The Steamboat

After the invention of the steam engine, an American inventor, Robert Fulton, ordered a steam engine from Boulton and Watt. He used this steam engine to create the first steamboat. He named the steamboat the Clermont and its first successful trip was in 1807. The steamboat ferried passengers and cargo up and down rivers with ease. It made the transportation of materials up river much easier and thus, helped to speed up production of various goods. The steamboat revolutionized water transportation and dramatically reduced the cost of transporting raw materials.