John Fitch was a not particularly successful brass button maker, and later a manager of a gun manufacturing shop during the U.S. Revolutionary War. Captured by the Indians, he was sent to prison in Canada, and later returned to New York in an exchange of prisoners. Somewhere in his experience, he conceived of using a steam engine to power a boat. His first model was small, and used a paddlewheel. A few months later, in September 1785, his second model was tested. It was larger, and used automated canoe type paddles. With the canoe paddle boat, he impressed Benjamin Franklin enough the Franklin wrote "We have no philosophical news here at present, except that a boat, moved by a steam-engine, rows itself against tide in our river, and it is apprehended that the construction may be so simplified and improved as to be generally useful."
Fitch got a license from New Jersey for all steam navigation of rivers in the state, which they thought was a throw away, since steam navigation of rivers was considered preposterous. Fitch was hindered by poor machinist skills in the U.S., which caused mechanical breakdowns. He built several prototypes, but basically failed in his efforts to make powered boats successful. However, his efforts were noted by other inventors, and others took up his ambitions for steam power of ships.
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