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The first good steamboat was built in New York. She was built by Robert Fulton. Her name was "Clermont." When the people saw her, they laughed. They said that such a boat would never go. For thousands of years, boatmen had made their boats go by using sails and oars. People had never seen any such boat as this. It seemed foolish to believe that a boat could be pushed along by steam.

The time came for Fulton to start his boat. A crowd of people were standing on the shore. The black smoke was coming out of the smokestack. The people were laughing at the boat. They were sure that it would not go. At last, the boat's wheels began to turn around. Then the boat began to move. There were no oars. There were no sails. But still the boat kept moving. Faster and faster she went. All the people now saw that she could go by steam. They did not laugh anymore. They began to cheer.

The little steamboat ran up to Albany. The people who lived on the river did not know what to make of it. They had never heard of a steamboat. They could not see what made the boat go.

There were many sailing vessels on the river. Fulton's boat passed some of these in the night. The sailors were afraid when they saw the fire and smoke. The sound of the steam seemed dreadful to them. Some of them went downstairs in their ships for fear. Some of them went ashore. Perhaps they thought it was a living animal that would eat them up.

But soon there were steamboats on all the large rivers.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the story multiple times.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary words.
  • Learn the concepts.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Robert Fulton built the first commercially successful steamboat, named 'Clermont.' People laughed at the steamboat and did not believe a boat could be pushed by steam. Before this, people used sails and oars to make boats move. Fulton started the boat. Smoke poured from the smokestack. The wheels started to turn. Without sails, without oars, the boat moved faster and faster. People stopped laughing and started cheering. When the steamboat passed other boats on the river at night, the sailors thought it was a sea monster and were afraid of the fire, smoke, and sound. Eventually, steamboats traveled all the large rivers.

Vocabulary

Steam: The vapor formed when water is heated, forming a white mist of minute water droplets in the air.
Smokestack: A chimney or funnel for discharging smoke from a locomotive, ship, factory, etc. and helping to induce a draft.
Vessel: A ship or large boat.

Concepts

In the story, Fulton demonstrates the first commercial (used to make money from selling tickets to passengers) steamboat. But how does the steamboat actually move?

In the past, wind moved boats by blowing into sails or people moved boats by pulling oars through the water.

  1. With a steamboat, fuel such as wood is burned and the fire is used to heat water.
  2. The water becomes hot and becomes steam.
  3. The steam is used to move the paddle wheels.
  4. See below a picture of a steamboat.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Story

  • After reading or listening to the story, narrate the story events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Color the Story   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 35 of 'History Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Activity 3: Map the Story

  • In the story, Robert Fulton demonstrates his steamboat to onlookers and took a trip from New York City to Albany and back.
  • Zoom in on the map and trace the path that Fulton's steamboat took.

Review

Question 1

What did people watching the steamboat do before the steamboat moved?
1 / 4

Answer 1

The people laughed at the steamboat.
1 / 4

Question 2

Why did the people laugh at the steamboat before it moved?
2 / 4

Answer 2

The people didn't believe it would work.
2 / 4

Question 3

What did people watching the steamboat do after the steamboat moved?
3 / 4

Answer 3

The people cheered for the steamboat.
3 / 4

Question 4

Why were sailors in other vessels scared when they saw the steamboat?
4 / 4

Answer 4

The sailors feared the fire, smoke, and sound. They thought the steamboat was a monster.
4 / 4

  1. What did people watching the steamboat do before the steamboat moved? The people laughed at the steamboat.
  2. Why did the people laugh at the steamboat before it moved? The people didn't believe it would work.
  3. What did people watching the steamboat do after the steamboat moved? The people cheered for the steamboat.
  4. Why were sailors in other vessels scared when they saw the steamboat? The sailors feared the fire, smoke, and sound. They thought the steamboat was a monster.

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