What are the revelant historical aspects of Robert Fulton?

Robert Fulton is famous for the invention of the steam
boat. He and Robert Livingston built the Clermont which steamed up
the Hudson River in New York. Its historical significance is that it allowed river
traffic to travel upstream, which had previously not been possible. The major port for
western agricultural production had been New Orleans. Goods were floated downstream by
barge to that city where the barge was usually sold for firewood. With the advent of the
steamboat, goods could be shipped upstream (northward) where they could connect with the
canal systems and Great Lakes system. The end result was a shift in the economic capital
of the U.S. from New Orleans to the ports of the Northeast. This, together with the
advent of the railroads and canals meant that the South and New Orleans were only
important in terms of agricultural development.