[DiogenesLamp]

These rewarded ship-builders with easy access to low cost iron & steam engines. Those were primarily Northern U.S. and even more, the Brits. Losers were Southern ship-builders -- done in by technology and economics.

So what was powering all those sidewheel paddleboats built in New Orleans that SoCal Pubbie has been telling us about?

[SoCal Pubbie]

Read my post 1074. Not only Southern shipbuilders fell behind but Northern ones too, compared the builders in Great Britain.

Hey, are you now claiming that there were no Southern built steamboats?