It is easy to take today’s transportation methods for granted; they are something we rarely need to really think about. Our methods of travel are actually rather unusual from a historical perspective and each has a unique history of development.

Trains
Moving a wheel along a stiff, hard track took less energy than over loose ground and that’s where the ancestors of modern trains came from. Initially these were pulled in the traditional manner by horses but when the cost of fodder increased the need for an alternative was sorely felt, resulting in the development of the steam engine.

Airplanes
Air travel is now one of the most natural choices for traveling great distances but that of course wasn’t always the case. Modern airplanes owe a lot to humble items such as the kite and the hot air balloon for proving that traveling through the air was possible. Much of the scientific innovation in air travel that travelers enjoy today was due to the military uses airplanes had; governments put a lot of funding into aviation research.

Cruise Ships
People have always loved to travel but it wasn’t until the 19th century that cruises took off in popularity among vacationers. The reason was simple; ships were painfully slow until the invention of the steam engine. When the steam engine sped up travel by ship exponentially cruises became a popular method for vacationers to get from one place to another in comfort and style. Not to mention the beautiful nights on the ocean.