WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14: ROBERT FULTON

Profile America — Wednesday, November 14th.  Today marks the birth in 1765 of one of the nation's major inventors — Robert Fulton — who built the first steamboat in the U.S., which in 1807 went 150 miles from Albany to New York City, ushering in a new motive power to young America.  The impact of the trip was not immediately clear, and some critics even called the effort "Fulton's Folly."  But steamboats became the dominant form of power for America's merchant marine.  Now, steam and diesel powered ships generate receipts of just under $35 billion annually, moving cargo and passengers on deep-sea, coastal, and Great Lakes waterways, as well as those on inland waters.  You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 407, 546
               2007 Economic Census, NAICS 483

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau