-
The first successful steamboat was 45 feet long and was in the Deleware River.
-
four successful steamboats have been built by John Fitch. His models utilized various combinations of propulsive force, including ranked paddles (patterned after Indian war canoes), paddle wheels, and screw propellers.
-
Robert Fulton built his first boat after Fitch's death, and it was Fulton who became known as the "father of steam navigation."
-
Robert Fulton then built the first ever submarine in France.
-
Robert Fultons Clermont went from New York City to Albany making history with a 150 mile trip taking 32 hours at an advantage speed of about 5 miles-per-hour.
-
arrival increased from 20 to 1200 a year. The boats transported cargoes of cotton, sugar, and passengers. Throughout the east, steamboats contributed greatly to the economy by transporting agricultural and industrial supplies.
-
By the 1870s, railroads had begun to supplant steamboats as the major transporter of both goods and passengers.
