Before the Industrial Revolution, transportation of goods was slow and limited to roads and waterways. The development of factories increased the need for better transportation methods. In response, several new forms of transportation were developed during the Industrial Revolution, including canals, turnpikes, railways, coaches, and steamships. Canals allowed horses to transport much larger loads than previously possible. Railways grew in popularity due to their ability to carry heavy loads of materials needed for mines and factories. A notable early developer of steam-powered railways was George Stephenson and his Rocket locomotive. These new transportation methods accelerated the movement of goods, people, and information.

2.  Before the Industrial Revolution, goods could only be
transported either by road or sea
 Because of the poor state of the roads, transport was
slow – only light loads could be carried
 The need to transport goods manufactured in factories
encouraged people to find new and better types of
transport
 Canals, Tar McAdam, Railways, coaches and steam
ships were all developed during the Industrial
Revolution

4.  Before Canals, one horse was only able to transport ½
a ton of material
 Canals allowed a single horse to transport 60 tons of
material

7.  Because of the heavy loads needed to be carried (coal
from mines, raw material to factories, finished
products from factories)
 Solution was to have things run on steel rails which
could take the weight – hence the “railway”
 George Stephenson an early developer of Steam
powered railways
 Developed a new type of steam engine for a
competition, called it Stephenson’s Rocket

9.  New developments – a camber, a curved road surface
to help water run off the road

10.  Tar McAdam – stone chippings held together by tar –
made for a durable and waterproof surface

11.  Turnpikes were basically “tolled roads” where the toll
money was used to keep the road in good condition
 “Turnpike” in Ennis was a road that was once tolled

12.  Telegraphs – communication by signals along electric wires
(morse code) – signals were sent across the Atlantic in the
1860s
 Penny Post – invention of postage stamps made letter writing
easy
1840s Penny Stamp

13.  Faster journeys
 Cost of carrying goods fell – goods became cheaper
 Use of watches and clocks grew (due to timetables)
 Faster spread of news
 Migration of people made easier (such as Irish to
America)