Derek Lyons wrote:
"Christopher M. Jones" wrote:
Derek Lyons wrote:
And somebody in 1770 couldn't ride a horse any faster than the Greeks
20 centuries before. in 1870 we couldn't sail any faster than the
Armada 400 years before...

Strange as it may sound, both of those assertions are
incorrect. Not all horses, nor all sailing vessels,
are the same. Compare, for example, the speed of a
Spanish Galleon (~8 kts) vs. the speed of a Yankee
Clipper built centuries later (~18 kts).

Strange as it may sound.. When you exclude edge cases and highly
specialized craft... (I.E. the Clippers) you find my assertion
correct.

No, it's even less correct. Compare the best to best or
just average to average. In 1870 vs. 1770. On the sea,
over land, etc. Using average transporation systems
available at the times you'd generally get to where you
were going faster in 1870 than you would in 1770.