What impact did steamboats have in the 1800s?

Answer 1

Steamboat transportation on trans-Appalachian rivers met with great enthusiasm. Steamboats quickly succeeded rafts, flatboats, and keelboats as the main vehicle for river travel. (Keelboats continued to be used in the upper reaches of tributary streams.) As steamboats evolved, they were built with shallower drafts, so they could operate in as little as three feet of water. Enormous above water, they could carry hundreds of tons of freight and dozens of passengers. Towns along the rivers benefited greatly from the economic exchange provided by steamboats. Cincinnati, Ohio, for example, grew from a small settlement in 1770 to the sixth largest city in the country in 1840 on the strength of river travel. A common scene was the loading and unloading of furniture, farm machinery, bales of cotton, and bulk agricultural products at the town wharf.

Answer 2

They were primarily used for transportation. Not just only people, but for the supplies, goods, and cargo. They were also used for trade along the rivers or canals. Thank you for asking! And have a wonderful day! Ask more Questions further on and we will try to answer them! Copyrighted 2014, all rights reserved.

Answer 3

Steamboats hauled freight and passengers. There were few railroads, no buses, no cars, no airplanes - steamboats did most of the hauling, back then.

Answer 4

it help people move things faster