In 1807, inventor Robert Fulton and his friends embarked on an historic voyage up the Hudson River from Manhattan to Albany, New York. This was the first successful voyage of a steamboat, proving that steam was indeed a viable method of propulsion, paving the way for every steamboat to come. Let's follow in the wake of his boat, the SS North River (a.k.a. the Clermont) on its incredible journey.

To be clear, "The Maiden Voyage of Steam" is a romantic title I've given this, but there were previous steam powered vessels before Fulton's SS North River, including one built by Fulton himself. This is the first successful voyage to prove that steam was viable, however. I explain this in the video.