1. Steamboat and River Travel
By: Katherine Dixon, Sarah Allison Proctor, and Amanda Soanes

2. Travel Prior to Steamboats
Prior to invention, majority of travel was by the river
Travel depended on the river’s current
In an attempt to extend travel to locations not touching water, canals were built
Land was the only way of travel when direction of destination was opposing the current
Resulted in difficult and often slow travel

3. The History of Steamboats
In 1787, John Fitch built the first 45-foot steamboat and sailed down the Delaware River, however, his boat was still unsuccessful
The first successful steamboat was built by Robert Fulton in 1807 and was a boat he called the Clermont
On August 17th, 1807, the Clermont made its first voyage on the Hudson River in which it traveled 40 miles in eight hours
The Clermont made regular trips carrying passengers from Albany to New York every four days
As time progressed, different types of steamboats were created such as show boats, packet boats, and snag boats
Revolutionized the means river travel by creating a faster and more convenient form of travel due to it no longer being dependent on the current

4. Mechanics of the Steamboat
Water is heated until it has completely vaporized into a gas called steam
As the steam increased in volume, it is pushed up through a cylinder that moves up and down
Once the cylinder is pushed all the way up the steam is released, causing  the cylinder to return back down for the process to repeat again
The cylinder is connected to a paddle which causes the steamboat to move forward, as the up and down motion causes it to spin

5. The Average Steamboat

6. Types of Steamboats Showboats
- Had theaters, galleries, ballrooms, and saloons
-These were the most famous types of boats but were less common
Packet Boats
-Were used to carry crops up and down the rivers
-These were the most common types of steamboats
Snag Boats
-Patrolled the rivers and removed snags (sunken trees, stumps, or boat wrecks) so that other boats would not hit them

7. Types of Steamboats Cont.
Showboat Packet Boat Snag Boat

8. Effects of the Steamboat
Positive effects​
Steamboats were introduced during the time of the industrial revolution, making national trade much easier to accomplish
Its ability to go against the currents increased the speed of travel
There became a wider range of goods sold in markets, because the steamboats were able to ship them to new ports
People were able to settle across a larger distance of land, also leading to the creation of new towns
Negative effects​
There were tests held to find the how much pressure humans could withstand until they surpassed their threshold. This often resulted in deaths, due to the constant explosions
The fast speed of steamboats could sometimes lead to deadly crashes
Steamboats, using coal as their primary fuel, contributed to air and water pollution

9. Steamboat Coming to an End
With the invention of more efficient forms of transportation, the steamboat eventually came to an end
Transportation advancements including railroads, cars, and planes significantly changed the means of transportation
Due to these forms of travel creating a much safer and faster mode of transportation, their use continued to increase while the use of steamboats decreased
Eventually, steamboats were replaced with these more efficient modes of transportation

10. Works Consulted
"The Dave Thomas Collection." Packet+boat - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb
"First+steamboat - Google Search." First+steamboat - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb
"Georgetown Steamboats." Showboat+steamboat - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb
"A History Of Steamboats." The British Medical Journal  (1934):  A History of Steamboats. Web. 10 Feb
"Home." Vermont Historical Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb ​
"Mechanics/Materials." Steamboats of the 19th Century. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb ​
"Negative Impacts." The Steamboat. Weebly, n.d. Web. 10 Feb
"On the Water." On the Water - Inland Waterways, : River Towns, River Networks. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb
"Snag+boats - Google Search." Snag+boats - Google Search. N.p., Web. 10 Feb