Questions Below Refer To The Following Passage.     Steamboats were shallow-draft boats propelled by steam-driven paddle wheels. In the nineteenth century, they could be seen every day on rivers, particularly on the Mississippi River and its principal tributaries in the United States.     The development of the steamboat as a practical means of transportation began in America in 1787, but it wasn’t until 1811 that a steamboat was built specifically to travel along the lower Mississippi River. The boat, called appropriately the New Orleans, was built at Pittsburgh, Pa., for Robert Fulton and... Show more

Questions Below Refer To The Following Passage.    

Steamboats were shallow-draft boats propelled by steam-driven paddle wheels. In the nineteenth century, they could be seen every day on rivers, particularly on the Mississippi River and its principal tributaries in the United States.    
The development of the steamboat as a practical means of transportation began in America in 1787, but it wasn’t until 1811 that a steamboat was built specifically to travel along the lower Mississippi River. The boat, called appropriately the New Orleans, was built at Pittsburgh, Pa., for Robert Fulton and Robert R. Livingston. In 1812, the two men began operating a regular steamboat service between New Orleans and Natchez, Mississippi. Their vessels traveled at eight miles per hour downstream and three upstream.    
In 1816, Henry Miller Shreve launched his steamboat Washington, and soon became known as the father of Mississippi navigation, because he adapted steamboat design to fit the shallow waters of the river. He installed the engine high up above the water line and mounted it on a hull that was as shallow as that of a barge. He also added a tall second deck, and afterwards all Mississippi steamboats copied Shreve’s design.    
From then on and until about 1870, the steamboat dominated the economy, agriculture, and commerce of the middle area of the United States.    
By 1834, there were 1,200 steamboats, carrying not only cotton and sugar, but also passengers who enjoyed luxuriously appointed lounges with rich rugs, oil paintings, and chandeliers. Many steamboats were famous for their chefs, orchestras, and large staffs of maids and butlers to assist their cabin passengers.    
Steamboat pilots had to memorize or guess at the depths of the river and its potential obstacles along long stretches of river in order to navigate safely. The average life span of a steamboat was only four to five years, because most of the vessels were poorly constructed and maintained. They sank after hitting sand bars and hidden rocks in the river, and many of their boilers exploded, causing many deaths among their passengers.    
By the 1870s, railroads had become more efficient modes of transport and gradually caused the retirement of almost all the steamboats from the river.    

Show less