The Clermont was one of the first successful steamships in American history, built by inventor Robert Fulton in 1807. It was a paddle-powered boat designed to travel along rivers. It was 133 feet in length with a steam engine that could power it to a speed of about 5 miles per hour. The Clermont’s first major journey was along the Hudson River from New York City to Albany, which was about 150 miles. This trip was groundbreaking because before the Clermont, ships had to rely on wind or manual rowing to move, but the Clermont could travel independently using steam power.

The Clermont's success marked the beginning of the steamship era and revolutionized transportation. Before steamboats, it took a long time to travel on rivers, and boats could only move if the wind was right. The Clermont made regular trips, carrying both passengers and cargo, and helped to make river travel faster and more reliable. It demonstrated that steamboats were a practical way to move goods and people, and soon other steamboats began operating on rivers across the country.