Figure 1.--Britain developed the world's first national rail system. It played a major role in the country's industrialization. It revolutionized land transport. Boys of course were impressed with the locomotives. These boys are engaged in train spotting. The British continued to use coal-fired steam lovomitives into the 1950s.

Land transport through most of human history was minimal. The vast proportiion of humanity was born and died within a few miles. England was not exceoption. The only serious road building occurred during the Roman era. Land transport continued to be a major problem well into the modern era. Roads were undeveloped. Roads were dangerous places plagued with highwaymen. They tended to be tracks farmers used bringing their animals to the Market. Dicken's stories are full of illustrations of farmers walking their geese to markets. There were horse-pulled coaches, but they were slow and bone rattling. They could transport people, but not any substantial quantity of goods. The first effort in improving land transport in England was canal building, essentilly creating arificial rivers. Canals date back to ancient times, but Britain only began building them in modern times (18th century). Rivers were of very little use in commerce because most are very short and run to the sea. Few are navigble for any distance and none ran north to south. It was canals that addressed this problem. They could be built morth to south. They did not have thec speed needed by passanger traffic, but could move goods at low cost. The Thames is the one exception, eaabling London to become a major sea port. The Mersey with the help of the Manchester Ship Canal connected the port of Liverrpool with the manufacturing center of Manchester. . Ports were connected to other prts by costal vessels. Even after tthe adven of the rail rodas substantial British domestic goods transport went around the coast into the 20th century. The major anserr to land trabnsport as the rasilrofs which Britain invented. There were predecessors, but James Watt improved the steam engines first used to pump water from deep mines, but was staionasry (1769). Incrimental priogress followed and finally George Stephenson created the first really succesful locomotive (1814) and the improved 'Rocket' launched the British rail system (1829). Rasil son began connecting British cities provided for the inprecedented movement of goods ancd people. Isambard Kingdom Brunel would be a major force in developing the British rail system. Steam power would be the dominant power system inBritish rails until after World War II. Sail powered ocean commerce for centuries as Britain came to dominate the seas. It was not just the Royal Navy that was important, but also British mrechant vessels. The first real challenge was from America before the Revolutionary War with the developing merchant fleet of the American colonies. The next challenge was from the American clipperships that came todominate the China trade before the adventb if steam ships. The Rioyal Navy made the transition to oil in prpration for World War I, but the rail system cintunued to use coal. Just as the rails would dominate land transport, steam ships would revolutionize sea transport. And again Britain would lead the way. Not without mishps. The RMS Titanic was a British ship. But Britain developed the largest fleet of merchant vessels.

Road Transport: Foot and Horses

Land transport through most of human history was minimal. The vast proportiion of humanity was born and died within a few miles. England was not exceoption. The only serious road building occurred during the Roman era (43–410 AD) The Romans built and incredable 2,000 miles of road between the towns and cities that they they established. They were built for military purposes, but had major economic value. They were so well built that roads, such as Fosse Way (Devon to Lincoln) and Watling Street (London to Shropshire) were used for centuries. And many British highways today follow the original Roman roads. The Roman roads were built to last, but not for a millennium. Land transport continued to be a major problem well into the modern era. Roads were largely undeveloped and almost entirekly unimprioved. They were dangerous places plagued with highwaymen. They tended to be tracks farmers used bringing their animals and produce to the Market. As a result, they were clustered ariund the major cities. Roads connecting cities became problemastic at any distance from the cities. Dicken's stories are full of illustrations of farmers walking their geese to markets. Ox carts carries heavy loads. There were horse-pulled coaches, but they were slow and bone rattling. They could transport people, but not any substantial quantity of goods. Any serious road building did not begin again until the 18th century. By the 1830s, over 20,000 miles of road have been turn piked and many surfaces improved. John Macadam, played a prominent role in this process. His roads were covered with layers of compacted stone. There were tretches of road overseen by trustees and funded and maintained by tolls. It was uin the 1830s, however, that Britain began focusing on the railroads and less attebntion was given ti the highway system.

