Roads
What was the main problem with roads in the early 18th century?
a) They were too long and curvy
b) They were filled with holes and no one bothered fixing them
c) They were bumpy and old
b) They were filled with holes and no one bothered fixing them
Each parish was supposed to fix its roads, with each villager supposed to work 6 days repairing the roads. But the villagers didn't use main roads very often, so they didn't fix them.
What was made to transport water in a canal so that it would go over a river?
a) An aqueduct
b) A bucket brigade
c) A bridge
a) An aqueduct
An aqueduct is an artificial way to transport water over a gap such as a valley or a river. It's often shaped like a bridge.
What did Telford do?
a) He invented several things, such as an aqueduct
b) He came up with the idea of the Turnpike Act
c) He built roads that were dry and lasted a long time, which were good for horse-drawn wagons.
c) He built roads that were dry and lasted a long time, which were good for horse-drawn wagons.
Telford was a stone-mason and became one of the greatest engineers of all time. His roads were good, but expensive and took a while to build. He built over 600 km of roads.
What did the Turnpike Act do?
a) It got rid of all roads, to many people's displeasure.
b) It threatened peasants with death unless they repaired roads.
c) Travelers were charged to use certain roads, and the money was used for repairs.
c) Travelers were charged to use certain roads, and the money was used for repairs.
Passed by Parliament in 1663, this act allowed magistrates to charge travelers to use roads passing through their counties.
Why were canals so important?
A) They shipped heavy goods more cheaply and quickly
B) They weren't
C) They could be built anywhere and across anything
A) They shipped heavy goods more cheaply and quickly
Horse drawn carts were still slow even with better roads being built so they built canals which made shipping much cheaper and quicker.
The Duke of Bridgewater had a problem to do with transporting goods. What was it and how did he solve it?
a) Nobody wanted the coal from his coal mine, so he decided to have a diamond mine instead.
b) It took too long to transport by land, so he got permission to build a canal from his mines to Manchester.
c) His wagons kept breaking down so he had his builders use more expensive wood.
b) It took too long to transport by land, so he got permission to build a canal from his mines to Manchester.
In 1759, Parliament allowed him to build an 11 km long canal from his coal mines in Worsley to Manchester. Nobody thought it would work, because it was so long, but James Brindley, the duke's engineer, managed it in 2 years.
When tar was added to macadamised roads (roads that were dried and without dirt), what was the new surface called?
a) Tarmac
b) Cement
c) Pavestone
a) Tarmac
Macadamised roads were invented by a man named McAdam, and his method of road-building was so popular that it was named after him.
Who had the idea of making the Bridgewater canal?
A) A Duke in 1759
B) Telford & McAdams
C) James Brindley
A) A Duke in 1759
The Duke of Bridgewater created a canal to get the coal in his estate to Manchester quickly and cheaply. the engineer he chose was James Brindley.
Why were McAdam's roads better than Telford's?
a) They were longer and smelled better.
b) They worked just as well but were less costly.
c) They were easier on horse-drawn wagons.
b) They worked just as well but were less costly.
McAdam's roads were hard-wearing, but lasted a while, were easy on horse-drawn wagons, and weren't expensive, while Telford's worked very well but took a while to build and were costly.
What was a turnpike tollkeeper's job?
a) To collect travelers' money and use it to repair roads
b) To count the amount of travelers passing through the gates and report to their magistrates
c) To collect travelers' money and give it to their magistrates or use it for themselves
a) To collect travelers' money and use it to repair roads
A turnpike is a gate with spikes on top, and the tollkeeper collects money to use on broken roads.
By how much did the price of coal fall in Manchester after a duke made a canal from his coal mines to Manchester?
a) 47%
b) 50%
c) 69%
b) 50%
After the canal was completed in 1761, the duke's coal was much more quickly and easily transported to Manchester. There was much more of it, so as demand for coal lowered, so did the prices.
What were some details of road-building that McAdams was fussy about (and rightly so)?
a) All the base stones had to be different weights and the road had to be filled with dirt.
b) All the base stones had to be the same weight and there could be no dirt in it.
c) They had to pour tar between all the base stones to get rid of all earth.
b) All the base stones had to be the same weight and there could be no dirt in it.
He believed correctly that traffic would press down the top layer of the road to form a smoother surface underneath. He wanted the roads to be perfect, and they were greatly improved.