In 1807, Robert Fulton built and launched the first commercially successful steamboat, the Clermont, on the Hudson River. Soon after, steamboats started being used on the great Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. How did the invention of the steamboat affect the growth of the United States?

The first commercially successful steamboat was tested on the Hudson River in 1807. Steamboats were soon introduced on most navigable rivers. They allowed commerce and travel both upstream and down, and encouraged trade by lowering costs and saving time. By 1830, steamboats dominated American river transportation.