The SS Clermont was a pioneering steamboat launched in 1807 by inventor Robert Fulton. It was the first commercially successful steamboat, operating on the Hudson River in New York. The vessel demonstrated the viability of steam-powered navigation, significantly impacting transportation and trade. The SS Clermont measured 133 feet in length and was powered by a steam engine that allowed it to travel upstream against strong currents. Its successful voyages marked the beginning of the steamboat era, leading to the development of more advanced vessels and the expansion of river commerce in the United States.