Steamboats
The Clermont was the first commercially successful steamboat. After it's success, the use of steamboat spread rapidly, and by 1830, there were more than 200 steamers on the Mississippi. Steamboats played a vital role in opening the west and south to further settlement. They also shortened a trip up the Mississippi from New Orleans to Louisville from months to days. They stimulated the agricultural economy of the west by providing better access to markets at a lower cost. Farmers quickly bought land near navigable rivers, because they could now easily ship their produce out. Villages at strategic points along the waterways evolved into centers of commerce and urban life. In the 1830s and 1840s, the port of New Orleans grew to lead all others in exports.
Steamboats were also much more preferred because of their comfortable status. Steamboats, being more inviting than other forms of land transportation at the time, made travel for passengers enjoyable. The General Pike, launched in 1819, set the standard for luxurious steamers with marble columns, thick carpets, ornate mirrors, and plush curtains. The steamboats would continue their regulars trips until floating ice marked the break for winter.
Steamboats were also much more preferred because of their comfortable status. Steamboats, being more inviting than other forms of land transportation at the time, made travel for passengers enjoyable. The General Pike, launched in 1819, set the standard for luxurious steamers with marble columns, thick carpets, ornate mirrors, and plush curtains. The steamboats would continue their regulars trips until floating ice marked the break for winter.
The Clermont
In 1807, Robert Fulton, partnered with Robert Livingston, built and sent the first commercially successful steamboat, the Clermont, from New York City up the Hudson River to Albany. Initially, passersby laughed and mocked the boat, doubting its abilities and giving it the nickname "Fulton's Folly."
On Monday, August 17, 1807, the first voyage of the Clermont was begun. Using pine wood as fuel, the ship took off with invited guests on board at one o'clock. The ship then arrived at Clermont - 110 miles away from New York City - at one o'clock the very next day. The voyage resumed Wednesday, reaching Albany - 40 miles away from Clermont - in eight hours. The ride back to New York City was 30 hours, making the grand total of 300 miles in 62 hours.
The Clermont began making regular trips to Albany, carrying as much as one hundred passengers, and making a round trip every four days. The Clermont was a success.
On Monday, August 17, 1807, the first voyage of the Clermont was begun. Using pine wood as fuel, the ship took off with invited guests on board at one o'clock. The ship then arrived at Clermont - 110 miles away from New York City - at one o'clock the very next day. The voyage resumed Wednesday, reaching Albany - 40 miles away from Clermont - in eight hours. The ride back to New York City was 30 hours, making the grand total of 300 miles in 62 hours.
The Clermont began making regular trips to Albany, carrying as much as one hundred passengers, and making a round trip every four days. The Clermont was a success.
Sources used:
The Steamboat Clermont: Robert Fulton's Clermont was the first successful steam-propelled ship. (website)
The American People Creating a Nation and a Society (Textbook)
The Transportation Revolution from APStudyNotes (website)
The Steamboat Clermont: Robert Fulton's Clermont was the first successful steam-propelled ship. (website)
The American People Creating a Nation and a Society (Textbook)
The Transportation Revolution from APStudyNotes (website)