Invention of the whippletree

The Chinese invented the whippletree, this allowed two oxen to pull a single cart together, this meant double the load, so halving the transportation time. This invention probably dates between 190 – 209 AD.

So why is it significant?

    • Doubling up the animals meant the work was done more efficiently
    • Freeing up time meant there was more time to do other things, so more land could be farmed
    • It meant a double plough could be used speeding up the sowing of crops and putting more land under the plough
    • More land under the plough meant more food
    • The whippletree allowed larger carts to be drawn so more goods could be carried to market, therefore more could be sold
    • The whippletree was further developed so that four animals could be harnessed and controlled, this was adopted when the stagecoach was developed
Intriguing connections:
    1. Larger carts could carry people as well as goods and that idea led to covered carriages……
    2. As the road surface improved so did the speed of conveying  people and goods, more horses were harnessed and faster and faster travel was expected and required
For more intriguing inventions, resources and sources go to Intriguing Family History, follow the links and related posts suggested below

 

 

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