A few roads connected major cities, but travel on them was difficult and time consuming. Large ships moved passengers and freight across the oceans and smaller boats plied the nation’s rivers, lakes and canals. Chicago was one of the fastest growing cities in the 1800's because they were located at the intersection of river, lake and railroad routes. Chicago’s industrial, manufacturing and commercial life depended on the boats and trains traveling into and out of the city. Lake steamers carried coal and iron ore to Chicago’s steel mills. Railroads brought livestock to the city’s stockyards and shipped sides of beef, pork, and lamb to the rest of the country. The first railroad was laid in Hilliard, Ohio in 1853. This website explains the development of railorads throughout the eighteenth century. It will explain why the government was unsure of making railroads a primary source of transportation. []
 * __Railroads__**

Many people during the eigtheenth century traveled on trails across the United States, most famously, the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails. The trails had an impact on transportation because a lot fewer people would take railroad tracks if they could travel the trail. Many people would use the Santa Fe trail to take goods back and forth from place to place. This is another factor that slowed the development of railroads. Although, railroads were a much faster method of travel, as the Santa Fe Trail took around eight weeks to travel and they were both very dangerous. These trails were more in the earlier part of the eigthneenth century. For more information about the trails click on the links below.
 * __Trails[[image:http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/CS/SSB/images/Oregon_Trail/wagonpeople.JPG width="431" height="338" align="right"]]__**

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__**Horse and Buggy**__

The basic horse and buggy was a Horse that pulled a large trailer that had a top. The average one sat two people, sometime four. All horse and buggies did the same job. Made transportation easier for them in short distances. All people considered these a demand.

[|horse and buggy]

Yes this is a newscast. But it will show you the modern day horse and buggy. []

__**Prairie Schooner Covered Wagons**__ This was the Pioneers primary source of transportation. Unlike the heavier and wider Conestoga often seen on the east coast, it has a flat body and lower sides. This was used to transport families and all of their goods. Certain things like tires and axels were reinforced with metal fittings. There was a box in the front where tools were kept for possible repairs.

To read more go to this website: []

__Activity__
 * 1. What was the pioneers primary source of transportation?**
 * 2. How many people did an average horse and buggy seat?**
 * 3. Which of these was used for family travel?**
 * 4. Where was the first railroad laid?**
 * 5. When was the first railroad laid?**
 * 6. What were the two main trails that people traveled on in the 1800's?**
 * 7. Why was Chicago the fastest growing city in the 1800's?**