Nathan Hale Founds "The North American Review," the First American Literary Magazine

In 1815 American journalist and newspaper publisher Nathan Hale and others founded The North American Review in Boston. This was the first literary magazine published in the United States.

Remarkably the journal was published continuously for over 100 years, until 1940 when publication was suspended after its owner, J. H. Smyth, was unmasked as a Japanese spy. After a 24 year interruption publication resumed in 1964 at Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa under Robert Dana. Since 1968 the review was issued from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

In December 2013 digital facsimiles of all 19th century volumes of the journal were available from Cornell University Library's Making of America at this link.