The Brief History of Transportation

Whether by land or by sea, humans have always sought to traverse the earth and move to new locations. The evolution of transportation has brought us from simple canoes to space travel, and theres no telling where we could go next and how we will get there. The following is a brief history of transportation, dating from the first vehicles 900,000 years ago to the modern day. Early Boats and Horses The first mode of transportation was created in the effort to traverse water: boats. Those who colonized Australia roughly 60,000–40,000 years ago have been credited as the first people to cross the sea, though there is some evidence that seafaring trips were carried out as far as 900,000 years ago. The earliest known boats were simple logboats, also referred to as dugouts, which were made by hollowing out a tree trunk. Evidence for these floating vehicles comes from artifacts that date back to around 10,000–7,000 years ago. The Pesse canoe—a logboat—is the oldest boat unearthed and dates as far back as 7600 BCE. Rafts have been around nearly as long, with artifacts showing them in use for at least 8,000 years. Next, came horses. While it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when humans first began domesticating them as a means of getting around and transporting goods, experts generally go by the emergence of certain human biological and cultural markers that indicate when such practices started to take place. Based on changes in teeth records, butchering activities, shifts in settlement patterns, and historic depictions, experts believe that domestication took place around 4000 BCE. Genetic evidence from horses, including changes in musculature and cognitive function, support this. It was also roughly around this period that the wheel was invented. Archaeological records show that the first wheeled vehicles were in use around 3500 BCE, with evidence of the existence of such contraptions found in Mesopotamia, the Northern Caucuses, and Central Europe. The earliest well-dated artifact from that time period is the Bronocice pot, a ceramic vase that depicts a four-wheeled wagon that featured two axles. It was unearthed in southern Poland. Steam Machines: Steamboats, Automobiles, and Locomotives In 1769, the Watt steam engine changed everything. Boats were among the first to take advantage of steam-generated power; in 1783, a French inventor by the name of Claude de Jouffroy built the Pyroscaphe, the world’s first steamship. But despite successfully making trips up and down the river and carrying passengers as part of a demonstration, there wasn’t enough interest to fund further development. While other inventors tried to make steamships that were practical enough for mass transport, it was American Robert Fulton who furthered the technology to where it was commercially viable. In 1807, the Clermont completed a 150-mile trip from New York City to Albany that took 32 hours, with the average speed clocking in at about five miles per hour. Within a few years, Fulton and company would offer regular and freight service between New Orleans; Louisiana; and Natchez, Mississippi. Back in 1769, another Frenchman named Nicolas Joseph Cugnot attempted to adapt steam engine technology to a road vehicle—the result was the invention of the first automobile. However, the heavy engine added so much weight to the vehicle that it wasnt practical. It had a top speed of 2.5 miles per hour. Another effort to repurpose the steam engine for a different means of personal transport resulted in the Roper Steam Velocipede. Developed in 1867, the two-wheeled steam-powered bicycle is considered by many historians to be the world’s first motorcycle. One mode of land transport powered by a steam engine that did go mainstream was the locomotive. In 1801, British inventor Richard Trevithick unveiled the world’s first road locomotive—called the â€Å"Puffing Devil†Ã¢â‚¬â€and used it to give six passengers a ride to a nearby village. It was three years later that Trevithick first demonstrated a locomotive that ran on rails, and another one that hauled 10 tons of iron to the community of Penydarren in Wales to a small village called Abercynon. It took a fellow Brit—a civil and mechanical engineer named George Stephenson—to turn locomotives into a form of mass transport. In 1812, Matthew Murray of Holbeck designed and built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, â€Å"The Salamanca,† and Stephenson wanted to take the technology a step further. So in 1814, Stephenson designed the Blà ¼cher, an eight-wagon locomotive capable of hauling 30 tons of coal uphill at a speed of four miles per hour. By 1824, Stephenson improved the efficiency of his locomotive designs to where he was commissioned by the Stockton and Darlington Railway to build the first steam locomotive to carry passengers on a public rail line, the aptly named Locomotion No. 1. Six years later, he opened the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the first public inter-city railway line serviced by steam locomotives. His notable accomplishments also include establishing the standard for rail spacing for most of the railways in use today. No wonder he’s been hailed as Father of Railways. Modern Machines: Submarines, Aircraft, and Spacecraft