Travel in Colonial Times was not easy. Much of the Colonies was still a wilderness, and it took weeks to get from one part to another. The colonists took on the challenge, and their methods of travel changed to meet their needs and evolved ever so slowly into what we take for granted today
History
Travel in Colonial Times was much as it was for hundreds of years before: horseback, wagon, boat and on foot. The Colonists put their own imprint on the methods of travel, mostly because of necessity. They learned some from the Native Americans and modified what they were used to in their old country. They created ways to travel that suited their needs.
Significance
The methods of travel available to the citizens of Colonial American dictated their way of life, and the way they evolved their means of travel came about because of their need to reach other parts of the colonies speedily and comfortably. It enabled them to trade with other colonies, get their produce to market and explore the wilderness.
Types
Foot travel was still a major way to get around in Colonial times. Daniel Boone set out on foot to colonize what was to become the State of Kentucky. Even as late as the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1803, which was 20 years after the Colonial period, explorers still relied in great part on their legs to get them to their destination.
Horseback was faster and rather pleasant, depending on the weather. But it would still take 2 weeks to travel by horseback from Philadelphia to Boston. Farmers used two wheeled carts to get their produce to market. The wealthy colonists had elaborate horse drawn carriages, while other would travel in stage coaches, which were not that comfortable. In some cases, the sides were open with only roll down shades to protect from the weather. It was hard to drive through the snows of winter, so horse drawn sleds would be used instead.
Sailing ships were used to transport both cargo and passengers from one colony to another. George Washington traveled by water from Virginia to New York to be inaugurated as President. Most of the colonies were on the coast, and those that were not were on wide, deep rivers. The colonists also learned how to make canoes from the native Americans
Geography
The geography did not make Colonial travel easy. They often had to either go around mountains or over them. There were not many bridges over the rivers, so they had to find the shallow parts and ford the rivers. Picking the wrong spot could be fatal. Roads were rough, many of them simply Native American hunting trails. But the tough geography forced the colonists to improve their transportation and help it evolve into sturdier vehicles
Effects
If the colonists did not evolve their means of travel, the settlers would not have been able to set out for California, at least not by land. The farm wagon evolved into the covered wagon. The stage coaches became more steady and as the pioneers headed west, they made it necessary for stage coach stops to be built, which often evolved into towns and villages. As more wagons headed west, ferries were built to take them across the rivers. And at the same time, better roads were built in the original colonies and as they became more prosperous, travel became easier.
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