Robert Fulton and the Steamboat
By Inez Nellie Canfield McFee in 1913
The late 18th and early 19th centuries, a period marked by burgeoning westward expansion and nascent industrial growth in the United States, presented significant challenges in transportation. During Revolutionary times and for many years after, waterways were the lifeblood of commerce and travel. Roads were rudimentary at best, often little more than rutted tracks rendered nearly impassable by mud and the elements. Stagecoach journeys were arduous ordeals, frequently requiring passengers to assist in extricating the vehicle from mire. Water travel, while not without its own perils, offered a comparatively smoother and faster alternative. Along the eastern seaboard and its navigable rivers, Dutch sloops and schooners were common sights, alongside an array of smaller sailboats and canoes, facilitating the movement of people and goods.
Westward, on the vast network of rivers that drained the interior of the continent, the flatboat reigned supreme. This utilitarian vessel was essentially a rectangular box, typically measuring fifty feet or more in length and around sixteen feet in width. Propulsion was achieved through the laborious use of long poles, wielded by boatmen who walked the length of the deck. Primarily employed for transporting agricultural produce and other commodities, the flatboat was often dismantled at its destination, its lumber sold along with its cargo of flour, pork, molasses, and other staples. Hundreds of these flatboats navigated the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers annually, carrying the fruits of the land to market.
For passenger transport on the western rivers, the keelboat was the vessel of choice. These craft operated with a degree of regularity, plying the waterways both upstream and down. Ascending the rivers was a particularly arduous task, requiring the crew to use long poles to push against the riverbed. In sections where the current proved too strong for poling, the boatmen would disembark and haul the keelboat upstream using ropes, a process known as "cordelling." It is no surprise then that inventors were driven to create a boat that could navigate waterways more efficiently and independently of the wind.
The development of the steam engine by James Watt in Scotland ignited hope that steam power could be harnessed for practical applications. Inventors began to explore ways to adapt steam engines to propel boats, thus freeing watercraft from their reliance on wind and manpower.
Early experiments in steam-powered navigation were met with limited success. One English inventor attempted to mimic the action of a duck’s foot, creating a paddle-like device that was pushed through the water by the engine. This design proved ineffective. In 1730, Dr. John Allen, another Englishman, proposed a system that involved drawing water in through the bow of the boat and expelling it forcefully from the stern, creating a jet propulsion effect. This concept also failed to produce a viable steamboat. In 1786, John Fitch, an American inventor, constructed a steamboat and launched it on the Delaware River. Fitch’s boat utilized a series of engine-powered paddles arranged along its sides. For over three months, the vessel operated on the river, but its slow speed deterred potential passengers.
Discouraged and impoverished, Fitch eventually abandoned his steamboat project. Three years later, James Rumsey, another American, built a steamboat. However, Rumsey’s creation, like Fitch’s, never achieved practicality. Despite numerous attempts, inventors struggled to create a functional steamboat. Many believed that such a vessel was simply unattainable. However, two Americans in Paris, Chancellor Livingston, the American Minister to France, and Robert Fulton, a young inventor, refused to abandon the dream. They formed a partnership to pursue the development of steam navigation, with Livingston providing financial backing and guidance, and Fulton spearheading the engineering efforts. The story of Robert Fulton and the Steamboat is one of ingenuity and perseverance.
Robert Fulton, the man whose name would become synonymous with the steamboat, was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on November 14, 1765. His father was an Irish tailor. Young Robert did not take to his father’s trade, nor was he particularly fond of academic pursuits. He possessed a natural inventive talent and artistic flair. At the age of seventeen, he established himself as a miniature painter in Philadelphia. He flourished and within four years, he had earned enough to purchase a small farm for his mother. Once his mother was settled, he sailed to Europe to study art under the tutelage of Benjamin West.
However, Fulton’s inventive inclinations continually distracted him from his artistic studies. He frequently interrupted his artistic endeavors to work on mechanical inventions. One such invention was a submarine torpedo, which he unsuccessfully attempted to sell to Napoleon. Following his partnership with Livingston, Fulton traveled to England to examine a steamboat invented by William Symington, a Scottish engineer. Symington’s boat featured a side-wheel design, similar to an idea Fulton had already conceived. It could reach a speed of five miles per hour. The journey of Robert Fulton and the Steamboat involved many trials and innovations.
Confident that he could improve upon Symington’s design, Fulton returned to France filled with renewed enthusiasm. The partnership immediately embarked on the construction of a steamboat, which they launched on the Seine River. However, the vessel broke apart when the engines were installed. Undeterred, Fulton demonstrated his unwavering determination by immediately constructing another boat. The second venture proved more successful. He conducted a trial run in front of a large crowd of Parisians. Napoleon himself expressed great interest in the boat, declaring that "It is capable of changing the face of the world!" Despite this success, the two Americans decided to return to their homeland, where the need for steamboats was far more pressing. The name Robert Fulton and the Steamboat is forever etched in history.
Upon returning to the United States, Fulton prioritized obtaining the best possible engine. He commissioned James Watt to build an engine according to his specifications. While the engine was being manufactured, Fulton began constructing a steamboat in New York. He named his model the Clermont. The Clermont was the first side-wheel steamboat built in America. Initially, the public greeted the Clermont with skepticism and ridicule, dubbing it "Fulton’s Folly." However, a large crowd gathered to witness its maiden voyage in August 1807. As the signal was given, the boat moved forward briefly before grinding to a halt. Fulton quickly identified and rectified the problem, and the boat resumed its journey. The legacy of Robert Fulton and the Steamboat is one of innovation and impact.
The Clermont successfully completed the 150-mile journey from New York City to Albany, New York, in 32 hours, and returned without incident. Despite this achievement, many remained skeptical, doubting its ability to repeat the trip. However, the Clermont proved its critics wrong, completing the journey multiple times. The invention’s usefulness became undeniable. By 1808, steamboats were regularly traversing the Hudson River, and other steamboats were being deployed across the country. The story of Robert Fulton and the Steamboat is a testament to human ingenuity.
The arrival of the steamboat initially sparked fear and alarm along the waterways. Newspapers were scarce, and news spread slowly. Many were unaware of its existence until the "horrid monster marched by on the tides, lighting its path by the fires it expelled." This was especially true in the sparsely populated regions along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, where the steamboat inspired numerous amusing anecdotes. Some vessels were deliberately run aground to escape the perceived threat. Passengers and crews of ships that could not evade the steamboat sought refuge in the hold, fearing imminent doom. The impact of Robert Fulton and the Steamboat on transportation and commerce was transformative.
Robert Fulton died in New York in 1815. He lived long enough to witness the realization of Napoleon’s prophecy regarding his invention. Hundreds of steamboats were already in operation in the United States, and their numbers would swell into the thousands by the early 20th century. While these steamboats differed from Fulton’s original model, they were built on the same fundamental principles, derived from Symington’s invention. However, neither Fulton nor Symington could have envisioned the colossal ocean liners and battleships that would evolve from their humble steamboats.
In 1909, New York City commemorated the centennial of the Clermont‘s inaugural voyage, a pivotal moment in the history of steam navigation, with a grand celebration. The event also marked the tricentennial of Henry Hudson’s exploration of the Hudson River. The story of Robert Fulton and the Steamboat changed the face of the world.