STEAMBOAT

Inventors: Marquis Claude Jouffroy d’Abbans (FR), John Fitch (US)

A functional steamboat was a near impossibility until James Watt had made numerous improvements to the steam engine. Marquis Claude Jouffroy d’Abbans was a French noble who developed and tested steamboats on the Saône River. In 1786, John Fitch developed a functional steamboat and began regular service from Philadelphia to New Jersey. Steamboats did not catch on until 1807 when Robert Fulton commercially sold them and sailed them from New York City to Albany. And in 1809, John Stevens ferried people along the Atlantic coast with the first marine steamboat. In the next few years, steamboats were used as transport along rivers and in the ocean. Great authors such as Mark Twain have often romanticized the steamboat. In addition to being a strong symbol, the steamboat aided the interconnection of the American economy. Along with the development of canals, the steamboat linked the east and west. For the early 1800s, the steamboat was the most efficient form of transportation. Transportation leads to better communication and in a sense, brings the world closer together.

*Pictures from About Inc. and Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia

SOURCES:
About Inc. “The History of the Steamboats”. 01 January 2003. <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blsteamship.htm>

• Talks about the different kinds of steamboats invented throughout history. It is a very factual reference and it has good sketches by John Fitch and Robert Fulton. It also discusses the impact of steamboats and gives little anecdotes about problems with patenting the steamboat.

“Steamboat”. Microsoft Encarta Electronic Encyclopedia Edition 2002.

• Used to double check the other steamboat references. It is not very detailed but had the basic outline needed for general information. It has clear pictures.

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