The Power of Sympathy, or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth

work by Brown

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

The Power of Sympathy, or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth (1789) is considered the first American novel. Written by William Hill Brown, it is an epistolary novel that follows the sentimental style of Samuel Richardson. The story centers on tragic, incestuous love and its popularity helped launch a wave of sentimental novels in America. Brown also wrote other works, including essays, fables, and a posthumously published novel titled Ira and Isabella.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

5 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

American literature
Drama and the novel
… wrote the first American novel, The Power of Sympathy (1789), which showed authors how to overcome ancient prejudices against this form by following the sentimental novel form invented by Samuel Richardson. A flood of sentimental novels followed to the end of the 19th century. Hugh Henry Brackenridge succeeded Cervantes’s Don…
Read More
… wrote the first American novel, The Power of Sympathy (1789), which showed authors how to overcome ancient prejudices against this form by following the sentimental novel form invented by Samuel Richardson. A flood of sentimental novels followed to the end of the 19th century. Hugh Henry Brackenridge succeeded Cervantes’s Don…
Read More

William Hill Brown
…dramatist whose anonymously published The Power of Sympathy, or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth (1789) is considered the first American novel. An epistolary novel about tragic, incestuous love, it followed the sentimental style developed by Samuel Richardson; its popularity began a flood of sentimental novels.
Read More
…dramatist whose anonymously published The Power of Sympathy, or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth (1789) is considered the first American novel. An epistolary novel about tragic, incestuous love, it followed the sentimental style developed by Samuel Richardson; its popularity began a flood of sentimental novels.
Read More