Technically speaking, the first navigable submarine was invented in 1620 by Dutchman Cornelis Drebbel. Built for the English Royal Navy, Drebbel’s submarine could stay submerged for up to three hours and was propelled by oars. However, the submarine was never used in combat, and it wasn’t until the turn of the twentieth century that designs leading to practical and widely used submersible vehicles were realized. Along the way, there were important milestones such as the launch of the hand-powered, egg-shaped Turtle in 1776, the first military submarine used in combat. There was also the French Navy submarine Plongeur, the first mechanically powered submarine. Finally, in 1888, the Spanish navy launched the Peral, the first electric, battery-powered submarine, which also so happened to be the first fully capable military submarine. Built by a Spanish engineer and sailor named Isaac Peral, it was equipped with a torpedo tube, two torpedoes, an air regeneration system, and the first fully reliable underwater navigation system, and it posted an underwater speed of 3.5 miles per hour. The start of the twentieth century was truly the dawn of a new era in the history of transportation as two American brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, pulled off the first official powered flight in 1903. In essence, they invented the world’s first airplane. Transport via aircraft took off from there with airplanes being put into service within a few short years during World War I. In 1919, British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown completed the first transatlantic flight, crossing from Canada to Ireland. The same year, passengers were able to fly internationally for the first time. Around the same time that the Wright brothers were taking flight, French inventor Paul Cornu started developing a rotorcraft. And on November 13, 1907, his Cornu helicopter, made of little more than some tubing, an engine, and rotary wings, achieved a lift height of about one foot while staying airborne for about 20 seconds. With that, Cornu would lay claim to having piloted the first helicopter flight. It didn’t take long after air travel took off for humans to start seriously considering the possibility of going further up and toward the heavens. The Soviet Union surprised much of the western world in 1957 with its successful launch of Sputnik, the first satellite to reach outer space. Four years later, the Russians followed that by sending the first human, pilot Yuri Gagaran, into outer space aboard the Vostok 1. These achievements would spark a â€Å"space race† between the Soviet Union and the United States that culminated in the Americans taking what was perhaps the biggest victory lap among national rivals. On July 20, 1969, the lunar module of the Apollo spacecraft, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, touched down on the surface of the moon. The event, which was broadcast on live TV to the rest of the world, allowed millions to witness the moment Armstrong became the first man to ever step foot on the moon, a moment he heralded as â€Å"one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.†

The Shootings Of Michael Brown - 897 Words

The shootings of Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York have recently raised a lot of questions and debates about law enforcement’s operation in communities. The protests and riots of the public, especially of African-American, criticizing racial power imbalances in the United States. Even though the killing of the two unarmed African –American men can be viewed as visible sign of racial domination through coercion and violence, which of course is debatable, there are other nearly invisible practices such as grammar and the ideology of mestizaje(racial and cultural mixing) that are responsible for the production of racial domination. This racial power imbalance is also found through educational, economic, and political forces. The purpose of this paper is to examine through different angles how we absorb racial ideology through mass media and social interaction. I will achieve this by first outlining and summarizing The Invisible Weight of Whiteness and From Trigueà ±ita to Afro-Puerto Rican respectively from Eduardo Bonilla-Silva and Maritza Quinones Rivera. Their arguments denounce white supremacy through various channels showing how people are unable to see things as they really are. I will then note the general effects this ideology has on society and people. Finally, I will link the reasons of this ideology by examining my sources. In doing so, I hope to show why order of things is produced to maintain racial domination. In â€Å"The invisible weight ofShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Shooting Of Michael Brown Essay1302 Words   |  6 PagesRodney King. Trayvon Martin. Looking at where we are today after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, it can feel like nothing has changed in the way we police the police.Many things haven’t. Juries acquitted police. Cops got their jobs back. 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Amazons Marketing Strategies Free Essays

