In 1787, American inventor John Fitch successfully tested an early operational steamboat on the Delaware River, demonstrating the feasibility of steam propulsion for river travel. This innovation marked a significant advancement in transportation technology, paving the way for the development of steamboats that would revolutionize commerce and travel in the United States. Fitch's work laid the groundwork for the future of steam navigation, influencing the expansion of trade routes and settlement patterns.

John Fitch's steamboat trial on the Delaware River in 1787 prefigured the steamboat era, influencing American poetry's themes of innovation and expansion. Poets like Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman explored the transformative impact of technology on society and landscape.