Voyaging the Mississippi: How flatboats shaped American history
In the early years of the 19th century, vast numbers of small wooden boats plied the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Carrying goods to market and settlers to the lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains, these vessels launched America’s western expansion. The boats were known by many names but, because they had a flat bottom and a shallow draft, they were commonly called “flatboats.” After the Civil War and the rapid expansion of railroads, they gradually disappeared.
Rinker Buck, a journalist with a deep interest
