# Is "Wieland; or, The Transformation" by Charles Brockden Brown a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wieland; or, The Transformation by Charles Brockden Brown (T. & J. Swords for H. Caritat, New York, 1798) is identified by: First edition: Wieland; or The Transformation. American original — the first major American gothic novel; the New York 1798 printing is the true first in any market.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition: Wieland; or The Transformation
- An American Tale — New-York: printed by T. & J. Swords, for H. Caritat, 1798; published 14 September 1798
- Duodecimo, [4], 298 pp., issued anonymously, the title page carrying four lines of verse and the statement 'Copy-right secured.', with the prefatory Advertisement signed 'C.B.B.'
- References: Evans 33461, BAL 1496, ESTC W8124
- Publisher imprint reads T. & J. Swords for H. Caritat, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Brockden Brown |
| Publisher | T. & J. Swords for H. Caritat, New York |
| Year | 1798 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition: Wieland; or The Transformation |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition: Wieland; or The Transformation. An American Tale — New-York: printed by T. & J. Swords, for H. Caritat, 1798; published 14 September 1798. Duodecimo, [4], 298 pp., issued anonymously, the title page carrying four lines of verse and the statement 'Copy-right secured.', with the prefatory Advertisement signed 'C.B.B.'. References: Evans 33461, BAL 1496, ESTC W8124.

## Is this the true first?
American original — the first major American gothic novel; the New York 1798 printing is the true first in any market. No contemporary British edition exists: the earliest London printing followed years later and has no claim to priority (the census's 1811 date could not be independently confirmed and is omitted here).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wieland; or, The Transformation* by Charles Brockden Brown a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wieland-or-the-transformation
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.