An haife shi a 1804 a Salem, Massachusetts, ga Nathaniel Hathorne da tsohon Elizabeth Clarke Manning. Kakanninsa sun haɗa da John Hathorne, alƙali kawai da ke cikin shari'ar Salem wanda bai taɓa tuba da ayyukansa ba. Ya shiga Kwalejin Bowdoin a 1821, an zabe shi zuwa Phi Beta Kappa a 1824, kuma ya kammala karatunsa a 1825. Ya wallafa aikinsa na farko a 1828, littafin Fanshawe; daga baya ya yi ƙoƙari ya hana shi, yana jin cewa bai dace da matsayin aikinsa na baya ba. Ya wallafa wasu gajeren labaru a cikin mujallu, wanda ya tattara a 1837 a matsayin Twice-Told Tales.
da dama gajerun labaru a cikin mujallu