Transportation In New England

Transportation was a viable avenue for England to rid itself of criminals. Many individuals and complete families where transported, first, to the American colonies and then to Australia and its surrounding islands of Van Diemen’s Land. Through this type of punishment the United Kingdom hoped to rid itself of variants and to begin colonization of a new colony in a distant land in hopes of further expanding the empire. By expanding the empire through transportation these convicts brought with them traditions and customs familiar to them, some positive and some negative.

In 1718 the Parliament passed the Transportation Acts, it did not begin the practice of transportation; rather it regulated the act itself.[1] After this regulation many more convicts were transported to the American colonies to serve their time as indentured servants for
So on May 13, 1787, on eleven ships, 776 prisoners set course for an eight month voyage to the new frontier land of Australia.[4] Australia would be the new destination for all transport convicts till the end of transportation in 1853. And during this time frame, nearly 145,000 men and women would be sent to Australia as punishment for their crimes.[5] If they had survived the grueling eight month trip, convicts would serve out their sentence by working on a government plantation or leased out to a private landowner that had ventured to Australia in search of a new beginning. In essence the empire was beginning to expand its reaches to new corners of the world and soon it would begin to transform this desolate land to one of prosperity. With a high influx of convicts, some with valuable traits, Australia would begin to morph into a viable colony. A colony not only viewed as place for convicts but one which would begin to attract individuals in hope of a better life than in