It also uses existing communication systems. Lastly it utilizes behaviors and mentalities. Combined, all of these aspects ensure that Amazon can grow a very successful company it also keeps it as strong as possible. We will write a custom essay sample on Amazons Marketing Strategies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Without some of these marketing strategies Amazon would not be what it is today. Throughout Amazons entire time, these have been some of the things that they have always looked for, in terms of trying to provide a great experience and market their company. Analysis: Starting off with freely proffers products and services. I think this is very important for Amazon to always have since there company relies on other companies selling on there site. Without the products and services that are sold on there site, think they would not be as successful as they are today. Amazons friendly interface provides the customers to feel like they are buying from a reliable source as well as feeling at ease while searching through the site. This is very important for Amazon, because many people use it because It is so easy to buy produces from the site. Amazon as a whole scales extremely easily from large to small. This can make the company better in many different aspect. Not very many companies have this ability. Amazon exploits many products and recourses and it helps everyone. It helps the customers find what they need, it helps the companies gain popularity and helps Amazon to create a much better site as a whole. How to cite Amazons Marketing Strategies, Essays

The Great Powers of Europe

Question: Discuss about the Great Powers of Europe. Answer: Introduction The Great Powers generally refer to the most powerful nations of the European State and they together formed the Concert of Europe in the year 1815. Great powers in Europe during the Napoleon time were Great Britain, Russia, Austria and Prussia. The powers of these states, however, underwent many changes and modification during the time of World War I and World War II. All these nations had superior economic, political and military strengths. However, all these nations had their way of work and ideas, so there was a need for perfect balance for the smooth working of the "Great Powers." Among these great powers, Russia and Britain were more influential and powerful. The Navy of Great Britain was of a superior class and thereby Britain gained much popularity and global strength. The alliance of these countries worked together to defeat Napoleon and after that France also joined the alliance and became the fifth member of the "European Concert." The answer further discusses how the grea t powers maintained a balance among them and worked towards the progress of the entire nation. The theory of the balance of power clearly describes the working policy of the nations and represents the important factors included in the theory. The theory of the balance of power mainly originated in the 19th century after much of the political upheavals in Europe. The neorealist theory is a structural theory that defines the overall structure and system of a nation. It aims towards removing anarchy, building international relationships, a better future, equality in authoritative powers and so on. The theory also includes the change or conversion of the states economic wealth to military power to make the "Great Powers" protected from any foreign invasion. Another theory also includes the equal distribution of the military powers or authoritative powers so that the nations that fall under the group of Great Powers cannot dominate other countries. Balancing is another theory that also falls under the theory of the balance of powers. It means collaborating or making allies with oth er powerful nations make a more powerful group. The population and territory of the nation are also one of the theories of the balance of power since it decides the political strength of the nation. All the countries or nations that are under the "Great Powers" have their specific territories and any increase in territories adds to the strength and power of the nation. Balance in the boundary of the nations is important to maintain equilibrium and peace. The balance of powers works on the understanding of the requirements and weakness of the participating nations in a group or alliance. Some examples can be further cited to clear this statement. During the time of Cold War," the United States of Nation, as well as the Soviet Union, increased their nuclear power to have an equilibrium or balance of power. During the 19th century, the power of the nations likes Britain, Austria, and Russia abolished the great power of France and thereby initiated the fall of Napoleon. Napoleon played an important role in the history of Europe, and his legacy is an example for the modern world. His leadership brought about many changes in Europe and he totally modified the map of Europe. His decisions and strategy might have been rude and severe, but nonetheless, it brought about a new definition of power and politics in the whole of Europe. The importance of his legacy can be further highlighted by the discussion of his contributions towards the European history. Napoleon brought about the modernist norms in France, which states that the laws and rules are all based on the merits of the people. This initiated a change in France and the feudal structure of France gradually