- The first steamboat in the United States was invented by John Fitch in 1787. While operable, they remained too expensive for regular use. It was not until 1807 that the first practical steamboat was built. The Clermont traveled the Hudson River between New York City and Albany. Other steamboats would soon follow.
- A steamboat is a boat powered by a steam engine. They typically had large paddlewheels at the rear or on the sides.
- Steamboats ran the gamut from the ornate and grand to the utilitarian and simple. Showboats were elaborately decorated and outfitted with theaters, organs, saloons and other entertainment-driven spaces. Far more common was the basic packet boat; these steamboats transported goods up and down the river. A snagboat was a steamboat that removed large pieces of debris, or "snags," from the riverbed, thereby making river travel safer for other boats.
- Travel by steamboat was not without its dangers; boats ran the risk of sinking, of boiler explosions, and, in some areas, attacks from the shore. Boilers were the most common problem, and had to be carefully monitored to ensure that pressure did not build up to dangerous levels. Too much pressure could lead to its explosion, potentially both destroying the boat itself as well as killing or injuring its passengers.
- By the end of the 19th century new transportation technologies were beginning to offer alternatives to steamboat travel. In the United States, a growing railroad system competed with steamboats. The invention of automobiles and the expansion of paved roads further diminished the role of steamboats. Airplanes soon followed. In many parts of the world steamboats fell from favor.
