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Robert Fulton: A Symbol of the American Dream
by Richard Scott
“The Americans are a very old and a very enlightened people, who have fallen on a new and unbounded country, where they may extend themselves at pleasure, and which they may fertilize without difficulty. This state of things is without parallel in the history of the world” [1] These words of French historian Alexis de Tocqueville are appropriate for a discussion of Robert Fulton, a man who was celebrated in 1909 for his application of the steamboat. Similar to Henry Hudson, whose feat of discovering his namesake river was commemorated in the same year, Fulton was honored as a heroic figure of technological genius who embodied a spirit of American ingenuity. He became emblematic of a showy, fast-moving, brash, and audacious era that opened up new possibilities for innovation and fostered communication across the country.
Early Life
Fulton was born on November 14, 1765, on a farm about 40 miles South of Lancaster, Pennsylvania to an Irish immigrant father who failed as a farmer, fell into debt, and died when his son was 8. Thus, Fulton was confronted with early turmoil in his life. He received his early education from his mother before gaining more formal schooling under a tutor named Caleb Johnson [2] .
There are some legends about his early creative genius that claim he invented a Roman candle, an air gun, a lead pencil, and a fishing boat with mechanical paddles [3] . He also worked as a painter and drafted plans for machinery [4] . We do not know much else of Robert’s earliest years, but perhaps his humble roots caused him to become preoccupied with the pursuit of wealth. Invention became a diversion and a way for him to pursue the American Dream of economic autonomy and self-sufficiency.
Influences
Fulton was heavily influenced by both the ideas of Adam Smith and the Revolutionary War. His ideology was particularly impacted by Smith’s Wealth of Nations. Smith, who is often referred to as the Father of modern capitalism, argued that that productivity and social improvement were dependent on the wide communication of goods and ideas. Fulton had a vision of fostering a close-knit, productive society that would be enhanced by superb communication. In particular, he believed that small canals were the engine for productivity because they reduced labor costs while optimizing the work performed. They would also generate competition, stimulate the market, and create employment, rather than promote monopoly [5] .
The Revolutionary War also affected his thinking. He gained a renewed spirit of patriotism and an interest in democracy. His focus also shifted to not only the nation as a whole, but to Europe as well [6] . He became interested in universal peace, which led him to create the torpedo, an explosive weapon that if used for its intended purpose would help to open the sea and channels to friendly discourse through a constructive system of canals [7] .
Manifest Destiny
Fulton was caught up in America’s canal fever of the late 18th century. This expansionist sentiment was part of Manifest Destiny. He envisioned a canal in particular that would connect Philadelphia to Fort Pitt, which was 350 miles westward. Because of his lack of investment capital, and because of the national interest in bringing the products of the interior to coastal markets, Fulton proposed that the federal government subsidize the first 60 or 70 miles. The total cost of the project was an astounding $150,000 [8] .
On March 1, 1796, Fulton published A Treatise on the Improvement of Canal Navigation. He gave a copy to George Washington in an attempt to secure patronage. Washington supported the Potomac Canal as a link to the Ohio River. Fulton was not satisfied with the scope this project and thus, he envisioned a canal from Philadelphia to Lake Erie that would generate enough tolls to finance a 9,000 mile network of canals [9] .
The Steamboat
In addition to the canals and the torpedo, Fulton was known for traveling in the Clermont, his steamboat. It was named in honor of the hospitality that he felt when in the presence of Chancellor Robert Livingston at his country-place [10] .The dimensions of this massive ship were 150 feet by 13 feet. 
The idea of the steamboat was suggested in Europe as early as the 17th century. Experiments had been tried in Britain, France, Italy, and Germany in the 18th century. To describe how Fulton arrived at the idea Hall states:
The history of science and invention is so full of cases in which great discoveries have resultedfrom the observation of simple things, that we may takethis power of appreciating the significance of small things as one of the criteria of a great mind. Thousands of persons had seen that lamp swinging in Pisa cathedral before Galileo found in it the law of the pendulum. Apples havefallen from trees since the Garden of Eden, but it remained for Newton to find in that familiar sight his great discovery of the universal law of gravitation [11] .
