Why did most people in the early 1800s travel by river?
1 Answer
Dec 2, 2016
It was faster, easier, cheaper, and you could carry more stuff.
Explanation:
If you need to move freight without Railroads the water is the way to go. Fortunately most of the towns and cities were on water too. Where there wasn't river and oceans they could build canals. The Erie Canal was built in 1808.
Away from the waterways in the early 1800s before railways, transportation off the water was by horse and wagon, ox cart, and mule train. Men could also carry some materials like furs. Serious moving of tons of material and thousands of men needed rivers.
