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Cart

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A cart is a small vehicle used for transport. It helps move goods or people from one place to another.

Horse & cart, Town, Beamish Museum, 21 November 2013 (cropped)
Horse & cart, Town, Beamish Museum, 21 November 2013 (cropped)

Most carts have two wheels. However, the word is often used to mean many different things. It can describe a vehicle with four wheels. It can also mean any small conveyance. This includes things like pedal carts or go-carts. Some people even call golf cars golf carts. A person who builds these is a cartwright. A person who drives a horse-drawn cart is a carter.

Dockworkers in Cap-Haitien
Dockworkers in Cap-Haitien

Carts work in several different ways. Some are pulled by humans using their own strength. Others are pulled by draught animals. These are animals used for pulling heavy loads. You might see a horse, a donkey, or an ox pulling a cart.

Eastern Han Bronze Chariot (10336760463)
Eastern Han Bronze Chariot (10336760463)

To pull the cart, animals use a harness. This harness might include a collar or a yoke. Traces connect the animal to the vehicle. These traces can be made of rope, chain, or leather. For a single animal, a padded saddle helps balance the weight. When two animals pull together, they use a single trace between them.

History shows us how carts changed the world. Before the wheel was invented, people used sledges. They also used devices called travois to drag things. The earliest known wheels date back to 3400 to 3000 BC.

Eastern Han Bronze Chariot (10336760463)
Eastern Han Bronze Chariot (10336760463)

The invention of the wheel and axle was a huge change. It allowed people to move and trade much easier. Early wheeled vehicles often had four wheels. These were called wagons. However, two-wheeled carts were very useful too. They needed about 40% less pulling force than a four-wheeled wagon. They were also easier to steer around.

There are many specific types of carts used today. Some are made for specific jobs. A shopping cart helps customers at a store. A food cart is a mobile kitchen on a street.

Dockworkers in Cap-Haitien
Dockworkers in Cap-Haitien

Travelers use baggage carts at airports or train stations. A hand truck is a two-wheeled tool for moving heavy boxes. In the mid-1800s, Mormon emigrants used large handcarts. These helped them carry belongings as they moved west. Even in restaurants, people use serving carts. A tea cart might carry tea to a table. A pastry cart might carry desserts.

Carts are part of our everyday lives. You might see an oxcart or a donkey cart in some places. Some carts are even named after the animal that pulls them. This includes the dog cart, which is pulled by a horse.

Horse & cart, Town, Beamish Museum, 21 November 2013 (cropped)
Horse & cart, Town, Beamish Museum, 21 November 2013 (cropped)

We see carts in many different settings. They work in big cities and on small farms. They help move everything from heavy appliances to light snacks. Even the name Carter comes from this old job. Carts have been around since the wheel was first made. They continue to help us move things every day.

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🖼️ Images & Media (3)
File:Horse & cart, Town, Beamish Museum, 21 November 2013 (cropped).jpg
Horse & cart, Town, Beamish Museum, 21...
File:Dockworkers in Cap-Haitien.jpg
Dockworkers in Cap-Haitien.jpg
File:Eastern Han Bronze Chariot (10336760463).jpg
Eastern Han Bronze Chariot (10336760463).jpg
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