Steamboat: Timeline

1788   Isaac Briggs and William Longstreet patent the steamboat.

1791   John Fitch is granted a patent for the steamboat in the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

.

1807   The ''Clermont'', Robert Fulton Robert Fulton

Robert Fulton was a U.S. [i] engineer [i] and inventor [i], who was widely credited with ... 

's first American United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 steamboat, leaves New York City New York City

[i] in the [[United States]... 

 for Albany, New York Albany, New York

official_name = City of Albany, New York ... 

 on the Hudson River Hudson River

The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican [i], is a river [i] running mainly throu ... 

, inaugurating the first commercial steamboat service in the world.

1807   The ''Clermont'', Robert Fulton Robert Fulton

Robert Fulton was a U.S. [i] engineer [i] and inventor [i], who was widely credited with ... 

's first American United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 steamboat, leaves New York City New York City

[i] in the [[United States]... 

 for Albany, New York Albany, New York

official_name = City of Albany, New York ... 

 on the Hudson River Hudson River

The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican [i], is a river [i] running mainly throu ... 

, inaugurating the first commercial steamboat service in the world.

1809   Robert Fulton Robert Fulton

Robert Fulton was a U.S. [i] engineer [i] and inventor [i], who was widely credited with ... 

 patents the steamboat.

1810   First steamboat on the Ohio River Ohio River

The Ohio River is a principal tributary [i] of the Mississippi River [i]. ... 

.

1849   Regular steamboat service from the west to the east coast of the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 begins with the arrival of the SS ''California'' in San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay

The San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary [i] through which water draining approximately fo ... 

. The ''California'' left New York Harbor New York Harbor

New York Harbor, a geographic term, refers collectively to the rivers, bays, and tidal estuaries near th... 

 on October 6, 1848, rounded Cape Horn at the tip of South America South America

South America is a continent [i] situated in the western hemisphere [i] and, mostly, ... 

, and arrived at San Francisco, California San Francisco, California

The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth-largest city in California [i] and the fourteenth-lar ... 

 after the 4 month 21 day journey.

1849   The St. Louis Fire started when a steamboat caught fire and nearly burned down the entire city.

1854   The Grand Excursion takes prominent Eastern U.S. inhabitants from Chicago, Illinois to Rock Island, Illinois by railroad, then up the Mississippi River Mississippi River

The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe [i] word misi-ziibi meaning 'grea ... 

 to St. Paul, Minnesota by steamboat.

1865   The steamboat ''Sultana'', carrying 2,300 passengers, explodes and sinks in the Mississippi River Mississippi River

The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe [i] word misi-ziibi meaning 'grea ... 

, killing 1,700, most of whom were Union United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 survivors of the Andersonville Prison.

1925   Tom Lee rescues 32 people from the ''M.E. Norman'', a sinking steamboat.