how did steamboats help the industrial revolution?

Question

how did steamboats help the industrial revolution..like what did the carry and other stufff

Answer 1

I'm not so sure your question is how did steam boats, or how did steam engines. The latter would be more accurate. Granted the steam boats increased transportation, trade and communication, but the industrial revolution was all about the steam engine because it allowed a tremendous amount of power to be available or turned off with a few steps and the turn of a switch or lever.

In order to run a factory the management must have a constant and reliable source of power. This cannot happen with wind, water or anything else. The steam engine could run at night, in horrible weather or perfect weather, if workers were there or not there, it was the ideal source of power, fairly low cost and fairly low maintenance.

Answer 2

Steamboats were a cheap means of transportation of large quantities of goods up and down major rivers and between coastal ports. They ran up and down the Missisippi River for example. Steamboats carried bales of cotton, cattle, horses, manufactured goods, household goods of any kind and description. Steamboats that sank in the Mississippi River have been excavated and everything from crockery to bottled wine has been found in the cargo holds.

Answer 3

They could carry the same stuff that the wagons carried, but, they could carry it faster and could go upstream to where they could be met by freight wagons..