Although that the development of the steamboat may come some time after the book itself is finished, the steamboat was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1838 and allowed for people to use water as a means of getting from point A to point B. This revolutionized transportation as the steamboat began to do things like crossing the Atlantic Ocean which blew everyone away at the time. The SS Great Western was primarily made out of iron and became the first ship to use paddlewheels, which are the big wooden things on the back of the boat that spin around helping the boat cruise through the water. This high level advancement of technology was something that the high class used for their own convenience since rides were so expensive.