BY: SHELBI MATTHEWS AND GRACE BRINK Transportation and Communication

Steamships Steamships were the first form of transportation to use steam instead of wind power and/or man-power (rowing). The use of steam proved to be very efficient but came with difficulties:  First: a high degree of efficiency was required because of a boat’s limited ability to carry coal.  Second: being on a steam engine, one had to be very cautious, for an explosion could mean the destruction of the entire ship. Overall the steamships improved transportation and would soon become a luxury for the wealthy.

Trains Trains began in English coal mines George Stephenson was an English railroad pioneer, inventor and engineer who was responsible for some of Britain’s earliest locomotives and rail lines in the 1820’s and 1830’s. Soon, more than six thousand miles of railroad track, made of iron, were laid in Britain. Following this, in 1850 Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Frankfurt and other large cities were linked by rail!

Roads At the beginning 17 th century, roads were in terrible shape; muddy and very discomforting to ride upon. But by 1850 John McAdam, a Scottish engineer, developed a new method, using gravel and broken rock, to improve the road conditions. This was known as “macadam.”

Canals/Waterways The use of canal’s for water transport began with the Bridgewater Canal, created in The success of the Bridgewater inspired the Erie Canal in New York State, created in The Erie connected the Hudson River and Lake Erie. The Erie Canal!

The TELEGRAM

Telegrams The telegraph was invented in the United States in the late 1830’s. By the late 1860’s the telegraph lines ran under the Atlantic and throughout Europe. The telegrams were sent using Morse code and flew through wires or cables as electrical impulses. The telegram enabled people to communicate in a faster and much more efficient way. The telegram opened up doors for new inventions and advancements in communication technology.

The FIRST Telephone

The Telephone The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in The telephone carried not just electrical impulses, as the telegram had done, but actual sounds over wire! One of the biggest differences between the telegram and telephone is that the telephone provided a direct link from person to person. This allowed, for instance, businessmen to discuss matters directly over the phone without waiting as long as they would have for a telegram.

The RADIO

Radios The radio was invented in 1890 by Guglielmo Marconi. The wireless radio was mostly used for communication between ships on sea. It did not become a household item until the 1920’s or later.