Steamboat

Robert Fulton's steamboat The Clermont

The first steamboat was invented in the late 1700s, but no effective models were invented until 1807. Before 1807, steamboats traveled only 2 mph and were far too expensive to operate and maintain. in 1807, Robert Fulton built the Clermont, the first successful steamboat. It made a journey from New York City to Albany in 32 hours, a new record. It average 5 miles per hour, up and downstream. It would make the trip once every four days, transporting up to 100 passengers and cargo. After the Clermont, steamboats became very popular, and different forms of boats were created. One example is the showboat, which was a steam powered boat with boat with various forms of entertainment aboard. Theaters, saloons, galleries, and ballrooms were available for people when showboats came to town. They were traveling entertainment. One more form of boat that became popular was the packet boat. It was a boat purely made for transportation. Anything from people, to cargo. They were flat, deck boat, primarily used to transport large amounts of crops and goods up and down rivers, but had some room for people aboard. Steamboats had a great effect on the industrial revolution, improving river transportation and trade, along with helping the growing industries and factories distribute their goods.