Several people must be mentioned when discussing the invention of the steamboat. Englishman Jonathan Hull patented a steamboat design as early as However, it was not until after James Watt improved upon the design of the steam engine that others began to build serious steamboats.
The first person to combine a steam engine with an improved hull design to create a commercially-successful steamboat, however, was Robert Fulton. Fulton's Clermont was launched in and quickly became a success. It operated between New York City and Albany, carrying as many as passengers at a time.
Others soon followed Fulton's lead and the age of the steamboat had begun. The steam engines on steamboats burned coal to heat water in a large boiler to create steam. The steam was pumped into a cylinder, causing a piston to move upward to the top of the cylinder. A valve would then open to release the steam, allowing the piston to fall back to the bottom of the cylinder. This process would repeat over and over again. The reciprocating action of the piston was used to mechanically power a propeller or paddlewheel that would propel the boat forward.
Many steamboats had a single paddlewheel at the rear of the boat called sternwheelers , while other steamboats had dual paddlewheels on the sides of the boat called sidewheelers. Steamboats completely changed river transportation and trade. By the s, thousands of steamboats traveled America's rivers, transporting people and goods faster than ever before. Steamboats were not without their dangers, however. During their rise to prominence, thousands of people died in steamboat accidents.
Many of these were due to boiler explosions that resulted from poor designs. The wild, untamed rivers could also be difficult to navigate and hold unforeseen dangers, such as logjams , sandbars, snags, and shifting channels. To further complicate matters, steamboats were sometimes the target of Native American attacks on explorers entering their territory. Steamboat captains were often their own worst enemies. Competing boats would often race each other from one port to the next, creating dangerous conditions on the river and overworking boilers to the point of explosion.
Steamboats played a major role in westward expansion. However, by the s, railroads powered by steam engines had become more efficient at moving people and goods, resulting in the decline of steamboats by the early 20 th century when automobiles and airplanes began to thrive. Are you ready to go for a ride on the river? Find a friend or family member to help you check out the following activities:. Numerous design changes and additional months' work brought success in The Clermont carried sixty passengers who each paid five cents per mile.
It had a long and narrow hull, two paddle wheels twelve feet in diameter, a twenty-four horse power steam engine designed and built by James Watt, and a twenty-foot copper boiler. Targeting customers willing to pay a premium for speed, Fulton's steamboat earned a handsome profit in its first year and won public acceptance for steamboat travel. The ship's bottom was flat and its stern was square.
Clermont made its debut on August 17, , steaming upriver from New York to Albany, and it soon entered into commercial service. The hilly terrain of New York made water travel faster than land travel, and Fulton's boat -- formerly known as "Fulton's Folly" -- was a hit. Within five years, Fulton would be running services on six major rivers plus the Chesapeake Bay, and raking in the profits.
Instrumental Transport Fulton's innovation left quite a legacy. Steamboat travel was instrumental to the industrial revolution in America, helping manufacturers transport raw materials and finished goods quickly. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights.
Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Table of Contents Expand. Early Life. From Artist to Inventor. The Nautilus Submarine. Designing the Steamboat. The Steamboat Clermont. The New Orleans Steamboat. First Steam-Powered Warship. Later Life and Death. Legacy and Honors. Robert Longley. History and Government Expert. Robert Longley is a U. Facebook Facebook. Updated December 06, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format.
Longley, Robert.
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