Robert Fulton is best known for inventing and developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the North River Steamboat, also called the Clermont, which made its historic first run in 1807 on the Hudson River. This steamboat was the first viable design for commercial trade and travel, revolutionizing river transportation by enabling travel upstream against strong currents and drastically reducing travel time and costs
. In addition to the steamboat, Fulton invented the first practical submarine, called the Nautilus, commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1800. This submarine was powered by a hand crank and could stay submerged for six hours, marking an early milestone in underwater navigation
. Fulton also designed and built some of the earliest naval torpedoes (modern mines) for the British Royal Navy during the early 1800s, as well as the first steam-powered warship, the floating battery Demologos, built for the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812, although it was completed after his death
. In summary, Robert Fulton's key inventions include:
- The first commercially successful steamboat (Clermont/North River Steamboat)
- The first practical submarine (Nautilus)
- Early naval torpedoes (mines)
- The first steam-powered warship (Demologos)
These inventions significantly impacted transportation and naval warfare in the 19th century
