Onto the 20th Century

20 Feb Onto the 20th Century

The steamship put new life into global production and trade and transfigured all facets of global society. Steam power was an integral aspect of the Industrial Revolution and the nineteenth century that embodied it. Unlike muscle power, it never tired, slept, or refused to obey. Unlike waterpower, it ran in all seasons and weather conditions. Unlike the wind, it responded well to human will and imagination: turning on and off, modulating smoothly from fine use to great force.

If we move forward to the twentieth century, we find that the most notable technological innovation has been in the handling of cargo. This technological innovation is that of the freight container. Historically, cargo- handling methods were executed either manually or by the crude mechanical loading of materials in bulk or in packaged, baled, or crated units. The container shipping system is the single largest improvement in shipping efficiency since steam replaced sail. Analogous to the steamship, the container has transformed the global economy.