The boat was extremely noisy and many people called it "Fulton's Folly" thinking it would eventually explode. The total trip consisted of about 150 miles and the boat could carry up to 100 passengers per trip. The steamboat would travel from New York City to Albany in 32 hours, while regular sailing ships and other boats would take almost four days to complete the trip. It led to increased exploration and settlement by opening up two-way river transportation. Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat (or sometimes called the Clermont) was invented in 1807 and had huge success. Prior to this he had successfully built and operated a submarine in France. While these men were successful in the industry, Robert Fulton is credited with designing the first commercially successful steamboat by combining a steam engine and hull design. These men were some of the first people to build a scientifically successful steamboat. Some of the most common name sin the steamboat industry are John Fitch, James Rumsey, and John Stevens. His steam engines were in high demand when the steamboat designs started coming into play. His steam engines were known to be smaller in size and they didn't use as much coal to power the boat. The unit of measurement for power (watt), was named after this inventor. The steam engine was invented by James Watt in 1769. Some boats had a single paddlewheel, while others would have a dual set. The steam was used to manage a propellor or paddlewheel. Steamboats would have an engine that would burn coal to turn water into steam and power the boat. Because of this, the Steamboat was invented. One of the major downfalls of choosing water transportation over the other forms was that travel could be slow due to river currents and not enough people to operate them. They would use them to transport people and goods from place to place. Long before there were planes, trains, and cars, people used waterways and boats as a means of transportation.
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