ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ice trade

Okay, so imagine you have a really warm day and you want something cold to drink, like lemonade. But how can you make it cold? Well, a long time ago, people didn't have fancy refrigerators like we do now. So, they had to find a way to make ice in a special way and then bring it to places where it was hot.

First, people would go to really cold places, like the North Pole or snowy mountains, where it was really, really cold all the time. They would search for ice in these places, and when they found it, they would dig it out of the ground or scoop it up from frozen lakes.

Next, they would carefully pack the ice into big, insulated blocks or crates. Insulated means that it was made to keep things cold and not let the heat in. These crates were like special boxes to help keep the ice from melting while it was being transported.

Then, people would load these crates of ice onto special boats or trains. These boats or trains would have really strong and thick walls to keep the ice from melting. The boats might have sails to catch the wind and move faster, while the trains would have a special place to put the ice crates on board.

The boats or trains would then travel for a very long time to get to places where it was hot and people wanted ice. This was called the ice trade, where people would buy and sell ice like they would buy and sell other things, like toys or candy.

When the ice finally arrived at a hot place, like a fancy restaurant or a rich person's house, people would take the ice out of the crates and put it in special iceboxes. These iceboxes were like small fridges but without electricity. People would put their food or drinks inside these iceboxes to keep them cold.

So, thanks to the ice trade, people could have ice to make cold drinks or keep their food fresh even when it was really hot outside. It was a clever way for people to bring the coldness of faraway places to where it was needed.