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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC04331 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1812 |
| Title | Robert Fulton to Oliver Evans encouraging Evans to test his steam engine in competition with Watt's |
| Date | 30 January 1812 |
| Author | Fulton, Robert (1765-1815) |
| Recipient | Evans, Oliver |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Requests that Evans try out his engine against Watt's and promises that if Evans' is in any way superior, there will be a good deal of interest in the engine. |
| Subjects | Steam Steamboat Science and Technology Invention Inventor Transportation |
| People | Fulton, Robert (1765-1815) Evans, Oliver (1755-1819) |
| Place written | Washington, D.C. |
| Theme | Industry; Science, Technology, Invention |
| 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 also owned and operated a number of steamboats. Oliver Evans invented the high pressure steam engine, which weighed far less than earlier steam engines. James Watt, 1736-1819, was a Scottish engineer who invented significant improvements in the steam engine. He also coined the term horsepower, and the unit of measurement Watt is named after him. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |