Two hundred years ago today (it was on a Monday back then), the first commercially successful steamship was launched from New York City, traveling the Hudson River from NYC to Albany. The boat belonged to Robert Fulton. According to eyewitnesstohistory.com, Fulton's trip suffered mechanical problems shortly after leaving dock. The first trip from NYC to Albany took two days: 24 hours to Robert Livingstone's house, and another 8 hours to Albany.
This was possibly also the first viable means of changing the rivers of the country from one-way roads into viable shipping lanes, thus leading (eventually) to the introduction of Asian carp into the Mississippi River.
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