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7600 BCE
First modes of transportation
Walking, jogging, and running were the first ways people got around from place to place, until log boats from 10,000-7,000 years ago were made by people who colonized Australia to cross the seas. (Nguyen, Tuan C. "The History of Transportation." ThoughtCo, Apr. 24, 2025, thoughtco.com/history-of-transportation-4067885.) -
4000 BCE
Invention of the wheel and domestication of horses
It is believed we started domesticating horses around 4,000 BC for transporting goods and going around from place to place. We invented the wheel in modern-day Iraq around 3,500 BC, where they were first made of solid pieces of wood carved into a circle. (https://localhistories.org/a-brief-history-of-transport/, Nguyen, Tuan C. "The History of Transportation." ThoughtCo, Apr. 24, 2025, thoughtco.com/history-of-transportation-4067885.) -
3500 BCE
Invention of sailboats and bigger, faster ships
While wooden canoes and rafts were being used, the Egyptians invented the first sailboat in 3500 B.C., where they could use the wind to help them travel in the waters. In 800 A.D., longships are made and used by the Vikings to help them travel much faster in reaching other lands and making them a powerful foe in Europe. ("A Short History Of Transportation." , 2009. ProQuest; SIRS Discoverer, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsdiscoverer/document/2267056811?accountid=3541.) -
1400
Voyages of trade and discovery
During the Medieval times of Europe, with the help of the invention of compasses and more improved sailing vessels, people were able to travel across the sea and land safely on land. With this innovation, people discovered new lands and built a sea trade which extended to other continents such as the Americas, Africa, and Asia. ("transportation." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2024. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/transportation/277414#209055-toc. Accessed 29 May. 2025.) -
Stagecoaches, the trains of horseback traveling
In the 1660s in France, people start using stagecoaches, a public coach traveling in a carriage with horses leading the cart, to travel long distances, stopping at destinations to switch horses and passengers. They were later used in the U.S. in the 19th century, where roadways were improved and made travelling conditions better. ("stagecoach." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 26 Jun. 2014. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/stagecoach/605242. Accessed 29 May. 2025.) -
Steamboats and the Erie Canal
The Erie Canal was created in 1825, entering an era of canal building which connected the Atlantic to as farther beyond the Appalachians. The steamboat is an innovation where it relies on steam to propel the boat, In the 1800s to the 1930s, steamboats was the only mode of mechanical transportation for passengers and freight. ("transportation." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2024. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/transportation/277414#209055-toc. Accessed 29 May. 2025.) -
Transcontinental Railroad
In 1863, the United States started building a railroad that connected the East Coast to the West Coast. The road was completed at Promontory, Utah, in 1869. It stretched 1,800 miles, from Nebraska to California. Time travel decreased and it moved faster. Freight and passengers could get from place to place quickly. ("transcontinental railroad." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2024. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/transcontinental-railroad/629320. Accessed 29 May. 2025.)