James James FenimorFenimore Coopere Cooper1798-19511798-1951

Objectives:Objectives:

1.1. To introduce the author to the To introduce the author to the class.class.

2.2. To understand the setting and To understand the setting and time.time.

3.3. To look at the history of North To look at the history of North American Indian Tribes at the American Indian Tribes at the

time of colonialism.time of colonialism.

  James Fenimore James Fenimore Cooper (1789 - 1851) Cooper (1789 - 1851) was born in was born in Burlington, New Burlington, New Jersey, the son of Jersey, the son of Quakers, Judge William Quakers, Judge William Cooper and Elisabeth Cooper and Elisabeth Fenimore Cooper. His Fenimore Cooper. His father was a father was a representative of the representative of the 4th and 6th Congress, 4th and 6th Congress, and had attained and had attained wealth by developing wealth by developing virgin land. The family virgin land. The family moved to Cooperstown, moved to Cooperstown, New York, which Judge New York, which Judge Cooper had founded.Cooper had founded.

James Fenimore James Fenimore spent his youth spent his youth partly on the family partly on the family estate on the shores estate on the shores of Otsego Lake. He of Otsego Lake. He roamed in the roamed in the primeval forest and primeval forest and developed a love of developed a love of nature which nature which marked his books. marked his books. Cooper was Cooper was educated in the educated in the village school, and village school, and in 1800-02 in the in 1800-02 in the household of the household of the rector of St. Peter's. rector of St. Peter's.

Otsego Lake.Cooperstown.

In his junior year In his junior year Cooper was expelled Cooper was expelled from Yale because of a from Yale because of a series of pranks, which series of pranks, which included training a included training a donkey to sit in a donkey to sit in a professor's chair. professor's chair. Encouraged by his Encouraged by his father, Cooper joined father, Cooper joined the Navy and served on the Navy and served on the Sterling, 1806-07. the Sterling, 1806-07. On his return to the On his return to the United States, he United States, he received a warrant as a received a warrant as a midshipman. In 1808 midshipman. In 1808 he served on the he served on the Vesuvius and on the Vesuvius and on the Wasp in the Atlantic in Wasp in the Atlantic in 1809. 1809.

At twenty, he inherited a At twenty, he inherited a fortune from his father fortune from his father and married Susan and married Susan Augusta De Lancey, the Augusta De Lancey, the daughter of a wealthy daughter of a wealthy family that had family that had remained Loyalist remained Loyalist during the Revolution. during the Revolution. Cooper married De Cooper married De Lancey New Years Day, Lancey New Years Day, 1811 and for two years 1811 and for two years he led the life of a he led the life of a country gentleman. country gentleman. When all five of his older When all five of his older brothers died, leaving brothers died, leaving widows and children widows and children behind, Fenimore began behind, Fenimore began searching for work and searching for work and wealth. wealth.

Fenimore Cooper’s House

In 1820, Cooper's wife In 1820, Cooper's wife bet him that he could bet him that he could write a book better write a book better than the one she was than the one she was reading. What followed reading. What followed was was PrecautionPrecaution (1820) (1820) a novel of morals and a novel of morals and manners that showed manners that showed the influence of Jane the influence of Jane Austen. With a Austen. With a pleasant enough pleasant enough reception, he reception, he published published The Spy: A The Spy: A Tale of Neutral GroundTale of Neutral Ground (1821) the first (1821) the first historical romance historical romance about the American about the American Revolution. Then, on Revolution. Then, on its success, Fenimore its success, Fenimore moved to New York moved to New York City to pursue writing City to pursue writing as a career. as a career.

While in New York, he While in New York, he founded the Bread founded the Bread and Cheese Club and and Cheese Club and became the center of a became the center of a circle that included circle that included notable painters of the notable painters of the Hudson River School Hudson River School as well as writers like as well as writers like William Cullen Bryant. William Cullen Bryant. In 1823, Cooper In 1823, Cooper published published The The PioneersPioneers which which eventually consisted of eventually consisted of five books about Natty five books about Natty Bumppo called Bumppo called The The Leatherstocking TalesLeatherstocking Tales..

With this, he With this, he created what can created what can be critically viewed be critically viewed as the first as the first American novel American novel and hero. He also and hero. He also brought up the brought up the thematical thematical complexities of complexities of natural right natural right versus legal right, versus legal right, order versus order versus change, and change, and wilderness versus wilderness versus civilization which civilization which still fill the pages still fill the pages of American of American writing today. writing today.

