Watercolor Miniature of Susanna Rowson, Left Profile

Susanna Rowson’s first publication, Charlotte Temple (1794), though published anonymously, became America’s first bestselling novel and launched her literary career. The same year, she opened Slaves in Algiers in Philadelphia, a critically-acclaimed play that solidified her reputation as an advocate for women’s rights. It was first performed at the Chestnut Street Theater in Philadelphia.