The Iron Horse: How Did People Travel In The 19th Century

Nowadays many people travel by car or airplane, but how did people travel in the 19th century? The answer is by trains that were run on railroads, specifically the Iron Horse. Well, you might be asking what exactly is the Iron Horse? The Iron Horse is a term used for steam locomotives. It was used when comparing early road and railroad traction engine’s performance to slower, less powerful horse powered tramways. The Iron Horse was the most significant contribution to the development of the economy of railroads, the more convenient way of traveling (Iron Horse). Trains began as a cart or wagon that was pulled by a horse. The horse usually had to carry heavy loads. There was one major problem to this way of transportation. The roads were …show more content…
In 1814, Stephenson built his “traveling engine.” This engine was used to haul coal at the Killingworth mine. In 1829, the Stephensons, George and his son Robert, built the locomotive Rocket, which used a multi-tube boiler. The Rocket won the competition at the Rainhill Trials. This competition that was held to answer the question of whether it was best to move wagons along rails by fixed steam engines using a pulley system or by using locomotive steam engines. The Rocket won the £500 prize with its average speed of 13 miles per hour. Stephenson incorporated elements into his engines that were used in succeeding generations of steam engines (It’s All About Steam).
From New Jersey, there was an inventor by the name of John Stevens. He is known as the “Father of the American Railroads.” Stevens was the first American to build a locomotive that would run on the tracks of the United States. Stevens' locomotive caused great enthusiasm, and at the time of his death, railroads were under construction throughout the East. Stevens' efforts caused men to dream about a transcontinental railroad (The History of the Locomotive: John Stevens,