The steamboat ushered in an age of unprecedented economic growth in the United States, as goods that were previously able to be shipped only slowly over land or one-way down America's rivers could now be shipped much more efficiently.
What role did the steamboat play in the growth of American industry? How did it change American manufacturing and production, and what consequences did it have for our nation's spread westward? Who were key figures in the development and application of steam power to water transportation?
This webinar features Kevin Crisman, Professor in the Nautical Archaeology program at Texas A&M University and Director of the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation; Robert Gudmestad, Associate Professor of History at Colorado State University; and Paul Johnston, Curator of Maritime History at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The discussion is moderated by Matthew Schulte, Executive Director and CEO of the Steamship Historical Society of America.
You can find a list of the speakers' books available for purchase here. You can also access the slideshow presentations used during the webinar here (Dr. Crisman's slides) and here (Dr. Gudmestad's slides).
