Fitch, John (1743-1798), was an American inventor. He designed the first workable steamboat in the United States. Fitch demonstrated this boat on the Delaware River near Philadelphia on Aug. 22, 1787. A steam engine powered six paddles on each side of the 45-foot (14-meter) boat. The steamboat reached a speed of about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) per hour.
Fitch launched a 60-foot (18-meter) boat in 1788. It was propelled by paddles at the stern that kicked like a duck’s feet. A more powerful steamboat, launched in 1790, reached a speed of about 8 miles (13 kilometers) per hour. It operated in regular passenger service between Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey. But there was not enough demand for passage to make this boat financially successful.
Fitch was born on Jan. 21, 1743, on a farm near Windsor, Connecticut. After trying out a number of trades, he became a successful brass worker and silversmith in Trenton. He gave up this business during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) and sold supplies to the Continental Army. Fitch turned his attention to the construction of a steamboat in 1785. He obtained patents on his work in the United States and France in 1791. However, he had constant trouble with his financial affairs, and never succeeded in attracting enough public support to make his boats profitable. He died in poverty in July 1798.
See also Fulton, Robert; Ship (The first steamboats); Steamboat.
