The Georgian Era is the time period in the history of England that started with the crowning of King George I in 1714. He was succeeded by King George II, King George III and King George IV. When King George IV died in 1830, the Georgian era came to an end.
The Georgian Era is a highly interesting time period in the history of Britain because it was a period of transformation. This period marks the birth of industrialization that was because of the growth in technology.
Everything from the political structure of the government to the way in which the cities were developed changed during this time. The developments in technology also affected the way people were traveling between places during the 18th century.
Modes of Transportation within the City
Prior to the Georgian Era, people usually travelled to other places within the city on foot. For the rich, sedan cars were available at a very high price, which was basically palanquins that consisted of a closed chamber and was carried by people from one place to another on foot. With the dawn of the new century, though, a dramatic rise in the population of the country was experienced. This resulted in the expansion of cities and the demand for a better way to travel.
The result of this was the rise in the number of horse carriages within the major cities of the country. These carriages were pulled by horses and were available for people of all social classes who could pay the fair, which meant that the poor usually preferred travelling by foot. Depending on the size and capacity of the carriage, the number of horses was determined, which ranged from one, two or three.
The carriages that were pulled by one horse were usually priced higher as they were smaller and could accommodate only three persons at most. However, around the middle of the 18th century, the demand for transportation increased and the concept of public carriages came into being. These were larger and were pulled by more than one horse.
Also, they did not offer any privacy because they were not covered. People could board them if there was room and pay a comparatively lower price for it.
In order to make them more comfortable and convenient, the carriages went through a number of changes with time. Initially, they were built of heavier material and provided less luxury.
However, soon these became more comfortable from the inside and even luxurious because the rich used to travel by them. Apart from this, many changes in the designs of the existing carriages were made in order to make sure that they are lighter, which allowed them to move at a higher speed as well.
Modes of Transportation to other Cities and Countries
By the 18th century, it had become common for people to go to cities from villages and towns in search of work. The rich also traveled between different cities and even countries. This increased the demand for carriages and also led to the development of the first steam engine of the world.
For travel between cities, people often used horse-driven carriages. These were usually bigger than the carriages that operated between cities and carried many people along with their luggage to various places. Depending on the distance, the journey could take a long period of time, ranging from days to weeks.
One of the biggest problems with travelling using carriages was the inconvenience of the trips. The condition of the roads was very poor in England during the Georgian Era. The roads were muddy and uneven, which meant that even though the carriages were luxurious from the inside, the journeys were highly uncomfortable and people often avoided them unless it was absolutely necessary.
The beginning of the 19th century gave one of the greatest gifts to mankind when it comes to modes of transportation. The first steam engine was developed that could take hundreds of people from one place to another within a very short period of time as compared to the carriages.
This resulted in the development of railways and it became a turning point in terms of transportation.
The pace of development of railways was fast but by the end of the Georgian Era, only the major cities of England were connected by train. However, the invention had crossed the national boundaries of the country and many neighboring countries were connected to England by trains.
As a result, people started to travel to other countries more frequently because the travel time was reduced along with the risks associated with it.
During this time, people also started to travel a lot by sea as well. Ships were better now in terms of quality and the improved navigation techniques had reduced the risks of a sea voyage, though not eliminated them completely. Even then, people used to take these voyages and travel to India, Africa, Australia and well as America.
