Steamships

"Efficiently transporting goods and products would not have been possible without

the steamboat. The steamboat's influence on the marketplace is apparent in modern

society. Self-sufficiency decreased as steamboat transportation increased

commercial trading capabilities. The advent of the steamboat increased

dependency on manufactured goods, and personal financial well-being then became

more dependent on market forces."

(http://www.ehow.com/info_8558537_effects-steamboats-industrial-revolution.html)