WHAT MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION WERE USED IN 1816? - HISTORY - 2025

The means of transport that were used in 1816 were at least three: the galley, the cart and the sopanda. In addition, other collective public transport such as the boat, the train or the tram were used. Each had unique specifications and were used to improve people's lives in this important historical context.

The evolution of the Neolithic man from the invention of the wheel meant a great advance to transport from one place to another, carry heavy loads and much more. However, the autochthonous civilizations of the American continent were characterized by lacking this advance and the occupation of the territories was done by walking on land or by primitive canoes in aquatic environments and the use of pack animals such as the llama.

It is from the Spanish colonization that means of transport such as the cart, the stagecoach, as well as transport and cargo animals such as horses, oxen, asses and mules are introduced in America.

After more than 300 years under the Spanish and British yoke, the American colonies fight for their independence, the illustrious Americans, educated and militarily prepared descendants of Spanish, have forged an identity in each of their countries and fight for the independence feat.

Importance of means of transport in Argentina

For the emancipation of the American peoples, as in any war, the means of transportation were of great help to achieve their military objectives.

The land communication routes of these territories during colonial times were not optimal, dirt roads, cobbled and rustic streets were where people had to travel on foot, the less fortunate, and those of the middle and upper class could travel them on horseback or in other more sophisticated transports for the time.

The year 1816 is particularly special for Argentina, because it is in this year when the declaration of the Independence of the United Provinces of King Fernando VII of Spain and of any foreign domination is signed.

Historians have given fundamental importance to the means of transportation of those days so that it was possible to achieve the long-awaited declaration of Independence.

This is because the political situation in many provinces and the geographical distance between them made it difficult to bring together the representatives of Congress to sign the emancipatory declaration.

Tucumán is an Argentine province that in colonial times, belonged to the United Provinces and was the place where the representatives of each region decided to meet to install the Congress in which they would declare independence from the Spanish Crown on July 9, 1816.

By this time the roads were narrow, lacked lighting, and animal-drawn transports took several weeks to get from one province to another. Long trips required making stops to rest, feed the animals, and get supplies along the way.

In these years the most used means of transport were galleys, wagons, the sopanda and horses.

Argentine history highlights the relevance of these means of transportation, and the impetus of its congressmen who had to make trips of up to a month to reach Tucumán and declare the Independence of the United Provinces of the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata.

What means of transportation were most used in 1816?

The gallery

Considered the most comfortable and fastest means of transport of the time, as well as being the most expensive, so only the privileged classes could use it, this transport had the capacity to transport up to 10 people without merchandise.

The internal padding of the galley provided comfort to the users and the numerous pockets were arranged in the galley for users to store their belongings. This four-wheeled carriage was drawn by four horses led by a connoisseur of the roads who received the name of postillon.

According to historical records, the congressmen who traveled from Buenos Aires to Tucumán took 25 days to reach the province.

The road

Another of the comfortable means to move by land at the time, was the sopanda, similar to the galley but completely closed with doors and windows but which had an incipient damping mechanism that consisted of leather straps that mitigated the jumps on the road.

It was pulled by a team of horses and had spaces to carry pages in the back. It was typical of the wealthy classes.

When large trips were organized from one province to another, they were carried out in the troops: this transport system consisted of several carts escorted by a group of peons, where the foreman led the group and decided the places to stop, rest and prepare the provisions.

For long trips, animals were brought especially for replacement and thus guarantee the timely rest of the rest of the animals that pulled the carts.

The trip of the troops was organized to transport passengers and correspondence. The trip from Buenos Aires to Tucumán by means of the troops lasted between two and three months.

During this period the service of the chasquis was used to carry correspondence to each province of the region, men who traveled long distances on horseback to carry important letters and communications, who were often escorted if they carried any confidential information.

It was through the chasquis that the Argentine declaration of independence reached each of the United Provinces to give the good news to all the inhabitants of the incipient free nation.

Along the way, the travelers, in the different means of transport, stopped at the posts that were ranches made of adobe and thatched roofs where they could rest, eat and change the animals.

References

1. Transport and communications in colonial times. Recovered from: diarionorte.com.
2. History of the means of transport. Recovered from: tiki-toki.com.
3. The People in 1816. Recovered from: gsaldanio.wixsite.com.
4. Tariff of 1816. Recovered from wikipedia.org.
5. Transportation in colonial times. Recovered from geocities.ws.