Founding1787
John Fitch Demonstrates First Steamboat
Inventor John Fitch demonstrated the first successful steamboat on the Delaware River to delegates of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. While Robert Fulton would later receive more recognition, Fitch's invention demonstrated American innovation during the founding era.
Why It Matters
Fitch's demonstration before the Convention delegates illustrated the inventive spirit that the Founders sought to encourage through the Constitution's patent and copyright clause.