Figure 1.--It was not just the outside of Mississippi Riverboats hat were impressive. The kinteriors could be as well. This is the Saloon of Mississippi River Steamboat Princess painted by Marie Adrien Persac (1861). It shows the spacious interior of a pre-War Mississippi steamboat.

The Golden Age of steamboats began (1830s). By that time what we all recognized as the Mississippi steam boat were operating throughout the Mississippi River system, playing a key role in the economic development of Ante-bellum America. The boats were steam-powered paddle wheels whicj could ply the River faster and more quickly and effectively than the early rafts and flatboats. They carried goods such as farm prodducts, whiskey, and livestock down the river. But the lifeblood of the riverine traffic was cotton--whjite gold. It was the primary southern cash crop. The Riverboats were central to the economic development of Ante-bellum America. And gradually we begin to see industrial manufacvtured goods coming from the northern states. The first Mississpippi steam riverboat was the New Orleans, built for a company strarted by Robert Livingston and Robert Fulton (1811). 【Lloyd】 It has a low-pressure Boulton and Watt steam engine driving power train that was also heavy and inefficient. It was heavy side-wheeler with a deep draft. With this beginning, the riverboats developed in only a few years into palatial boats with large cargo capacity and comfortable passenger accomodations. Stern wheelers and relatively flat shoal bottoms became standard. Increasingly efficient engines began to appear. Two deck became common, three secks became standard. In addition to fine foniong, there was comfortable beds, gambling, and music. Meals rivaling great hotels were on offer. River boats trips were not speedy. Louisville, Kentucky to New Orleans took less than a month. Samed captains coukd do it faster, low by modern standards, but not by pre-rail standards Even nore important was the commfort in which the passangers enjoyed. No other form of travel could touch it. This explains why passengers were willing to accept the dangers involved, especially the boiler explosion. Boat operators were not required to carry any kind of insurance and were not held liable for accidents, and so had little incentive to improve safety. Only after a great number of tragedies did this situation change.

Sources

Lloyd, James T. Lloyd's Steamboat Directory, and Disasters on the Western Waters (1856).

Created: 1:28 PM 8/24/2023
Last updated: 1:29 PM 8/24/2023