Transportation History: Innovations and Impact

• Transportation's history is divided into periods based on the primary source of motive power. These include human/animal muscle, natural forces like wind and gravity, and fuel-operated machines.
• "Transportation" is derived from Latin words "Terans" and "Portare," which mean "across and move" and "to carry" respectively.

Manpower

• Sleds were used in the Stone Age for transporting firewood and hunted animals.
• Ancient carts were sleds mounted on wheels.
• The wheel was invented in 3500 BC in Mesopotamia in the Tigris-Euphrates valleys.

Animal Power

• Animal muscle power was widely used for transport in Ancient Egypt and other river valley civilizations.
• Ox, ass, and camel were tamed in the Middle East around 3000 BC.
• Reindeer were used in Arctic Snow areas
• Elephants were used in India.
• Llamas were used in Peru.

Wind Power

• Primitive people migrated over the oceans long before 3000 BC, using crude skin sails on rafts or canoes.
• Three-mast ships were developed in 1450 AD.

Water Transportation

• Boats have been a means of transportation for humans since prehistoric times.
• Early boats were floating logs or driftwood used like canoes.
• The steamboat was invented in 1783 by Marquis de Jouffroy de Abbans.
• Ships and submarines came later.

Roads and Vehicles

• Romans brought road building to its peak in ancient times having a total of 50,000 miles (80,000 km) in its road network.
• Roman roads were costly due to deep foundations of layered heavy stones suitable for heavy traffic.
• In 1815, John Mc Adam improved road construction in England with macadamized roads
• Mc Adam ensured roads were watertight and curved so water would run off.
• Coaches averaged about 4 mph (6.4 kph).

Canals and Railways

• Canals and railroads developed from the need to improving heavy freight transportation
• In 1814, the railway locomotive for hauling coal was fully developed
• The first railroad was the "Stockton and Darlington Line."

Bicycles

• Bicycles are important because the bicycle industry acted like a "nursery" for automobile builders.
• In 1818, bicycles had wooden wheels and were pushed by feet.
• In 1865 a bicycle with pedals was developed.

Automobiles

• Early automobiles ran on four bicycle wheels referred to as "Steam Traction Engines" at the end of the 19th century.
• Etienne Lenoir invented a vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine
• By 1865, 400 Lenoir Gas engines existed in France.
• Nicolaus Otto and Gottlieb Daimler pioneered gas engine manufacturing, and Daimler became a successful automobile manufacturer.
• John Boyd Dunlop invented the pneumatic bicycle tire in 1888.

Air Transport

• Air transportation began with the combustion engine.
• The Wright brothers made their first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903.
• Orville Wright flew a gasoline-powered biplane for 12 seconds.
• Air transport progressed rapidly in WW1 and WW2.
• Later the jet engine and rocket development opened up the era of space exploration.

Explore key milestones in transportation history, from the bicycle industry's influence on automobiles to the impact of the internal combustion engine on land and air travel. Examine innovations like Dunlop's tires and Mc Adam's road design, and understand how the World Wars accelerated advancements in air transport.