British transport during the Industrial Revolution

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Which of the improvements in transports between 1750-1914 had most impact on the economy and why?

Introduction

During the industrial revolution greater output was obtained in transport, with many improvements in different sectors of transportation. Both volume and speed of goods and passenger transport increased, which led to economic growth. In the overall provision of goods and passenger transport the development of railways, roads, and water transport played an important role, and they all influenced the economy to some extent. Therefore, the question I will try to answer in this essay is: Which of the improvements in transports between 1750-1914 had most impact on the economy and why?

        In order to do so, I will start by briefly discussing transport at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Next I will analyse each different type of transportation and their effect on the economy. In the conclusion I will provide a definite answer to the question mentioned before.

Transport at the beginning of the industrial revolution

Transport revolved around nearly every aspect of the industrial revolution. Basically there are two different sorts of traffic involved in this. The first category consists of heavy, bulky goods, usually of low value, such as coal, grain or stone. In this category the transport cost element is high in relation to the total cost. Therefore low transport costs per ton carried are of primary importance, not speed. The second category is made up of high value goods, costly imports and also the carriage of passengers and mail. Speed in getting goods to markets is predominant for this category. At the beginning of the industrial revolution water transport, capable of carrying up to 300-400 tons in a coastal vessel, was the bulk carrier and most suitable for the first category. Road transport provided greater speed and was therefore more fitting for the second category. However, innovation and inventions caused this pattern of transport to change.

Water transport

In the eighteenth century transport of goods depended on two main sources of power: wind and horses. Wind was the chief source of power for coastal shipping, and horses were used on the inland water ways. Horse power was also an important source for transport on roads, which I will discuss in the next part of this essay. First, I will elaborate on water transport, beginning with coastal shipping. 

Coastal Shipping

Because Britain is such a narrow island, coastal shipping was able to serve many places, not only on the itself, but also for considerable distances inland up river estuaries. The great economy of coastal shipping over land transport for many types of goods was described by Adam Smith, who wrote that ‘it required only six or eight men to bring by water to London the same quantity of goods which would otherwise require fifty broad wheeled wagons, attended by a hundred men, and drawn by 400 horses.’

        The industry of coastal shipping was dominated by the transport of coal. The tonnage of coal carried coastwise exceeded by far the weight of any other cargo. Coal was not only used to keep warm, but was also required as raw material in a number of important industries, such as brick making and glassmaking. Other important coastwise trades were corn, grain and raw wool. The British coasting trade was mainly in raw materials and agricultural surpluses. These products of low value in relation to their volume were unable to stand the high charges of land transport.

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        In the days of the sail there were severe limitations to the use of coastal shipping, because beneficial results could only be achieved if the winds and tides combined made it possible. Therefore, the arrival of the steamship was a welcome attribution to coastal shipping. Some of these ships were exclusively meant for the carriage of goods, but the majority of them carried passengers. In the early 1840s British coastal passenger steamships achieved their greatest extent and importance: there were over 1400 route-miles of regular crossings linking ninety ports and harbours. Because travel by steamboat was so much cheaper than ...

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