. A history of the United States . promi-nent position he held in thatbody, and his advocacy of theadoption of the document, wasa man of wide acquirements,particularly in legal and poli-tical sciences, but possessinga theoretical and constructivemind rather than an executiveone. His occupancy of thePresidential chair is the leastattractive part of his politicalcareer, and his lack of execu-tive ability was very evidentduring his first term of office. It was during Jeffersons administration that one of thegreatest inventions of modern times was brought to publicview. Robert Fulton, born in Penn
. A history of the United States . promi-nent position he held in thatbody, and his advocacy of theadoption of the document, wasa man of wide acquirements,particularly in legal and poli-tical sciences, but possessinga theoretical and constructivemind rather than an executiveone. His occupancy of thePresidential chair is the leastattractive part of his politicalcareer, and his lack of execu-tive ability was very evidentduring his first term of office. It was during Jeffersons administration that one of thegreatest inventions of modern times was brought to publicview. Robert Fulton, born in Penns3dvania, of Irish parent-age, after being a portrait painter, then a civil engineer and aninventor, had his attention turned towards the steam-engine,and devised a steamboat. With the pecuniary assistance ofRobert R. Livingston of New York, he built a steamboat inParis, which was apparently a failure. Not discouraged, anattempt was made again in 1807, this time in New Qlermont^ as the vessel was called, started from New. ROBERT FULTON. 170 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. York, amid the jeers of the lookers-on, for Albany. Thecrowd soon applauded, however, for the experiment was aperfect success, the Clermont keeping on at the rate of fivemiles an hour. Though others, notably John Fitch in Penn-sylvania in 1788, had attempted to propel vessels by steamand Imd been partially successful, to Fulton belongs thecredit of inventing the first really practical steamboat. HadFitch had the encouragement and the financial backing
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