U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for August 17

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 17: FULTON'S STEAMBOAT

Profile America — Friday, August 17th.  Young America got the motive power it needed to expand beyond the capacities of the horse on this day in 1807 — as the public got its first glimpse of a steam-powered boat.  Robert Fulton in his vessel, the Clermont, went 150 miles from Albany to New York City in 32 hours.  The impact of the trip was not immediately clear, and some even called the effort "Fulton's Folly."  But steamboats caught on and revolutionized the way America moved.  Today, just over 2.2 billion tons of the nation's goods travel on the waterways each year, with the Mississippi River system carrying the most.  Commodities shipped by water include petroleum, coal, grain, and gravel.  You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 409
               Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1085, 1084

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov  (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

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