The Origins of the Steamship

To understand how a steamship operates, it’s necessary to look at the origins of steam technology.

In A.D. 75, renowned mathematician Hero wrote about the mechanics and properties of air and created plans for a rudimentary steam engine, which featured a hollow sphere with bent tubes protruding from either side. Filling the sphere with water and placing it above a fire would result in the heat vaporizing the water. Then, steam would escape through the tubes, causing the sphere to rotate.

By the 17th century, Italian scholar Giovanni Battista della Porta had observed how steam helped to create a vacuum. His theory was that when water converted to steam inside a closed container, the pressure would increase and the condensation of steam back into water would result in decreased pressure.

French scientist Denis Papin put della Porta’s theory into practice with a pressure cooker-like device. It became the first practical application of steam pressure. Papin further developed the concept by using a sliding piston on top of a closed cylinder filled with water. As the water heated, the steam expanded, pushing the piston upward. Upon cooling and condensation, the vacuum drew the piston back down.

Several inventors contributed to the development of steam engines, including military engineer Thomas Savery. In 1698, he received a patent for his steam pump.

The pump had a boiling chamber that moved steam into a different container, which had a pipe equipped with a non-return valve extended into the water that required extraction. When cold water was poured onto the steam-filled container, the steam condensed into a liquid, creating a vacuum that drew water from below through the pipe.

Then, English inventor Thomas Newcomen introduced the atmospheric engine in the early 18th century. The engine pumped water out of mines and used steam to create a partial vacuum in a cylinder, causing atmospheric pressure to push a piston downward. By the 18th century, James Watt developed the Watt atmospheric engine, which had a separate condenser and the capability to harness steam’s expansive force.

The early development of the steamship closely parallels that of the steam locomotive and the steam engine itself. In the late 1600s, Denis Papin, innovator of the steam piston and pressure cooker, theorized the use of steam-driven impellers to power a boat.

However, it was 1763 before Jonathan Hull was granted the first steamship patent for a tug boat for port use that used Savery's Engine to power a water wheel. Unfortunately for Hull, both Savery's Engine and the Newcomen engine were unable to produce sufficient horsepower. It was only after James Watt's contributions to steam technology that early steamboats became feasible.

British and French inventors (including steam locomotive pioneer Richard Trevithick) worked on the concept but created only slow, cumbersome vessels. But during the same time period, Robert Fulton successfully tested a prototype steamboat for river use. In 1807, he launched the Clermont, a paddle-wheel boat that soon proved capable of transporting passengers and commercial cargo miles up and downstream. The success spread to Europe, where in 1812, British engineer William Symington débuted the Charlotte Dundas, the first successful steam-powered passenger boat.

Steam-powered ships quickly replaced sails. By 1815, more than 40 steam vessels operated out of Liverpool. By 1826, businessmen linked to the sail industry went so far as to send a petition for government intervention to protect their business. Steam power dominated naval transportation until the rise of diesel-powered engines in the second half of the 20th century.

The Fulton-Livingston Agreement was a significant accord reached between Robert Fulton and lawyer and diplomat Robert R. Livingston in 1807. The agreement granted Fulton and Livingston exclusive rights to operate steam-powered vessels on New York waterways, particularly the Hudson River. It gave them a legal advantage by preventing competitors from operating steamboats in the region without their permission.

As a result, Fulton and Livingston were able to establish a successful steamboat service and dominate the steamship industry in New York. The Fulton-Livingston Agreement played a crucial role in the commercial success and development of steam-powered transportation, setting a precedent for future legislation and regulation in the emerging field of steamships.

One of the first successful steamships was the PS Comet. It first set sail in 1812 as a paddle steamer and got an upgrade with new technology by 1819. Operating on the River Clyde in Scotland, it carried passengers and provided cargo services on a regular basis.

When it came to ocean travel, ships outfitted with sails were given auxiliary steam power to use when wind power was insufficient. One such vessel, SS Savannah, became the first steam-powered ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1819 when it journeyed from Savannah, Georgia, to Liverpool, England.

The hybrid ship — which took about 29 days to make the journey — also relied on sail power for navigation because the steam engine was not powerful enough to sustain continuous steam propulsion. It did not carry any passengers or cargo.

Steamships changed the way we traveled, traded and connected. With the creation of steamships came a reliable and efficient mode of travel. It also allowed for an expansion of global trade because reduced travel times meant an increase in cargo capacity.

Since the steamship coincided with the Industrial Revolution, it also contributed to the growth of industrialization. Engineers and inventors continuously improved steam engine efficiency, hull designs, navigation systems and safety measures. These innovations laid the foundation for subsequent generations of ships and influenced the evolution of marine engineering and naval architecture.

Further advancements lead to the eventual replacement of steamships. The transition to diesel-powered ships — and later, container ships and other modern vessels — began in the 20th century.

This article was created in conjunction with AI technology, then fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.