The steamboat presented the United States with a new, faster way of traveling from area to area. There were many advantages and disadvantages to this new form of transportation. One pro of the steamboat was that it allowed travelers to go upstream and downstream. This ability enabled Americans to travel virtually everywhere by water. The first steamboat went an astonishing 5 miles per hour!! In the 19th century, this was a big deal. Before steamboats, people had to either walk or travel downstream on flats. Technology is not perfect, so like any other invention; the steamboat had flaws. One disadvantage of the steamboat is that the steam engine would accumulate too much pressure and explode. When this happened; everybody on the boat usually died. Another flaw with the not only the steamboat, but any boat, was that they are prone to sinking. The steamboats of the 19th century were composed of wood, so the wood would soak up water over time and the boat would eventually sink.Another con was the effect on the environment from the burning of coal and wood to deforestation.