Refrigerated ships
Topic: The Making of a Global World · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 3 "The Making of a Global World"
Meaning
Refrigerated ships had cold storage that kept meat frozen during long sea voyages. They came into use in the late 19th century. Until the 1870s, animals were shipped alive from America to Europe. Live animals took up a lot of space, and many fell ill, lost weight or died on the way, so meat stayed too expensive for the poor. Refrigerated ships made it cheap to move meat over long distances.
Example
With refrigerated ships, animals could be slaughtered in America, Australia or New Zealand and sent to Europe as frozen meat. Meat became cheaper, so the European poor could add meat, butter and eggs to their usual bread and potatoes. Better living conditions helped keep peace at home and built support for empire abroad.