Meanwhile, a ‘barge’ is a long, flat-bottomed vessel traditionally used to transport goods (and now, also people) through inland waterways. So, technically a barge is a ship, but the key difference here is that barges seldom leave inland waterways or seaport areas.

Flatboats preceded the steamboats, and could only go downstream, with the flow of the river. Powered by steam the steamboats were far more efficient and faster and had the advantage of also being able to travel upstream. The steamboats had a steam engine that turned a paddle wheel in back of the boats.

A flatboat (or broadhorn) was a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with square ends used to transport freight and passengers on inland waterways in the United States. The flatboat could be any size, but essentially it was a large, sturdy tub with a hull.

: a boat with a flat bottom and square ends used for transportation of bulky freight especially in shallow waters.

A flatboat was a small, cheap boat made of timer that lacked its own propulsion method. One could float downstream from any headwater, carrying goods for sale and trade. It could be used to move people, and if docked could even serve as an inn, restaurant, casino, or bordello.

A flat bottom boat is often referred to as a shallow draft boat or sometimes as a shallow water boat. Jon boats, scows, drift boats, flat bottom skiffs, dory boats, canal boats, narrowboats and rafts are common flat bottom boats.

As nouns the difference between steamboat and flatboat is that steamboat is a boat or vessel propelled by steam power while flatboat is a boxy, flat-bottomed boat used for carrying livestock, freight, and people on rivers.

Flatboats were used to ferry cargo and then broken up for lumber. Mid-range flatboats were about 55′ by 16′ and were called “broadhorns,” “Kentucky boats,” or “Natchez boats.” Built for long river journeys, they were used by farmers and traders for produce and goods and by families moving West.

What is a Steamboat? Long before there were planes, trains, and cars, people used waterways and boats as a means of transportation. They would use them to transport people and goods from place to place.

Why would flatboats not work on all means of river transportation? They had no mechanization to maneuver. Which form of transportation was most used by settlers moving to the territory between the Allegheney Mountains and Mississippi River?

The catalyst for transportation was the growth of the country.

Answer: The factors that made steamboat travel dangerous were hidden obstacles in the water, that could provoke sinking if the boat was harmed badly and Native American attacks, that were common at that time and ended up in very violent ways.

The American railroad system began. Many people did not believe train technology would work. In time, railroads became the most popular form of land transportation in the United States.

Before the Industrial Revolution, transportation relied on animals (like horses pulling a cart) and boats. Travel was slow and difficult. It could take months to travel across the United States in the early 1800s. One of the best ways to travel and ship goods before the Industrial Revolution was the river.

A Revolution in Transportation for Agriculture during the 1940s. Before the war, railroads dominated the transportation system in America and all over the world. The railroads had been dominant since the transcontinental line was completed from Omaha to San Francisco in 1869.

In 3500 BC, the wheel was invented in Iraq and the first wheel was made from wood. Initially, a canoe-like structure was used for water transportation, which was built by burning logs and digging out the burned wood. In 3100BC, the sailing boat was invented by Egyptians while the Romans built roads across Europe.

These most common five modes of transport are: railways, roadways, airways, waterways and pipelines. Following is the brief account of each mode with reference to Indian conditions with relative merits and demerits.

Water

Railways

Modes of transport

• Road vehicles (trucks, vans, motorcycles)
• Railways.
• Inland waterways (barges)
• Deep sea.
• Air (Aircraft and drones)
• Pipelines.
• A combination of the above called inter-modal or multi-modal.

ROAD TRANSPORT

Rail travel is cheaper. Rail travel is often faster. Trains do run often and alert you to any delays.