Invention/Transportation Changes 1820-1850

one transportation change was canals. It allowed for faster transportation of goods through waterways. An example is the Erie Canal of New York which was formed through the New York Governor DeWitt Clinton. Because of Canals the cost for transporting goods became 20x cheaper. New Cities such as Syracuse and Rochestor were formed. The railroad was a significant improvement in transportation. It was able to defy terrain and weather and was the most common source of transportaion through land. In the early 1830's however their popularity fell due to flaws in earlier models which let of sparks that set fires and had bad brakes. Railroads became more popular during the 1850's due to changes in their design. Turnpikes and roads were built to increase transportation of goods across roads. An example is the road to Lancaster and Philidelphia which was known as the Lancaster Turnpike. It stimulated western development and commerce. Steamboats which were developed by Robert Fulton were able to travel against wind and current which proved to be more effective than sailboats. They were much more faster also.