18th century Transportation

In the 18th century, transportation was primitive by today's standards. The majority of the time if you wanted to go anywhere you either walked or rode a horse on trails or rough roads. Most folks could not afford carriages or wagons. People traveled from one country to the next by small wooden ships or stagecoach services.

Water transportation

The main ship of the day was the sailing vessel. There were two types of ships, the overseas vessel and the smaller "coasting" vessel. Overseas vessels transported cargo and passengers to destinations like America, Nova Scotia, and China. Coastal vessels transported goods and people along the coasts, such as the American east coast. They were not meant for crossing the ocean.

These ships were small, cramped and usually had a crew of no more than 25 or 30 men. These vessels carried out sea trade, cargo hauling, or general transport within the world empires of the day. The English empire was based on her navy and her ability to protect its merchant fleets.

Bateau, canoes and rafts where mainly used in the wilderness or undeveloped areas of the world. For example in America, the Natives used the birch bark canoe for transportation on the major rivers. The fur traders used canoes; Bateau and rafts to transport their yearly take of furs to Rendezvous and outposts for transport to market.

To learn about the use of canoes in America during the 18th century, check out the White Oak Society Web site. Here you will learn that "the canoe was the workhorse of the fur trade. It is not known for sure when the birch bark canoe was first developed. Dugout canoes were common, but would have been too heavy and could carry only a limited amount of goods." (1996 White Oaks Society Inc.)

On the James River Batteau Festival web site, you can view the batteau rebirth. This web site shows how this craft is constructed. To learn about the history of batteau travel on the James River, visit the history section.

Land Transportation

People and goods got around on land by horse drawn wagons, coaches, and carriages. For personal transportation, people used the horse. Oxen and mules pulled wagons and carts, loaded with goods and personal property from one destination to the other.

In Europe, especially in England, the majority of roads were well kept pathways between cities and villages. This was not so in America.

America in the 18th century had no roads like the ones we have today. The majority of roads in America, were Indian trails cut in the wilderness. Those roads that did exist had tree stumps in the middle, with wagon ruts on either side.

Traveling in America was difficult if not impossible to say the least. It would be some time before America would build good roads. It was the call for a national road in the 1740's that would be the catalyst for building these good roads.

Through the Wilderness: The Making of the National Road explains the history of land transportation in America. The author Timothy Crumrin did a great job explaining the beginnings of this National road.

Transportation on land would not be possible if it had not been for the horse. The horse was used for transportation and farming. Indeed if it were not for the horse, Nations and empires would not have been built. For the horse was a mover of society in the 18th century.

At The International Museum of the Horse Web site, you can read how important the horse was to man and the building of nations. The previous link takes you to the beginning of chapter three of The Legacy of the Horse, which is broken down in subsections for easier reading. The Four important sections are: hauling the goods, building the roads to settlement, the public stage wagon, and stage travel in Britain.