Robert Fulton (1765-1815)
Robert Fulton is remembered as the inventor of the first commercially successful steamboat in the United States. He had many interest and talents but he made his living as a painter. As a young adult he traveled to England to paint. He had many interests and talents but he made his living as a painter. As a young adult he traveled to England to paint. He spent nearly 20 years in England and France during which time he became interested in water transportation. In 1796, he produced Treatise on the Improvement of Canal Navigation, complete with detailed drawings and calculations supporting a national transportation system. He applied his interest in underwater warfare by launching submarines with mines to break the British blockade of France, and then cooperated with the British against France using similar methods. In 1801 he met Robert R. Livingston, the American minister to France, who was interested in stream navigation on New York waterways. Returning to the United States, Fulton adapted British canal boat design, established a regular schedule, and introduced the idea of comfort to travel. The North River Steamboat, known popularly as the Clermone, sailed from New York north on the Hudson River in 1807, beginning a new era in maritime travel.
Additional Information Can Be Found At...
Fulton, Robert - Encarta Online Deluxe
Robert Fulton: His Life and Its Treasures
Robert Fulton, Engineer and Artist
Robert Fulton (1765-1815) Steamboat Inventor
Robert Fulton, Pennsylvania Biographies