7. John Stevens obtained the first railroad charter in America (and constructed the first locomotive built in America)
John Stevens was not just passionate about steamboats; Stevens and his son Robert were leaders in the American railroad industry. They also raced yachts, and Robert even had his hand in engineering warships that would come in handy for the Civil War. John Stevens, using his knowledge of steamboats, wanted to apply steam-powered technology to railroads, writing a pamphlet advocating for the transition to railroads instead of steam transport around the War of 1812. He argued that constructing railroads would be significantly less costly than the Erie Canal, and after more writings, he received the country’s first railroad charter in 1815.
Initially, Stevens could not find enough funds to plan a line from near Trenton to New Brunswick, so instead, he built a circular route on his Hoboken estate. The locomotive that would circle the property was actually the first locomotive built in America, reaching speeds of 12 miles per hour during testing. Robert became president of the Camden and Amboy Railroad, during which time he switched to all-iron rails instead of wooden rails, in addition to developing hook-headed spikes still used today. Robert introduced the first commercially used locomotive in the country, which he called the John Bull. The Camden and Amboy Railroad rapidly developed in the 1830s, essentially having a monopoly in New Jersey until 1854.