Robert Fulton created the first successful steamboat, but Robert’s life did not start out with him in the spotlight. He came from humble beginnings, learning to paint from a classmate at school. Then, Robert began to paint signs for businesses in his town. When the American Revolution began, the Continental army came to Robert’s town for supplies. Local gunsmiths encouraged Robert to submit his own designs, and Robert designed an air gun. Later, he designed a system of canals and some machines, but his designs did not succeed. Robert Fulton worked with Robert Livingston to try to create a successful steamboat. They succeeded, and the first voyage went from New York City to Albany. A trip that usually took four days could now be completed in about a day and a half! Fulton continued to create more steamboats to be used around the country, and he helped shaped the nation with his creation. I found it very interesting that Robert Fulton did not actually invent the steamboat. Others before him tried to create a steamboat, but none of the previous inventors could create a successful steamboat. Robert Fulton combined ideas from other inventors along with his own to create a steamboat that could be used to transport people and goods across waterways. ( )