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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC04266 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1811 |
| Title | Renunciation of claim by N. Roosevelt against Robert R. Livingston and John Stevens |
| Date | 28 August 1811 |
| Author | Fulton, Robert (1765-1815) |
| Document Type | Legal document; Business and financial document |
| Content Description | Roosevelt renounces his shipping-related claim against Livingston and Stevens. Signed by Nicholas Roosevelt and by Robert Fulton, as a witness. Document lacks original seal at right hand side. Nicholas J. Roosevelt (1767-1854) had gone into joint venture with Robert Livingston and John Stevens in 1797 to build a steamboat. Roosevelt proposed a vertical wheel design for that vessel. In the spring of 1802, Livingston communicated Roosevelt's plan to Fulton; the next year, Livingston and Fulton launched a steamboat propelled by Roosevelt's vertical wheel design. The "New Orleans," piloted by Roosevelt, would become the first steamboat to sail the Mississippi River. John Stevens (1743-1838) was one of the leading inventors of steamboat technology. Robert Livingston was a prominent New York politician, and an early supporter of Fulton. |
| Subjects | Steam Steamboat Commerce Merchants and Trade Law Invention Inventor Science and Technology |
| People | Fulton, Robert (1765-1815) Roosevelt, Nicholas (fl. 1811) Stevens, John (1749-1838) Livingston, Robert R. (1746-1813) |
| Place written | New York, New York |
| Theme | Industry; Science, Technology, Invention; Merchants & Commerce; Law |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | 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 was an expert on combining numerous ideas of other men into one product, a process he used in numerous other engineering ventures throughout his life. He also invested in a number of steamboat ventures. Nicholas Roosevelt was hired by Fulton to build the steamboat the New Orleans. The ship, piloted by Roosevelt, would become the first steamboat to sail the Mississippi River. John Stevens was one of the leading inventors of steamboat technology. Robert Livingston was a prominent New York politician, and an early supporter of Fulton. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |