In the eighteenth century, people traveled for many of the same reasons we travel today—business, pleasure, or to visit friends and family. Most eighteenth-century travelers were men from the middling and upper levels of society. Women and children traveled much less often than men did. Slaves often accompanied their masters. When a slave traveled alone, he carried a pass from his master showing that he had permission to travel. Without a pass, African-Americans could be arrested as runaways.
People moved around the colony by foot, wheeled vehicle, horse, or small boat. The least expensive and most common way to get from one place to another was by foot. Walking was the common mode of transportation for poor whites and slaves.