In 1826, at the height In 1826, at the height of his popularity, he of his popularity, he sailed for Europe for sailed for Europe for what became a seven what became a seven year stay. He wrote year stay. He wrote The The PrairiePrairie (1827) and (1827) and Notions of the Notions of the AmericansAmericans (1828) a (1828) a defense of the United defense of the United States against the States against the attacks of European attacks of European travelers. Under the travelers. Under the half-patronizing epithet half-patronizing epithet of "the American Scott" of "the American Scott" he wrote three he wrote three historical novels that historical novels that mimicked the writing mimicked the writing of Sir Walter Scott. of Sir Walter Scott.

Returning to the US Returning to the US in 1833, Cooper was in 1833, Cooper was so hurt by a review so hurt by a review that he penned that he penned A A Letter to his Letter to his CountrymenCountrymen (1834) (1834) which was a bitter which was a bitter attack on American attack on American provincialism. He provincialism. He also became involved also became involved in disputes in in disputes in Cooperstown where Cooperstown where he was attacked by he was attacked by newspapers as a false newspapers as a false aristocrat poisoned aristocrat poisoned by European by European influences. influences.

In response, In response, Cooper immersed Cooper immersed himself in law himself in law suits aimed at suits aimed at gaining damages gaining damages that would tame that would tame the irresponsibility the irresponsibility of the press. of the press. Cooper established Cooper established the principle that the principle that reviewers must reviewers must work within the work within the bounds of truth bounds of truth when they deal when they deal with an author with an author rather than the rather than the book.book.

Even with this scandal at Even with this scandal at his heels, Cooper his heels, Cooper continued to write a continued to write a school primer, school primer, The The American DemocratAmerican Democrat (1838) and three more (1838) and three more Leatherstocking TalesLeatherstocking Tales: : The Last of the MohicansThe Last of the Mohicans (1826), (1826), The PathfinderThe Pathfinder (1840), and (1840), and The The Deerslayer Deerslayer (1841). Then (1841). Then came Cooper's obsession came Cooper's obsession with the sea from his with the sea from his previous experience in previous experience in the Navy. He penned the Navy. He penned The The History of the Navy of the History of the Navy of the United States of AmericaUnited States of America (1839), (1839), The Cruise of The Cruise of SommersSommers (1844), and (1844), and The The Distinguished American Distinguished American Naval OfficersNaval Officers (1846). (1846).

At the time of his At the time of his death on September death on September 14, 1851, Cooper was 14, 1851, Cooper was more successful and more successful and respected abroad than respected abroad than at home. Out of step at home. Out of step with his countrymen, with his countrymen, his work was very his work was very influential to influential to European writers like European writers like Honore de Balzac and Honore de Balzac and Leo Tolstoy. Yet, the Leo Tolstoy. Yet, the weaknesses of weaknesses of Fenimore's fiction are Fenimore's fiction are quite well known and quite well known and wide-spread. Mark wide-spread. Mark Twain tore apart Twain tore apart Fenimore's Fenimore's romanticism in romanticism in Fenimore Coopers Fenimore Coopers Literary OffensesLiterary Offenses (1895). (1895).

Clearly, Fenimore's Clearly, Fenimore's tone was criticized as tone was criticized as being reactionary, being reactionary, romantic, and romantic, and pedagogical in tone. pedagogical in tone. However, Cooper did However, Cooper did contribute a great contribute a great deal to the genre of deal to the genre of American fiction. In American fiction. In the grand enterprise, the grand enterprise, even today, everyone even today, everyone has read books and has read books and seen films that are seen films that are directly and indirectly directly and indirectly affected by Cooper's affected by Cooper's conception of Natty conception of Natty Bumppo and his Bumppo and his creation of the creation of the American novel. American novel.

The Last of the MohicansThe Last of the Mohicans, written in 1826, is the second , written in 1826, is the second novel in Cooper's Leatherstocking Series. Consisting of novel in Cooper's Leatherstocking Series. Consisting of five novels, the series gets it title from one of the names five novels, the series gets it title from one of the names applied to its frontiersman hero, Natty Bumppo, who is applied to its frontiersman hero, Natty Bumppo, who is also called Deerslayer, Hawkeye, Pathfinder, and also called Deerslayer, Hawkeye, Pathfinder, and Leatherstocking. The five novels tell the story of Bumppo Leatherstocking. The five novels tell the story of Bumppo from youth to old age. The other books in the series are: from youth to old age. The other books in the series are: The Pioneers The Pioneers (1823); (1823); The PrairieThe Prairie (1827); (1827); The Pathfinder The Pathfinder (1840); and (1840); and The DeerslayerThe Deerslayer (1841). (1841).

The creation of the character of Natty Bumppo is probably The creation of the character of Natty Bumppo is probably the most significant thing that happened in American the most significant thing that happened in American literature during the first 50 years of its history.literature during the first 50 years of its history.

Fenimore Cooper’s House and The Museum Of Indians in Cooperstown.

Monument To The Writer In His Native Cooperstown.