Between 1750-1850, transportation in America underwent a revolution led by inventors like James Watt and innovators of river boats and canals. Watt's improved steam engine in 1769 kicked off widespread use of steamboats, beginning with John Fitch's successful run in 1787. Robert Fulton furthered this progress by launching commercial passenger and freight services. Canals like the Erie Canal connected the eastern U.S. to expanding western settlements, allowing efficient transport of people and goods. Road building projects like the National Road attempted to connect the coasts over land but posed greater challenges than river and canal transportation. Overall, innovations in steam engines, river boats, and infrastructure like canals and roads transformed transportation

1. Transportation
Revolution

2. Before Revolution
Most people lived by rivers and oceans
for easy transport
The main ways of transportation were
riverboats, canals, and roadways

3. 1750-1850
Most of the revolution was between
1750 and 1850

4. River Boats

6. Major Players
James Watt
John Fitch
Robert Fulton

7. James Watt
In 1769 James Watt patented a new
version of the steam engine that
kicked off the revolution

8. John Fitch
In 1787 John Fitch made the first
successful run of a 45 ft. steamboat
across the Delaware, convincing the
Continental Congress of it’s potential

9. Cont.
He was then issued a patent from the
United States to build more designs
of the steam engine
He then proceeded to create four new
designs that even furthered progress
of river travel

10. Robert Fulton
Increased commercial anticipation for
steamboats because he teamed up
with Edward Livingston to deliver
commercial goods and passengers
between Louisiana and Mississippi

11. Canals

13. Canals
Have been used all throughout history
Canals in America were used to
connect the east to the ever
expanding west U.S.

14. Canals
In 1800 only one million people lived
west of the Allegheny Mountains and
by 1830 more than 3 million people
moved out there
Canals were so fast, affordable, and
efficient that 4 horses could pull a
100 tons 24 miles through a canal in
a day

15. Canals
At this time canals were seen as a way
to find Americas' natural resources
and many of the canals were
interconnected
Even presidents started to see the
revolution starting to build up
behind these canals

16. George
George Washington helped make the
Potomac River navigable by inserting
canal locks throughout the river

19. Eerie Canal
A famous canal that linked the Hudson
river with Lake Erie
1825

21. Road Ways

22. History
Because of the mass movements west
the country needed roadways to help
support the mass travel
Most roads were just dirt and so
construction began to improve them
by adding wooden planks

23. Cont.
So congress in 1806 gave money for a
national road from Maryland to
Illinois to be built
But then more grueling tasks came to
build roads all the way from the east
coast to the west coast

24. Road Building
So a mass of hundreds of builders
embarked on year long trips to build
these roads. They used horse back,
trails, and canals to reach the west
coast

27. Recap
Canals, Roadways, and Steam engines
helped further the revolution of
transportation by improving
infrastructure, efficiency, and economy