The first steamboats were demonstrated in1787. They were used on the river ways to bring cargo, cotton, sugar, and people to their destinations. The steamboat played a major part in the population growth. The steamboats were usually made of wood and were all kinds of sizes. They looked like giant floating houses with large smokestacks and paddlewheels. They were used for carrying people and supplies up and down the river.

Steamboats were later used as show boats for entertainment. The purchase of Louisiana in 1803 made New Orleans a part of the U.S. and opened the door to gamblers. The high life so popular in New Orleans spread north which ushered in the era of the riverboat gambler. By 1820, 69 steamboats were operating the western rivers. And by 1860, that number had increased to 735. These steamboats were christened "floating palaces with luxurious quarters, world class food well stoked bars and wealthy passengers. In1937 riverboat travel entered

The paddle wheels were mounted either on the side or back of the boat. After the Civil War, the stern (back of the boat) paddle wheel was most popular. Although the paddle wheel is very large it draws just a few feet of water. The wheel spins about 18 times a minute with only four planks in the water for best speed. A steamboat travels about 15 miles an hour and 16 to 17 miles an hour on a swift river.

On January 12, 1812, the first steamship to descend the Mississippi River arrived in the Crescent City, New Orleans, LA. It was appropriately named the New Orleans. . Captain Henry Miller Shreve was responsible for the first steamboat. It was far from perfect and did not even have enough power to sail upstream. It made travel easier within Louisiana because there was no other form of reliable transportation to New Orleans. The ships arrival in New Orleans signified the beginning of New Orleans as a major world class seaport. The port of New Orleans has certainly achieved that status today. The city of New Orleans links to the world can be seen by the wide variety of goods that go through the Port's facilities on a typical day. Everything from frozen turkeys headed for the Middle East to fertilizer being shipped to New Guinea, textiles from the Dominican Republic, pharmaceuticals bound for the Netherlands, and steel coils bound for Singapore are handled from day to day in the Port of New Orleans. The tremendous growth of the Port of New Orleans has been attributed to the introduction of many new lines over the past years. The Port's combination of loc

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Approximate Word count = 1060
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)