Transportation Technology in Warfare
Between 1820 and 1880, armies that could cover large distances quickly and strike forcefully were more likely to prevail in battle. As a consequence, there was an increase in human creativity and efforts to improve communication, firepower, and transportation. The initiatives led to the development of new weapons and, most significantly, technologies like the railroad and telegram that were not originally intended for military use. As a result, some technologies that were initially not intended for use in war ended up changing how war was fought between the years of 1820 and 1880, as will be explored below. The most significant technological innovation in transportation was the development of the railroads. The first American railroad became functional in 1828. The South started building railway earlier and concentrated in connecting cotton areas to oceanic or river ports. The North and the Midwest rail networks linked every city by 1860. By 1870's the railroad had replaced canals, turnpikes, and steamboats. Unlike rivers and canals that could not be used during winter due to freezing, trains ran year-round even during poor weather. It was also safer compared to the other modes of transport.<\/p>
The Impact of Railroads on Warfare
In the United States railroads were first used during the civil war in moving men and supplies. The trains allowed generals to transport their army, ornaments and other materials to where they were required. Combined with the innovation of new and more efficient weapons, comfortable, and adequate transportation of soldiers facilitated by the railways enhanced the brevity and competence of fighters during wars. An example is the American civil war where rail was strategic. The battle was fought in the South. All the factories and the mills distributing railways and other equipment were practically in the North. In a move to stop the logistics of the enemy, the Union blocked the South from acquiring new materials or spare parts. The Union raiders also destroyed bridges and at times bent rails. In 1860 the railway in the South was a local connection of the cotton regions to the water points. Water transport was the principal means of the move and not rail. Therefore, after the Union took control of the main rivers and blockaded the ports, long-distance movements were hindered, and this also caused inefficiency of a fighter in the South due to difficulties in travels.<\/p>
Advancements in Communication
Another technological development in transportation was the use of hot air balloons. During the civil war, the balloons were used for aerial reconnaissance of the battlegrounds. The first authorized Union balloon was used in 1861 (Army 67). Telegraph was utilized by the Union soldiers to provide information to their troops on the ground about the movements and position of the Confederate fighter. It enabled repositioning of the Union guns and accurate firing at the Confederates from more than three miles. Ability to monitor and know the location of their opponents and take an exact shot by the Union fighters improved their brevity and completeness.<\/p>
The Role of Army Ambulance Corps
Use of Army ambulance corps in war also changed the conduct of warfare. Jonathan Letterman created the first structured ambulance units that transported the wounded. The ambulances would go into the battlegrounds and carry casualties to the dressing stations for first aid and then to the field hospital for treatment. It boosted the courage of the soldiers enabling them to focus on the war knowing that there will be quick help in the case of injuries. Letterman's idea is used up to now in the manufacture of military ambulances.<\/p>
Technology and Communication in Warfare
Different communication mediums were invented between 1820 and 1880. An example is the telegraph which was discovered by Samuel Morse in 1844. Telegraph cables were placed along the East Coast. When the fighting started, telegraph became the most significant form of transferring information used by the military. 15,000 miles of telegraph cables were laid absolutely for military purposes. Communications were received and reported through mobile wagons. Telegraph improved the transfer of news from the generals to the Union and President Lincoln and from the generals to the soldiers in the battlefields. This efficient transmission of message contributed to the competence of the Union army in the civil war. There was instant exchange of intelligence orders and report between the front line and the back headquarters, thereby, increasing the momentum of the battle.<\/p>
The Power of Photography
Challenged by the accelerated pace of action caused by efficient communication channel within the Union troops, Confederate General J. E. B Stuart developed a counter- operation tactics that interfered with the technology. Stuart led a fruitful ambush into Union - controlled territory in late 1862. His troops intercepted telegraphic information and replaced it with miscommunication, therefore, disrupting the lines. It reduced the momentum the Union raiders had in the war. To restore communication and step up the fight, the media got involved for the first time in the history of the United States. The telegraph signaled news to local telegraph office and newspapers from the front lines, and through the media, this information was made available to the ordinary citizens of America. Since the American press had developed significantly even before the war, they helped in faster communication which fueled the fire making the military leaders fight on new grounds of journalism and public relations.<\/p>
Impact of Industrial Advancements
Photography was also another means of communication that assisted in changing the conduct of warfare between 1820 and 1880. Just like the telegraph, photography was used before the civil war. Photography was invented by Mathew Brady. Brady had an obsession with the innovation, and when the fighting began, he hired three hundred photographers to capture images of camps and battlefields and also take pictures of the fighters and officers. He managed to record time and events and in 1862, through his gallery "The Dead of Antietam" provided photos that beefed up the information that was given in the newspapers and other telegraphic sources. There were improvements and further innovations after 1880 in communication technology that have ensured better communication in both the military and other operations such as commerce. These communication mediums include e-mail, fax, and telephones among others.<\/p>
Technological Advancements in Industries
Apart from technological advances in the transport and communication sectors, improvement in the use of technology was also eminent in industries. For instance, the food was cooked and eaten locally before the warfare. In 1854 Gail Border discovered canning of food and when the war began he sold his canned goods to soldiers. Together with other entrepreneurs, Gail sold foods such as condensed milk, condensed cider, condensed coffee, and meat biscuits among other things. Availability of food in the battlefields made some weary soldiers have a feeling of home hence contributing their completeness.<\/p>
The sewing machine was another technological development. The machine created a vast expansion of blankets, military uniforms and sheltered tens which were portable and could be carried along by soldiers. Additionally, another invention was the McCormick's reaper whose use could see the work usually done by ten or twelve people done by three farmhands. When the war started, the farm owners in the estates where wheat was grown in the North were in a position of leaving their families and go to fight without the fear of losing their livelihood.<\/p>
Conclusion
Evidently, various technological developments in different sectors changed the conduct of warfare between 1820 and 1880. It indicated how the subsequent wars would be. In this period, transportation experienced advancement which included the use of railway, hot air balloons, and the Army ambulance corps for use by the military. Communication areas realized improvement through the use of telegraph and photography in transferring information. And finally, enhancement in industries that led to the production of canned food, sewing machine, and McCormick's reaper played a part in changing the conduct of warfare.<\/p>
Bibliography
Army, Thomas F. Engineering Victory: How Technology Won the Civil War: Baltimore: JHU Press, 2016.
Drew, Christopher. Railroad problems contributed to confederacy defeat in the civil war: Saarbrucken, 2016.
Moore, Patrick A. The Greenie: The history of warfare technology in the royal navy. Stroud: Spellmount, 2016.
