William Hill Brown (November 1756 - 2 September 1793) is an American novelist, credited with writing what is usually considered the first American novel, The Power of Sympathy (1789). William Hill Brown was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1765. Much of his personal history has been left unrecorded: only three examples of his handwriting remain. Two of these examples are simply inscriptions in books. The most telling of the three examples, however, was a letter that Brown wrote to a friend on April 29, 1784. The letter reveals that his appearance reflects that of an “Old Dr. Chauncy,” suggesting a small, frail stature. Brown also reveals in his letter that he was victim of a debilitating illness which kept him indoors for approximately four months.
Brown also wrote the tragedy West Point Preserved about the famous British spy and gentleman, Major John André. He died in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, 2 September 1793.
