Susanna Rowson

Biography

Susanna Rowson, born in 1762, was a celebrated actress and playwright who gained widespread acclaim for her novel Charlotte Temple, which became one of the first American bestsellers and touched generations with its themes of virtue and sacrifice. She balanced a stage career with authoring moral dramas and poems that helped shape the cultural sensibilities of the early republic.

Rowson later devoted herself to education, founding the Young Ladies’ Academy in Boston and mentoring young women, leaving a legacy as a literary trailblazer and advocate for female learning.