23 English eng Koenigs, Thomas Contributor <p>The article analyzes the novel <span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline">Modern Chivalry</span> by <span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline">Hugh Henry Brackenridge</span> and explores how fiction contributed to political debate in the early United States. It argues that fiction was not merely entertainment but an important medium through which citizens discussed democracy, leadership, public opinion, and political participation during the Early Republic period. The article shows that fictional narratives such as <em data-start="1049" data-end="1066">Modern Chivalry</em> helped create a political public sphere by encouraging readers to reflect on political issues and democratic values.<br></p> University of North Carolina Press 2015 pdf ISSN 0012-8163 American Literature "Nothing but Fiction": "Modern Chivalry", Fictionality, and the Political Public Sphere in the Early Republic mixed material University of North Carolina Press