Daniel Jackson

Daniel Jackson (1790–1848) is associated with Alonzo and Melissa, a popular early American sentimental novel that circulated widely in the 19th century. Library and archive records connect him to editions of the work and also preserve an 1811 title, A short account of the courtship of Alonzo & Melissa, showing how early and persistently the story was attached to his name.

At the same time, the book’s authorship has long been disputed. Bibliographic sources note that later editions credited to Jackson were also attributed to Isaac Mitchell, and some catalogs describe Jackson’s version as a later pirated or reworked form of Mitchell’s story. That makes Jackson an interesting figure not just as a novelist, but as part of the messy, fascinating world of early American publishing.

Confirmed biographical details are limited in the sources reviewed, beyond the dates 1790–1848 that appear in major catalog records. Because no reliable author page with a clear, verifiable portrait was confirmed, no profile image is included here.