Robert Fulton is known as the inventor of the steam boat. But in fact, he did not invent it. Fulton became famous, rather, because he made a success of the steam boat by making it practical. The steam boat actually showed Fulton's genius as an engineer, not an inventor. Steam boats had been built in the early 1700's, and John Fitch even operated one that he built on a regular basis in 1790 in Philadelphia. Fulton's steam boat did not use new things, but rather he changed the proportions, arrangements, and velocities of already proposed ideas. He didn't invent the process, but by studying the successes and failures of others, he made it work.

Fulton was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1765, a son of Robert Fulton, Sr., and Mary Smith. He had three older sisters, Elizabeth, Isabella, and Mary, and would soon have a younger brother, Abraham. The family sold the farm and moved into the city of Lancaster in 1766. Fulton's father died in 1768, leaving behind a widow with......

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Title: Robert Fulton
Approximate Word Count: 593
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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