Robert Fulton's Accomplishments

The Life and Accomplishments of
Robert Fulton

Robert Fulton is widely known for engineering and building the first commercially successful steamboat, “Clermont”. Although most would consider that to be his biggest accomplishment, it’s not his only one. He also has an artistic past, he has painted many works of art including landscapes, portraits, houses, and machinery. Robert’s experience with the arts most likely had a big effect on the success of his invention.

Fulton was born in rural Pennsylvania, on November 14th, 1765, on his family farm in the town of Little Britain. He grew up in his hometown and eventually married Harriet Livingston. The couple later had four children together, Cornelia, Julia, Robert, and Mary. The family eventually

His submarine was designed to be used in France’s war with Britain to take down enemy ships. The idea was that submarine would become fully submerged in water, then silently creep towards the British fleet. It would then attach a powder charge to the underside of the ship to be detonated when the time got right. Although it might have been successful, the French refused to fund his invention because they considered it to be an extremely dishonorable way to fight a war. Since he could not get their funding, he eventually built the vessel with his own funds, and got permission to launch an attack, but was not successful in his endeavor.

Fulton’s submarine project may not have hashed out as planned, but he wasn’t about to give up on his ideas of water navigating vessels. He still had faith in his steamboat design, and he eventually met a man with that same faith, Robert Livingston. Livingston had a so-called “monopoly” on the steamboat industry during this time period, and gladly agreed to share the expense of building Fulton’s steamboat.

The pair’s first steamboat had length of 66 feet and propelled by side-paddle style wheels that worked to move the boat upstream. This first vessel was powered by a French 8 horsepower engine, which was its main downfall. Fulton and Livingston realized the issue, and developed a second steamboat. The second vessel featured an astounding twenty-four horsepower Boulton and Watt engine, which propelled the steamboat upstream at a much faster