The Means of transportation that were used in 1816 Were at least three: the galley, the cart and the sopanda. In addition other collective public transports like the boat, the train or the tram were used. Each had unique specifications and were used to improve the lives of people in this important historical context.
The evolution of Neolithic man from the invention of the wheel meant a great advance to move from one place to another, to transfer heavy loads and much more.
Nevertheless, the native civilizations of the American continent were characterized by lack of this advance and the occupation of the territories was done walking by land or by means of primitive canoes in the aquatic means and use of animal of load like the flame.
It is from the Spanish colonization that the means of transport like the cart, the diligence, as well as animals of transport and load like horses, oxen, donkeys 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, educated and militarily prepared Americans descended from Spaniards, have forged an identity in each of their countries and fight for the independence struggle.
For the emancipation of the American peoples, as in any war, the means of transportation were of great help in achieving their military objectives.
The land routes of these territories during the colonial era were not at all optimal, dirt roads, cobbled and rustic streets were where people on foot should walk, the less fortunate, and middle and upper class could travel 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 Ferdinand VII of Spain and of any foreign domination is signed.
Historians have given a fundamental importance to the means of transportation of those days to make possible the expected declaration of Independence.
This is because the political situation in many provinces and the geographical distance between them made it difficult to bring together representatives of Congress to sign the emancipatory declaration.
Tucumán Is an Argentine province that in times of the colony, 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 the independence of the Spanish Crown the 9 of July of 1816.
By this time the roads were narrow, lacking in illumination, and animal-drawn transport took several weeks to get from one province to another. Long trips required stopping to rest, feed animals, and get supplies on the road.
In these years the most used means of transport were the galleys, carts, the sopanda and horses.
Argentine history emphasizes the importance of these means of transport, and the impetus of its congressmen who had to make trips of up to a month to arrive at Tucumán and to declare the Independence of the United Provinces of the Viceroyalty of the River of the Silver.
What means of transportation were most used in 1816?
The galera
Considered as the most comfortable and fast means of transportation of the time, besides being the most expensive, so that 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 pulled by four horses led by a connoisseur of the roads that received the name of postillion.
According to historical records, congressmen who traveled from Buenos Aires to Tucumán took 25 days to reach the province.
The road
For centuries, the cart was in Argentina and other Spanish colonies, the means par excellence to transport people and goods from one province to another, being a main axis of the economy of the time and its profits spread in several aspects of daily life During these centuries.
The carts were thrown by oxen or horses, they used two large wheels that could reach three meters in diameter. They usually traveled in caravans.
The most representative elements of the wagons were the turú: a horn made with a cow's horn and tacuara cane that served to stimulate the oxen and communicate with other wagons on the road; Wooden cages, poultry reeds, tools, leathers and loops. The journey between Buenos Aires and Tucumán in cart was 40 to 50 days of travel.
The Sopanda
Another comfortable means to move by land at the time, was the sopanda, similar to the galley but closed completely with doors and windows but had an incipient damping mechanism that consisted of leather straps that mitigate the jumps of the road.
It was thrown by a horse team 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 was composed 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 journeys, animals were taken specially for the replacement and thus ensure the timely rest of the rest of the animals that pulled the wagons.
The journey of the troops was organized to transport passengers and correspondences. The trip from Buenos Aires to Tucuman by troops lasted between two and three months.
In order to carry the correspondences to each province of the region, during this time the service of the chasquis was used, men who rode long distances to carry important letters and communications, that often were escorted if they carried some confidential information.
It was through the chasquis that the declaration of Argentine independence came to each of the United Provinces to give the good news to all the inhabitants of the emerging free nation.
Along the way, travelers, in the various means of transport, stopped at the postas that were ranchos elaborated with adobe and thatch roofs where they could rest, eat and exchange the animals.
References
- Transport and communications in colonial times. Recovered from: diarionorte.com.
- History of means of transport. Retrieved from: tiki-toki.com.
- The People in 1816. Retrieved from: gsaldanio.wixsite.com.
- Tariff of 1816. Retrieved from wikipedia.org.
- Transportation in colonial times. Retrieved from geocities.ws.