What was one advantage of using steamboats in the 1800s?

Steamboats used steam engines rather than relying only on wind or flowing water, so they could travel against the wind and currents. This made river and water transportation more dependable and allowed boats to move in directions that sailing vessels or current-driven boats could not easily manage. The other choices are incorrect: trade with the East existed before steamboats, and steam engines did not rely on wind power or necessarily cause less pollution.

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