Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the James Rumsey Promissory Note

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0216
Creators:
Rumsey, James, 1743-1792 (machinist, inventor)
Dates:
1788 January 28
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.15 Cubic feet
1 item
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
A promissory note of January 28, 1788 to Robert Stubbe for the sum of eighteen shillings and six pence, Pennsylvania currency.
See Rumsey's article, "A Short Treatise on the Application of Steam, whereby is clearly shewn, from actual experiments, that steam may be applied to propel boats or vessels of any burthen against rapid currents with great velocity. The same Principles are also introduced with Effect, by a Machine of a simple and cheap Construction, for the Purpose of rasing Water sufficient for the working of Grist-mills, Saw-mills, &c. and for watering meadows and other purposes of agriculture" (Philadelphia, 1888), 26 pp., in Dibner Library, NMAH (copies in Archives Center collection control file).

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
American machinist and inventor who developed an early steamboat which he successfully demonstrated on the Potomac (1788) and on the Thames (1792) before his death in England on December 23, 1792.

Administration

Author
David A. Stevens
Custodial History
Collection transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Transportation (now Division of Work and Industry), 7/17/86.
Processing Information
Collection processed by David Stevens, 1986.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Immediate source of acquisition unknown.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Object is fragile and cannot be removed from its preservation mat.
Preferred Citation
James Rumsey Promissory Note, 1788, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Loans, Personal -- 18th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Steamboats Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Machinists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Water transport -- 18th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Transportation Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Inventors -- 18th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Promissory notes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pennsylvania -- 18th century Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stubbe, Robert Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rumseyan Society Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Transportation Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
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