Robert Fulton

Born in Pennsylvania in 1765, Robert Fulton began his career as an artist before turning to engineering and invention. He spent time in Britain and France, where he worked on canal plans and experimented with underwater craft and other mechanical designs.

Fulton is most closely linked with the development of commercially successful steamboat travel. In 1807, his North River Steamboat—later widely called the Clermont—began regular service on the Hudson River, proving that steam-powered navigation could work as a practical business.

He continued working on transportation and naval projects in the United States until his death in New York in 1815. Even though he was not the first person to experiment with steam navigation, he became one of the key figures in bringing it into everyday use.