Flatboats are/were used to carry freight on inland waterways. Since America has many major rivers within its borders, it serves to reason that we used flatboats as a primary transport.
Flatboats were used extensively in the late 1700s and early 1800's as a way of exploring and transporting materials on the major river systems. Flat boats were used on the Ohio to bring both settlers and their livestock and possessions to the territories along the river.