broke down, giving rise to a state governed by enlightened people. This also helped in development of art, religion, and culture of France and thereby affected the whole Europe as well. Another important contribution of Napoleon is the introduction of the Napoleonic Code of Law." This ushered in new legal laws and norms in France. The law, however, gave more authority and rights to the men and provided them quality in rights. The third important contribution of Napoleon is the reforms in the economy of France, which influenced the whole of Europe. After Napoleon came to power the economy of France changed drastically, and it developed the economy of France. International trade increased along with an increase in different luxurious industries of France. France today is known for its superior and luxurious chains of shops in the whole world, and it all started from the Napoleon era. The economic reform in France also initiated the development of infrastructure, which made France one of the memorable places in the world and the huge infrastructures, resembles the beauty and elegance of France. Among all the theories of Napoleon as discussed, above the most important for this essay is the Neorealist Theory which had a widespread effect on the whole of Europe. The Neorealist Theory is a wide aspect and includes several important points in it. The Neorealist Theory helped Napoleon in creating an advanced nation. The neorealist theory involves points like anarchy, national boundary, national concern and equal distribution of power. With the growing economy of the nation, Napoleon also tried to make Europe better and more advanced. He tried to do away with the age-old tradition and norms and initiated a new change. This helped in unifying Europe and in creating a new sense of unity and nationality. The Neorealist Theory is an important point of discussion in this context since it includes alliance or collaboration of the nations and that decides their strengths, authority, and their alikeness. Anarchy in a nation refers to any chaos and unrest that disturbs the peace of the nat ion. Equality, which is also one of the important agendas of Neorealist Theory, is important in this context. Equality here refers to the equal distribution of power among all the nations that come under the "Great Powers of Europe." Though France was quite powerful among all the four powers, Napoleon tried to unite the four nations and make Europe more strong and superior. However, this Neorealist Theory aptly applies to this essay since it states about a proper balance and configuration of the European nations. The political powers also unified and formulated their strategies and decisions in a unified way. The Concert of Europe was mainly formed to usher in some peace and national unity by the countries like Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia. However, the Concert of Europe did not last for long and their agenda of uniting the whole of Europe failed miserably. Alliance formation theory did not work for long, and certain political issues came up that gradually broke the alliance. The alliance was formed on the principles of peace, unity, security and military power of the European nations. However, the rising feeling of revolution to increase their respective territories and gain more power broke the bond and agendas of the alliance. Russia and Austria were two participating members of the Concert of Europe and was interested to know about all the internal affairs of the states of Europe. On the other hand, Lord Canning of Britain was not for the policy of interference and it is something, which was not favorable or desirable for the other European nations as well. Some causes or examples can be further cited to systematically illustrate the causes of the failure of the "European Concert," which are as follows: The alliance was mainly formed to combat the power of Napoleon, but with the death of Napoleon, the alliance was broken and became busy with their individual nations. Further France, also became a member of the "The European of Concert." This is one of the important causes of the failure of the concert. The alliance mainly consisted of the four big powers like Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia and they mainly discussed the political and national issues among themselves. The smaller European states at times were invited to the discussions, but they did not play any role in the decision-making. Their suggestions and ideas were not even entertained, which made them feel ignored and left out and due to this reason the big powers did not get any support from the smaller European states, when in need. This is also a vital reason for their failure to last for a long time. Another important cause of the failure of the alliance was a loss of mutual trust and loyalty. In the initial phase, the participating nations worked actively and sincerely, but with time, there was a lack of their cooperation and unity. Variation in ideas and thoughts also hampered their working style and approach. For example, Britain became busy with their nation and tried to implement their ideals and logic of working on all the participating nations. Hence, these are all the causes and examples that illustrate the fall of "The Concert of Europe."