How Steamboats Changed America

Greetings from your Eagle Society Ambassador, Bill Wiemuth. I have lectured aboard small ship cruises for more than two decades and am fascinated with stories of the people and events that developed navigation and their incredible impact on the Western Expansion. I am so proud to share these stories on board the cruises and in my recently published eleventh book in the History Highlights Series. The book is entitled, Steamboats Changed America, and illustrates how the introduction of steamboats revolutionized river transportation and played a critical role in the growth and expansion of the United States.

Prior to the introduction of steam-powered boats, river transportation was slow and unreliable, making it difficult to transport goods and people over long distances.

The early pioneers of steamboat technology, such as John Fitch, Robert Fulton, and Robert Livingston, faced significant challenges in trying to develop and commercialize their inventions. However, their perseverance and ingenuity eventually paid off, and by the mid-1800s, steamboats were a common sight on rivers throughout the United States.

The first successful steamboat service in the United States was operated by John Fitch in 1787. Fitch's steamboat was able to carry up to 30 passengers at a speed of 5 miles per hour, and it operated for several months, proving the feasibility of steam-powered navigation on American rivers. Despite the functional success of his steamboat, Fitch struggled with mechanical and financial difficulties. He died in obscurity in 1798.

The moment we were under way I began to prowl about the great steamer and fill myself with joy...I had never felt so fine before. When [you] stepped aboard a big fine steamboat, [you] entered a new and marvelous world.

— Mark Twain

Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston were also instrumental in the development of steamboat technology. In 1807, Fulton launched the first commercially successful steamboat, the Clermont, which traveled between New York City and Albany, New York. The journey that had required weeks for previous river transportation could suddenly be covered in days.

The success of Fulton's steamboat led to the rapid expansion of steamboat transportation throughout the United States. In 1811, the first steamboat along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers traveled on an epic 2,200-mile-adventure from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. By the 1830s, steamboats were a common sight on rivers throughout the country, and played a critical role in the growth and expansion of the United States. As settlers moved westward, steamboats provided a fast and reliable means of transportation, allowing people and goods to travel over long distances quickly and efficiently. Steamboats also helped to open new areas for settlement as they expanded up the thousands of miles of tributary rivers connecting to the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River became a major artery of commerce, and cities such as New Orleans, St. Louis, and Memphis grew rapidly as a result.

As steamboat transportation created new opportunities, it spurred economic growth and development. Steamboats also helped to connect people and communities, making it easier for people, mail, and information to travel faster and further.

Today, American Cruise Lines continues this legacy, as their well-appointed riverboats carry cruisers along wonderful journeys through America. Add your own adventure to this epic American story with a cruise aboard a classic paddlewheeler.

Hudson River Fall Foliage Cruises 8-Day/7-Nights

During our fall foliage cruises, the treetops are awash in a kaleidoscope of colorful hues that adorn the landscape as far as the eye can see. On this captivating cruise along the Hudson River, witness the perfect blend of stunning natural landscapes, New York City's famed landmarks, and the glittering waterfront mansions of the Hudson Valley.

Led by local expert guides, discover the places American presidents, titans of industry, illustrious artists, and numerous Gilded Age characters called home. Explore the Vanderbilt Mansion, once the epicenter to the socially prominent and elite class of New Yorkers. Travel to Olana, the estate of 19th-century artist Frederic Edwin Church and admire unrivaled panoramic views of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains.

Visit the riverside town of Sleepy Hollow made famous by the great American writer Washington Irving. Ride through the Hudson Valley to the charming village of Nyack, a haven for culinary connoisseurs.

Return to the city that doesn’t sleep and enjoy a magical evening cruise around Lady Liberty, illuminated against the starry night sky.

Thomas Cole National Historic Site

A visit to the Thomas Cole National Historic Site provides entry into the world of the man who became the father of American landscape painting and founder of the Hudson River School of Art.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Mansion

Explore the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, one of the great historic homes of America. Filled with memorabilia of the Roosevelt family, the neo-Georgian house was the birthplace of the president in 1882 and where he hosted Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth, among others.

West Point Military Academy

Walk the hallowed grounds traversed by some of the nation's greatest generals. Tour the West Point Museum and Cadet Chapel, while viewing magnificent vistas of the Hudson Valley from atop the campus grounds.

Never Too Young

Jim Zimmerlin & Special Gues t

YouTube influencer and frequent guest Jim Zimmerlin, also known as Jim Zim, first became interested in cruising with American Cruise Lines when he saw our riverboats docked in Richland, WA, only a few miles from his home along the Columbia River in southeastern Washington State. As a licensed certified drone pilot, he began shooting aerial videos and photos of the American Cruise Lines ships and now features a number of our cruises on his YouTube channel.

A week before Jim Zim was to embark on our 11-day American Revolution cruise aboard American Constitution, he received an email from a follower in Norfolk who wanted to let him know that her 5 year old grandson, Lachlan, was a big fan who loves to watch Jim’s model train videos on YouTube.

Jim wrote back to her and said that by some amazing coincidence he was going to be coming to Norfolk, VA, by cruise ship in one week's time and would Lachlan like to meet him? After checking with the boy's parents, the answer was a definite yes!

The day American Constitution was docked in Norfolk, both parents, one grandfather, and Lachlan met Jim outside the cruise terminal. They thought it might be a 5 minute meet-and-greet, but Jim worked with the ship management team to arrange something special for them.

Michael Moore, Assistant Hotel General Manager, arranged for clearance for the whole family to come aboard the ship for a tour. After an exploration of American Constitution, all ended up sitting down on the comfortable patio furniture on the ship's upper deck to have a nice long conversation. They also got to play some miniature golf on the putting green up on the top deck of the ship.

At the suggestion of Michael Moore, all were invited to join Jim for dinner in the ship's dining room. Lachlan was, by far, the youngest person in the restaurant. He was confused by all the various cutlery at the fancy table, saying that he really only needed one fork and one spoon. He may have preferred chicken nuggets to the fancy baked chicken dinner he was served, but all had a great time.

Being the only 5-year old on board, Lachlan was an instant celebrity on the ship and he managed to score an invitation to tour the ship's pilothouse with the First Mate, Tyler. Lachlan even got to sit in the Captain's chair.