Transportation was the most popular technology of the 1900's in the cities. Travel services were immensely improved; there were railways, railroads, automobiles and steamboats. Robert Fulton invented the steamboat in 1807, which was an astounding success not only for the people but for business too. Horses and mules were soon taken over by the boat that ran across the ocean. An engine powered it, and the paddle moved to push the boat forward. The machine was quite simple unlike other inventions. Travelling by train was a starting trend in the 1830’s. Trains were used to transport goods and people more efficiently. Troops could also be transferred quickly for an emergency in a matter of days. Trains were so convenient that in 1869, there was a transcontinental railway built. There was a ceremony for completing the railroad and it was called 'The Last Spike'. The train was a huge success! Another invention that had a large impact on the people was the telegraph, which was a way for people to correspond through telegraph lines, and was invented by Samuel F.B Morse. The first message was sent from Washington to Baltimore in 1844. By 1866 telegraph lines were laid out from the U.S.A to Europe across the ocean. Those were some of the few essential inventions used in cities.