The official definition of a steam boat is as follows, “A boat that is propelled by a steam engine, especially a paddle-wheel craft of a type used widely on rivers in the 18th and 19th century.” To expand on the previous statement, the steamboat was a device made to revolutionize river travel.
The first successfully tested steamboat was made by Robert Fulton, with the help and support of Robert Livingston in 1807. Clermont, the steamboat, made its first triumphant debut on a voyage through the Hudson River on August 17, 1807. Traveling from its hometown, New York, to Albany, the boat made record time of eight hours.
The invention of the steamboat helped humanity in many ways. It firstly made river travel much faster. One used to have to depend on water current or manpower to be propelled through the river, but with the steamboat, little to no physical work had to be exerted. As a plus, the steamboat could travel up to five miles per hour, a monumental speed for the 1800’s. Secondly, national trade was made much easier. Since the boats were so much …show more content…
Boiler explosions posed as an extreme threat to passengers. If they were not watched and carefully maintained, the pressure within them could build up and eventually explode, almost always proving deadly. From 1811 - 1851, 21% of river accidents were caused by boiler explosions. Due to the newfound speed put in Steamboats, boat crashes and explosions were very common. This was because the boats were somewhat uncontrollable and needed large notice in advance to slowing down/stopping. Finally, Native Americans became a cautionary aspect of steamboat travel. The Natives felt threatened by those on steamboats and would often hide along the river banks in preparation to shoot the boats if they got to close. If a boat wrecked on the shores of Native American territory, cargo would almost always be stolen and wreck survivors may even lose their
The first successfully tested steamboat was made by Robert Fulton, with the help and support of Robert Livingston in 1807. Clermont, the steamboat, made its first triumphant debut on a voyage through the Hudson River on August 17, 1807. Traveling from its hometown, New York, to Albany, the boat made record time of eight hours.
The invention of the steamboat helped humanity in many ways. It firstly made river travel much faster. One used to have to depend on water current or manpower to be propelled through the river, but with the steamboat, little to no physical work had to be exerted. As a plus, the steamboat could travel up to five miles per hour, a monumental speed for the 1800’s. Secondly, national trade was made much easier. Since the boats were so much …show more content…
Boiler explosions posed as an extreme threat to passengers. If they were not watched and carefully maintained, the pressure within them could build up and eventually explode, almost always proving deadly. From 1811 - 1851, 21% of river accidents were caused by boiler explosions. Due to the newfound speed put in Steamboats, boat crashes and explosions were very common. This was because the boats were somewhat uncontrollable and needed large notice in advance to slowing down/stopping. Finally, Native Americans became a cautionary aspect of steamboat travel. The Natives felt threatened by those on steamboats and would often hide along the river banks in preparation to shoot the boats if they got to close. If a boat wrecked on the shores of Native American territory, cargo would almost always be stolen and wreck survivors may even lose their