Page 25 - All About History - Issue 16-14

Transport

Arches
These were typically made
of walnut wood and they
held the cover together,
Wheels providing the rigid structure
the cloth needed.
The parts that took the most strain were reinforced with
iron, such as the wheels and axles. The wheels would have to
cover thousands of miles over rough terrain and were made
large to help the wagon roll easily over bumps and dips on
the trail. The large wheels also helped the wagon take more
weight, with some of them loaded down with more than a ton
(2,200lb) of possessions. Cover
The cover of the wagon was made of cotton
and hemp. It protected from the cold,
the sunlight and the dust and was often
waterproofed with paint or linseed oil to
keep its inhabitants dry. It was closed with a
cord and could be removed if the weather on
the journey got too hot.

How do we
know this?
There are numerous accounts
from American travellers
from this time period that
have survived, from letters
to diaries. These provide
valuable information on the
reasons they moved across
the country, the hardships
they faced and, of course,
the transport that enabled
them to cross such a vast
country. There are numerous
books on this subject; one
of the most illuminating is
Wagons West: The Epic Story
Of America’s Overland Trails
Greasing box by Frank McLynn, which
This was filled with a covers in detail the drama of
mixture of animal fat and the journey by mid-Western
tar and was an essential farmers to Oregon and
part of the wagon. California from 1840 to 1849.
Breaking down – especially
in uninhabited areas –
could lead to disaster, so
all moving parts would
be regularly greased in a
bid to help keep them all
Animal power running smoothly.
Long before the invention of other forms
of transport, humans have used animals
such as ostriches, camels and elephants
for transportation.

South Africa Europe and Sahara and Arabia India, Sri Lanka,
America Bangladesh

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