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Carts and waggons are very similar. Carts can have either two or four wheels. Waggons all have four wheels. When disussing children's conveyances the basic differences was that cart were pulled by animals. We mostly see four wheel animal carts because four-wheel carts are more stable and thus safer for young children. Children's waggons had a kind of handle so that we to be pulled by a child. Carts were common in rural America when it was a primarily rural country. At time almost all families had animals that could be used to pull a child's cart. As American became more urbamized after the mid-19th century this became less commom. And we see waggons beginning to replace carts. Children from almost all social classes could play with carts. Lower income families would have simple make-shift carts. Here we are talking about both rural and small-town families. Kids from afluent families might have nice purpose-made carts. And as American urbanized we see more and more expensive looking carts. Both becuse we have more well-to-do families and we have far more photographs by the late-19th and early-20th century. Wealthy families were more likely to live in homes that had grounds where animals could be kept. Most other boys had waggons. While we see both boy and girls with animal driven carts (usually the boys are drivers), but it is mostly the boys who have waggons.
Carts and waggons are very similar. Carts can have either two or four wheels. Waggons all have four wheels. When disussing children's conveyances the basic differences was that cart were pulled by animals. We mostly see four wheel animal carts because four-wheel carts are more stable and thus safer for young children. Children's waggons had a kind of handle so that we to be pulled by a child.
Carts were common in rural America when it was a primarily rural country. At time almost all families had animals that could be used to pull a child's cart. As American became more urbamized after the mid-19th century this became less commom. And we see waggons that children pulled beginning to replace carts.
We are not sure when these carts first appeared, largely because before the advent of photographt there is little evidence of them. We supect that before the 19th century, not that much attention was given to entertaining children. There could have been some wealthy families on plantations which may have had them, but we have not yet found any evidence in paintings. This appraently changed in the 19th century as different attitudes toward children and child care became standard in the Victorian era. Early photography was mostly limited to the studio, so we do not begin to see many photographs until the late-19th century. Once the family snapshot appeared after the turn-f-the 20th century we see quite a large number of these animal cart photographs. This continue into the 1920s, but subsequently we see far fewer images. We have found only a few such images in the 1930s. We are not entirely sure why. The declining farm population and smaller families may be part of the reason. Another factor may be the popularity of trikes that younger children could play with which were probably more fun for the kids as they could go faster and stear and prople with ease without all kinds os close adult involvement. A goat cart meant that you had to wrangkle the goat, get out the cart, put the haress on, and closely and then reverse the process. It is a lot easier to just lket the lids run around with their trikes and scooters.
The Different animals were used for these carts, including dogs, coats, and ponies. By far the most important werte goats. Goats were the most important. They were the perfect size for most small children.a They were large enough and strong enough to pull a small cart and toddler cvhildren. But not strong enpough to pull them very fast are put bthem in any danger. Goats were so commonly used that children's carts were commonly referred to as goat carts. And the goats were a common farm animal in part because they were so low maintenence. They were not the only animal used, but relected in the photographic record they were the most common. We also see dogs being used, but most dogs are not large and strong enough to pul a cart with children. Some were abd we see them in the photographic record. There were also ponys used. But a pony requires much mor maintenabnce than a goat. And they tended to be used mostly by well-to=do families living on estates where horses were kept. Most rural families where farm animals were kept did not have pony carts for the children. They might have goat carts, but pony carts were seen a more of a high end endugence. In addition, a pony was a larger, stronger animal and potentially more dangeros than a goat. pony was capable of pilling a cart with more so\peed than a goat and required more adult supervision.
Children from almost all social classes could play with carts. Lower income families would have simple make-shift carts. Here we are talking about both rural and small-town families. Kids from afluent families might have nice purpose-made carts. And as American urbanized we see more and more expensive looking carts. Both because we have more well-to-do families and we have far more photographs by the late-19th and early-20th century. Wealthy familis were more likely to live in homes that had grounds where animals could be kept. Most other boys had waggons.
We see both boy and girls with animal driven carts, although usually the boys are drivers. It was mostly the boys who have waggons. For whatever reason, few girls wanted waggons. We see brothers pulling their sisters in their waggons, but few girls had waggons to pull their sublings.
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