Susanna Haswell Rowson

Charlotte Temple Susanna Haswell Rowson

Charlotte Temple was first published in England in 1791 as Charlotte, A Tale of Truth. The first American edition was published in 1794 and the novel became the most popular best-seller in American literature until Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852. The novel opens upon an unexpected encounter between the British Lieutenant Montraville and Charlotte Temple, a tall, elegant girl of 15. Montraville sets his mind on seducing Charlotte and succeeds with the help of his libertine friend Belcour and Mademoiselle La Rue, a teacher at the boarding school Charlotte attends. Montraville soon loses interest in the young girl and, being led by Belcour to believe in Charlotte's infidelty towards him, trusts Belcour to take care of Charlotte and the child she expects.