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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC04332 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1813 |
| Title | Depositions of Andrew Bartholomew and Arthur H. Roorbach concerning their time as steamboat captains |
| Date | 13 December 1813 |
| Author | Clinton, DeWitt (1769-1828) |
| Document Type | Legal document |
| Content Description | Clinton's written summary of the depositions of Andrew Bartholomew & Arthur Roorbach, both steamboat captains employed by Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston. Also includes a statement by Clinton certifying that the depositions are true. The depositions relate to the length of service of these two men and the kind of work they have been doing. Both men state they have captained steamboats for Fulton for almost three years and claim they have towed many boats during this time. These depositions seem to be part of an attempt by Fulton to establish that he was the first to employ steamboats for towing in New York. John L. Sullivan of Boston was attacking Fulton's patent "for towing boats and warping them over rapids by means of their engines," and he may have hoped to use these depositions as a means of defending himself. DeWitt Clinton was Mayor of New York City, later governor of New York State, and also a friend of both Fulton and Livingston. |
| Subjects | Patent Law Steam Steamboat Science and Technology Invention Inventor Transportation |
| People | Clinton, DeWitt (1769-1828) |
| Place written | New York, New York |
| Theme | Law; Science, Technology, Invention |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | DeWitt Clinton was Mayor of New York City, later governor of New York State, and also a friend of both Fulton and Livingston. Robert Livingston was a New York politician and also involved with Fulton in the steam boat business. Robert Fulton was an engineer and entrepreneur, often credited with inventing the steamboat. While Fulton did not invent any of the individual components of the steamboat, he did combine the ideas of many other men to make the most successful steamboat. He also owned and operated a number of steamboats. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |