Who and when was the steamboat invented

John Fitch was the first to build a steamboat in the United States. His initial foot craft successfully navigated the Delaware River on August 22, Fitch later built a larger vessel to carry passengers and freight between Philadelphia and Burlington, New Jersey.

After a contentious battle with rival inventor James Rumsey over similar steamboat designs, Fitch was ultimately granted his first United States patent for a steamboat on August 26, He was not, however, awarded a monopoly, leaving the field open for Rumsey and other competitive inventors.

Between and , Fitch constructed four different steamboats that successfully plied rivers and lakes to demonstrate the feasibility of steam power for water locomotion. His models utilized various combinations of propulsive force, including ranked paddles patterned after Indian war canoes , paddle wheels, and screw propellers.

While his boats were mechanically successful, Fitch failed to pay sufficient attention to construction and operating costs. After losing investors to other inventors, he was unable to stay afloat financially.

Before turning his talents to the steamboat, American inventor Robert Fulton had successfully built and operated a submarine in France but it was his talent for turning steamboats into a commercially viable mode of transportation that earned him the title of the "father of steam navigation. Fulton was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on November 14, While his early education was limited, he displayed considerable artistic talent and inventiveness. At the age of 17, he moved to Philadelphia, where he established himself as a painter.

Advised to go abroad due to ill health, in , Fulton moved to London. Eventually, his lifelong interest in scientific and engineering developments, especially in the application of steam engines, supplanted his interest in art.

As he applied himself to his new vocation, Fulton secured English patents for machines with a wide variety of functions and applications. He also began to show a marked interested in the construction and efficiency of canal systems. By , growing European conflicts led Fulton to begin work on weapons against piracy, including submarines, mines, and torpedoes.

Soon after, Fulton moved to France, where he took up work on canal systems. In , he built a successful "diving boat" which he named the Nautilus but there was not sufficient interest, either in France or England, to induce Fulton to pursue any further submarine design.

Fulton's passion for steamboats remained undiminished, however. In , he contracted with Robert Livingston to construct a steamboat for use on the Hudson River. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Mary Bellis. Inventions Expert. Mary Bellis covered inventions and inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years. She is known for her independent films and documentaries, including one about Alexander Graham Bell.

Updated January 30, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Bellis, Mary. John Fitch: Inventor of the Steamboat. Biography of Robert Fulton, Inventor of the Steamboat. The Origins of the Term, 'Horsepower'. January Calendar of Famous Inventions and Birthdays.

Thomas Savery and the Beginning of the Steam Engine. In August of , inventor Robert Fulton made history as his steam powered boat, the Clermont , travelled from New York City to Albany, New York, successfully making the mile journey in 32 hours.

Born in Pennsylvania in , Fulton originally established himself as a painter in Philadelphia before poor health led him to travelling abroad on the advice of his doctor. Departing the United States in , Fulton poured himself into science and engineering while overseas, developing several new inventions for European powers including the Nautilus , an early submarine prototype. Returning to New York in , Fulton and his business partner Robert Livingston, an American lawyer he met in France in , set about constructing a new steam powered boat that would revolutionize transportation.

Officially named the North River Steamboat of Clermont , the boat is popularly known simply as the Clermont. Measuring feet long and 12 feet wide with paddlewheels measuring 15 feet in diameter mounted on either side, the Clermont had a shallow draft of 2 feet, averaging around 5 miles an hour.

American inventor John Fitch looked to use this new invention as a propulsion device for a new method of transportation.