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Steamboats of the 1800s:
Definition
Definition: Steamboats were water
vessels that were propelled by steam.
Steamboats of the 1800s for kids: Flatboats
The forerunners to the Steamboats of the
1800s were the flatboats.
The flatboats, or 'flats' were
important forms of transportation for the new nation carrying
produce to markets and occasionally transporting passengers.
Flatboats and Steamboats
The picture
of the flatboat and steamboats illustrate these
different forms of transportation navigating down a
river. The flatboats
preceded the steamboats, and could only go downstream,
with the flow of the river. Powered by steam the
steamboats were far more efficient and faster and had
the advantage of also being able to travel upstream.
The cargo transported on
flatboats included corn, furs, flour, fruit, whiskey,
and vegetable and pork. Passengers were taken on
flatboats with tent-like coverings for shelter. They
were slow and uncomfortable. When they reached their
destination the flat boatmen dismantled their 'flat',
sold it for lumber and often the crew would walk home.
Steamboats of the 1800s for kids
The Steamboats of the
1800s started to appear on western rivers in 1807.
The picture of the steamboats
reflect this Important form of transportation in the United States in
the 1800's. The invention of steam power made it much easier to
travel along the rivers. The steamboats had a steam engine which
turned a paddle wheel in back of the boats. Some steamboats had two
paddle wheels on each side of the steamboat which could then reach
even greater speeds. These paddle wheels powered the steamboats both
up and down river. Steamboats could go downstream twice as fast as
the flatboats that they replaced. Steam boats could also go
upstream, which was a Important improvement over the flatboats.
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The
Steamboats of the 1800s for kids
The steamboats could travel at the astounding speed of
up to 5 miles per hour. Steamboats quickly
revolutionized river travel and trade, and dominated the
waterways of the expanding areas of the United States in
the south with rivers such as the Mississippi, Alabama,
Apalachicola and Chattahoochee.
The
Steamboats of the 1800s
The steam boats of the 1800s captured the imagination of
the American people. They enabled relatively fast and
comfortable travel across the rivers and waterways of
the US - also refer to
Erie Canal. There were dangers to traveling by the
steamboats. Some sank, there were boiler explosions and
fires. Some steam boats were attacked by Native American
Indians.
Steamboats of the 1800s for kids: The
Romance of the Steamboats
People were captivated
by the Steamboats of the 1800s. They were
new, and exciting and there were
occasionally steamboat races. However it was
the Showboats that really captured the
imagination of the public - but they were
not steamboats. Showboats were pushed by a
small tugboat! A steam engine would needed
to have been placed right in the auditorium,
where fabulous shows were performed.
Steamboats of the 1800s for kids: The General Survey
Act
The
1824 General Survey Act was a law passed by the
United States Congress in April 1824 that was
extremely important to the maintenance of the rivers
in America. The General Survey Act authorized the
president to have surveys made of important
transportation routes. The law specified that
surveys were made by the Corps of Engineers for
routes requiring roads and canals "of national
importance, in a commercial or military point of
view, or necessary for the transportation of public
mail." The General Survey Act, and the mission of
the Corps of Engineers, was defined further by the
1824 Navigation Act that appropriated $75000 to
improve navigation on the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers and the 1826 Rivers and Harbors Act that
authorized further surveys and construction
projects.
Steamboats of the
1800s for kids
The info about
the Steam boats of the 1800s provides interesting facts and
important information about important events and the progress of the
United States during the early presidency of the 3rd President of
the United States of America.
Steamboats of the 1800s - President Thomas Jefferson
Video
The article on the Steam boats of the 1800s provides
an overview of one of the developments during his
presidential term in office. For additional info
refer to
Facts on Industrial Revolution Inventions. The
following video will give you additional important
facts, history and dates about the political events
experienced by the 3rd American President whose
presidency spanned from March 4, 1801 to March 4,
1809.
Steamboats of the 1800s
● Interesting Facts about the Steam boats
of the 1800s for kids and schools
● Steam boats of the 1800s of historical
events for kids
● Definition of the Steam boats of the
1800s
● Thomas Jefferson Presidency from March
4, 1801 to March 4, 1809
● Fast, fun, interesting facts about the
Steam boats of the 1800s
● Foreign & Domestic policies of President
Thomas Jefferson
● Thomas Jefferson Presidency and Steam
boats of the 1800s for schools, homework,
kids and children
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