Steamboats to Railroads

First successful steamboat

Aug 22, 1787

The first successful steamboat was 45 feet long and was in the Deleware River.

4 steamboats

Dec 12, 1796

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

Dec 12, 1798

Robert Fulton built his first boat after Fitch's death, and it was Fulton who became known as the "father of steam navigation."

Submarine

Dec 12, 1801

Robert Fulton then built the first ever submarine in France.

Clermont

Aug 7, 1807

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.

New Orleans Steamboat

Dec 12, 1834

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.

railroads

Dec 12, 1870

By the 1870s, railroads had begun to supplant steamboats as the major transporter of both goods and passengers.