Canals

Canals became the primary segment part of England's network of inland waterways. This is bevuse Enland and eve more so does not have a river system tieing the country together and connecting major cities. The rivers that exist are relatively small and run east to west rather than north to south. This is a problem because the country orientation is primarily on the north-south Axis. Initially they were used for both irrigation and transport, although Britain is a well-watered island and needs irrigatiion less than most countries. Canals date back to ancient times and the Romans began building canals when they arrived, primarily for irrigation. After the Legions deoarted (410), canal building did not resume until the 18th century and the Industrail Revolution. With the Industrial Revolution (mid-18th century) there was an increasing demand for tramsporing noth raw material and manufactured products as wll as bringing food amd coal into the expanding cities. This was for nearly a century, primarily canals. The road system was poorly develooped and more expensive to move goods. Thus the effort in improving land transport in England was canal building -- essentilly creating arificial rivers. Rivers were of very little use in commerce because most are very short and run to the sea. Few are navigble for any distance and none ran north to south. It was canals that addressed this problem. They could be built morth to south. They did not have thec speed important for passanger traffic, but could move goods at low cost. England develod large pack horse trains, but theu were unsuitable for bulk transit or fragil items. The existing roads were unsuitable for wheeled vehicles. Fragile manufactured goods like pottery (much more imprtant at the time than it is today) could not survive road transpot. Canal boats in contrast was actually faster than road trnsport, but more imprtantly the boats could not only carry large volumes, but also safely trnsport even fragile items. he first canls were Sankey Canal (1757) and then the Bridgewater Canal (1761) Notice how tyhey date to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The canals were pulled by horses or mules. This was just the beginning of cnal construction. Soon cabls were being constructed to connect industrial centers, mines, cities, and ports. Effeciently moving raw materials (coal and lumber) and then the manufactured goods was at the coreof the Induistrial Revolution. There were huge benefits to manufacturing. In Manchester, one of the key industrial centers, the cost of coal fell by 75 percent as a result of the Bridgewater Canal. The Thames is the one major exception to English rivers, extending some distance inland and enabling London to become a major sea port. But canals were important to the growth of London, extending connections notrth to the manufscturing citis of the Midlnds. The Mersey with the help of the Manchester Ship Canal connected the port of Liverrpool with the manufacturing center of Manchester.

Sea Transport

Sail powered ocean commerce for centuries as Britain came to dominate the seas. It was not just the Royal Navy that was important, but also British mrechant vessels. The first real challenge was from America before the Revolutionary War with the developing merchant fleet of the American colonies. The next challenge was from the American clipperships that came todominate the China trade before the adventb if steam ships. The Royal Navy made the transition to oil in prpration for World War I, but the rail system cintunued to use coal. Just as the rails would dominate land transport, steam ships would revolutionize sea transport. And again Britain would lead the way. Not without mishps. The RMS Titanic was a British ship. But Britain developed the largest fleet of merchant vessels. British Ports were connected to other British ports by costal vessels. Even after tthe advent of the rail roads substantial British domestic goods transport went around the coast into the 20th century.

Railroads

The major anserr to land transport as the railroads which Britain invented. There were predecessors, but James Watt improved the steam engines first used to pump water from deep mines, but was staionasry (1769). Incremental progress followed and finally George Stephenson created the first really succesful locomotive (1814) and the improved 'Rocket' launched the British rail system (1829). Rail soon began connecting British cities provided for the inprecedented movement of goods and people. Isambard Kingdom Brunel would be a makor force in developing the British rail system. Steam power would be the dominant power system inBritish rails until after World War II.

Road Transport: Cars and Trucks

Transportation was primarily by rail at the turn=-of-the 20 century. But the rails could not go ebery here. Thus road transpoertation filled in the gapa, oprimarily gfrom the rail head go to the consumer. In addition, roads were needed to feed goods ans sevices from the ciountry suide beyond the rails into the cites. It was America that changed this pattern. Tinkers in the major European countrties began working on automobiles, bu mostly to priovide expensive play things for the wealthy and well-to-do. Nut in America, Henry Ford reated the Model-T Tin Lizzy (1907). This was an automobile that the average worker, at least in Ameruca, could afford. And shirtly afer the truck appeared that could transport goods. This created a need to expand the highway system. The Government estabished the The Road Board to build and maintain the highway system. World War I erupted (1914). Trucks at the time were rare in Europe, included Britain. Trucks would be a major American contribution to the Allied war effort. After the War Britain and France took to the utomobile, but were slower to build modern riads, Britain did begin numbering its highways(1922). Britain and France were the Eurooen leaders in automobile manufscturing, introducing American mass production tecniques which the NAZIs were hesitant to adopt. This would be a major factor in World War II, although ironically the NAZIs with much fanfare introduced the first modern highway system--the Autobahns. Although if you look at photgraphs, there are almost no cars and trucks on the Autonahns--at least until the Americabns arruive (1945). Britain woukld not begin to build modern highatys a=until well after the War--an eight mile stretch of the Preston Bypass--now part of the M6 motorway (1958).

Created: 12:39 AM 3/1/2011
Last updated: 11:47 AM 7/29/2023