John Fitch - Definition and Overview

John Fitch was born on January 21, 1743 in Hartford County, Connecticut. In the autumn of 1777, Fitch sold beer and tobacco to the British. Incidentally, George Washington greatly despised him for this. He is credited as a contributor to the invention of the steamboat. The first successful trial run of his steamboat was made on the Delaware River on August 22, 1787 in the presence of delegates from the Constitutional Convention. Fitch was granted a patent on August 26, 1791, after a battle with James Rumsey, who had created a similar invention. Fitch's idea would later be turned profitable by Robert Fulton. He committed suicide in July of 1798.