America’s technical prowess became manifest when Fulton created the first successful commercial steamboat operation in history and a system of transportation that allowed mankind to surmount forces of nature [12] . On August 17, 1807, the Clermont made its first voyage up the Hudson River. After this journey, Fulton made some adjustments such as moving guiding ropes from each side of the tiller to a forward wheel. The alterations were significant because many people had apprehensions about the safety of such an experiment. Their doubts turned to approval and satisfaction when they witnessed its commercial success [13] .
1909 Celebration
In 1909, a grand celebration occurredthat commemorated the tercentennial of Hudson’s discovery of his namesake river and the centennial of Robert Fulton’s application of the steamboat. It was an unparalleled event in the city of New York and one that celebrated the accomplishments of these two men.
In this impressive celebration, under the supervision of the Naval Parade Committee, a replica of the Clermont was built. It was created slightly wider to increase stability. The ship was launched on July 10th with an ornate ceremony taking place at Marines Harbor. It was a major part of the Naval Parade that occurred on September 25th. Some of Fulton’s descendents dressed in 19th century costumes to reenact the events [14] .
Around this time, he was pronounced a national benefactor and proclaimed a genius who became one of the centerpieces of the Industrial Revolution and symbolic of the American Dream. To describe the impact of Fulton, Hall comments:
When, in the morning of Creation, the waters under the firmament were gathered together and the dry land appeared, not only was a habitation for man prepared, but limits were set to his natural movements. To overcome the natural barriers which the oceans, seas, lakes and rivers of the earth presented, he has applied his God-given faculties ever since. 
Fulton was viewed as a heroic figure who became symbolic of American industrialization and human progress. There is a reason for this view: Fulton helped to extend the technological boundaries of America by creating an invention that embodied the American culture and opened up new frontiers of possibilities.
Yet on the contrary, there were others who view Fulton in a more negative light. Some believed that Fulton used wealthy politically-connected partners as a ladder to success. In addition, others saw Fulton as someone consumed with personal aggrandizement who stole the inventions of his predecessors. They went as far to say that he committed perjury and fraud to defend his steamboat empire [15] .
On February 23, 1815, at the age of 49, Fulton died of pneumonia. Two days later, he received a hero’s burial in a funeral more splendid than that of any New Yorker to date [16] . This grand occasion was an appropriate reminder of a man who became symbolic of a brash, loud, and exciting era.
Endnotes
[1] Sale, Kirkpatrick. The Fire of His Genius: Robert Fulton and the American Dream, The Free Press, 2001, introduction
[2] Philip, Robert O. Robert Fulton: A Biography, Franklin Watts, 1985, p.3
[3] Philip, Robert O. Robert Fulton: A Biography, Franklin Watts, 1985, p.6
[4] Sutcliffe, Alice C. http://www.ulster.net/~hrmm/diglib/sutcliffe/preface.html#pre"
[5] Philip, Robert O. Robert Fulton: A Biography, Franklin Watts, 1985, p.49-50
[6] Philip, Robert O. Robert Fulton: A Biography, Franklin Watts, 1985, p.7
[7] Sutcliffe, Alice C. http://www.ulster.net/~hrmm/diglib/sutcliffe/preface.html#pre"
[8] Philip, Robert O. Robert Fulton: A Biography, Franklin Watts, 1985, p.51
[9] Philip, Robert O. Robert Fulton: A Biography, Franklin Watts, 1985, p.59
[10] Sutcliffe, Alice C. http://www.ulster.net/~hrmm/diglib/sutcliffe/preface.html#pre"
[11] Hall, Edward Hagaman. Hudson and Fulton: A Brief History of Henry Hudson and Robert Fulton with Suggestions Designed to Aide the Holding of General Commemorative Exercises and Children’s Festivals during the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in 1909.New York: The Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commission, 1909, p.38
[12] Sutcliffe, Alice C. http://www.ulster.net/~hrmm/diglib/sutcliffe/preface.html#pre"
[13] Sale, Kirkpatrick. The Fire of His Genius: Robert Fulton and the American Dream, The Free Press, 2001, introduction
[14] Hall, Edward Hagaman. The Fourth Annual Report of the Hudson- Fulton Celebration Commission to the Legislature of the State of New York. Albany: JB Lyon Company, 1910, p.111
[15] Philip, Robert O. Robert Fulton: A Biography, Franklin Watts, 1985, p.7
[16] Philip, Robert O. Robert Fulton: A Biography, Franklin Watts, 1985, p.7
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