Industrial Revolution:
How did rivers influence where people lived?

Water was an important method of transport in Britain prior to the industrial revolution and was used heavily for freight. Basically, to have a working economy, goods had to be moved from the place of production to the place of need, and vice versa. When travel was based on horses, no matter how good the road, there were limits on products, in terms of fragility or freshness or quantity. Water, which could take more, and faster, was crucial.

answercobra of 1985;