A hundred years ago, you would have been fortunate to have a canvas tent. Camping, as a vacation option, really took off about 50 years ago after the post-WWII economy boomed and the highway system developed. Thousands of trucks were fitted with a camper shell, but sleeping accommodations were still cramped.
Tents are still enormously popular and they have evolved to a high art. Internal frame tents are easy to assemble (you have to do little more than just pop them open). They're made from tough nylon and many are in the form of domes, making them ultra strong.