Professor, The steam engine did not just benefit trains for mainland travel but also waterborne vessels. Steamboats made it possible for farmers to settle on fertile lands inland but still have an inexpensive method to transport their goods to the market. The construction of canal systems made this possible. Steamboats would be able to travel up these inland water ways transporting goods and people. The biggest benefit to steamboat transportation was that these boats can transport a much heavier load compared to a horse and carriage. These canal systems were a relatively inexpensive and efficient way to transport supplies and goods to city hubs. Most of these canals connected key cities to the major great lakes.