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Robert Fulton
Robert Fulton
For other persons named Robert Fulton, see Robert Fulton (disambiguation). Robert Fulton may refer to Robert Fulton (1765&ndash1815 American inventor Robert Edison Fulton Jr

Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was a U.S. engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steam-powered steamboat. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 1765 ( MDCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An engineer is a person professionally engaged in a field of Engineering. An inventor is a person who creates or discovers a new method form device or other useful means A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller He also designed a new type of a steam warship. A warship is a Ship that is built and primarily intended for Combat. In 1800 he was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte to design Nautilus, which was the first practical submarine in history. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Nautilus is often considered the first practical Submarine, though preceded by Cornelius Drebbel 's of 1620 A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability [1]

Contents

Early life

Robert Fulton was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1765. Lancaster County Pennsylvania, known as the Garden Spot of America since the 18th century is located in the southeastern part of the state of Pennsylvania He had become interested in steamboats in 1777 when (at the age of 12) he visited William Henry of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, they had found out about Watt's steam engine on a visit to England; Henry then made his own engine and in 1763 – two years before Fulton was born – tried putting his engine in a boat, which sank. William Henry ( May 19, 1729 – December 15, 1786) was an American gunsmith from Lancaster Pennsylvania, and a delegate Lancaster is a city in the South Central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is the County seat of Lancaster County. The Watt steam engine was the first type of Steam engine to make use of steam at a pressure just above atmospheric to drive the piston helped by a partial vacuum England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

Fulton presents his steamship to Bonaparte in 1803.
Fulton presents his steamship to Bonaparte in 1803.

Robert grew up in a 2-story, small, solid gray stone house. When he came of age, Fulton went to England in 1786 to study painting. There he met James Rumsey who sat for a portrait in the studio of Benjamin West, where Fulton was apprenticing. James Rumsey (1743-1792 was an American mechanical engineer chiefly known for exhibiting a boat propelled by machinery in 1787 on the Potomac River at Shepherdstown Benjamin West RA ( October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was an Anglo - American painter of historical Rumsey was an inventor from Virginia who ran his first steam boat in Shepherdstown, (now West) Virginia in 1786 and repeated his attempt on December 3, 1787. Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, USA Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1787 ( MDCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common As early as 1793 Fulton proposed plans for steam vessels to both the United States and the British Governments, and in England he met the Duke of Bridgewater, whose canal would shortly be used for trials of a steam tug, and who later ordered steam tugs from William Symington. Francis Egerton 3rd Duke of Bridgewater (21 May 1736 &ndash 8 March 1803 (also the 6th Earl of Bridgewater known as Lord Francis Egerton until 1748 was a British nobleman William Symington (1764–1831 was a Scottish Engineer and Inventor, and the builder of the first practical Steamboat. Symington had successfully tried steamboats in 1788, and it seems probable that Fulton would have been well aware of these developments. A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller

Later years

Robert Fulton's cenotaph at Trinity Church.
Robert Fulton's cenotaph at Trinity Church. A cenotaph is a tomb or a Monument erected in honour of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere

In 1797, he went to France (where the Marquis Claude de Jouffroy had made a working paddle steamer in 1783) and commenced experimenting with submarine torpedoes and torpedo boats. Claude-François-Dorothée marquis de Jouffroy d'Abbans (1751&ndash1832 is claimed by the French as the first inventor of the Steamboat. A paddle steamer is a ship or boat driven by a Steam engine that uses one or more Paddle wheels to develop thrust for propulsion.

In that year he met Robert Livingston, United States Ambassador (whose niece Harriet Livingston he married, they had four children; Robert, Julia, Mary, and Cornelia), and they decided to build a steamboat to try out on the Seine. Fulton experimented with the water resistance of hull shapes, made drawings and models and had a steamboat constructed. A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller At the first trial it sank, but the hull was rebuilt and strengthened, and on August 9, 1803, this boat steamed up the River Seine. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Seine (sɛn in French) is a slow flowing major River and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie The boat was 66 feet (20. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit 1 m) long, 8 feet (2. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International 4 m) beam and made between 3–4 mph (5–6 km/h) against the current.

In 1807, Fulton and King built the first commercial steamboat, the North River Steamboat (later known as the Clermont), which carried passengers between New York City and Albany, New York. The first commercially successful Steamship of the Paddle steamer design North River Steamboat (later known as the Clermont) The City of New York Albany is the Capital of the State of New York and the County seat of Albany County.

Fulton is buried at the Trinity Church Cemetery in New York City alongside other famous Americans such as Alexander Hamilton. Trinity Church Cemetery consists of three separate burial grounds associated with Trinity Church in Manhattan, New York, USA.

Memorialization

The Nautilus (1800).
The Nautilus (1800).
The marble statue by Howard Roberts in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol Building.
The marble statue by Howard Roberts in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol Building. National Statuary Hall is a chamber in the United States Capitol devoted to Sculptures of prominent Americans.

In 1816, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania donated a marble statue of Fulton to the National Statuary Hall Collection in the US Capitol Building. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol comprises statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history

A wide number of places are named for Robert Fulton, including (but not limited to):

References

  1. ^ American Treasures of the Library of Congress: "Fulton's Submarine"
  2. ^ School Web site
  3. ^ Fulton

Further reading

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