Elizabethan Era Transportation

807 Words2 Pages

Richard Barden
Ms. Odom
English II - H
4 May, 2016
Elizabethan Era Transportation (Rough)




















Transportation in the Elizabethan era (1558-1603) was far different from the transportation that is used at the present time. Even though transportation in the Elizabethan era was not what people have today, it was still just as crucial to society as transportation is today. However, it was limited, basic, and sea travel was not available for citizens.
Transportation in the Elizabethan era contained many different limitations and dangers for travelers, traders, and citizens alike. First of all, only rich people, nobles, and royalty could afford the horse-drawn coaches that people see in paintings and history books today. Commoners …show more content…

The mud created the opportunity for carriages and horses to get stuck in the middle of nowhere, no less. People who got stuck could be miles and miles from help, which could create a really sticky (pun intended) situation. All of these things discouraged most people from traveling in the rain, and it became uncommon (Park 1). There were no good maps of the region at the time, which hampered the ability to navigate the highways easily and efficiently (Mortimer 210). The maps that people had were often faulty or inaccurate, leading to wrong turns and other mistakes (Mortimer 210). There was also a high risk of being robbed while traveling at the time (Park 1). Robbers took advantage of the often …show more content…

The building of the ships was a complicated, tedious, time-consuming task. Although sailing in ships was the most advanced form of traveling at the time, it was only used for the transportation of soldiers and cargo (Pike 1). Neither commoners or nobles used ships to reach their destinations, apart from the colonization of new areas, which required a charter from the monarch or a deal with a proprietorship. Large ships called Carracks were a favorite because of their large carrying capacity (Pike 1). This was key for the traders who transported cargo. They needed to transport as many goods as possible in a short amount of time. If only citizens used ships for transportation, they would be able to travel longer distances much more quickly and

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