James Fenimore Cooper

novelists because he helped to create a sense of American

history through his writings. Cooper was influenced greatly by nature and wrote about it frequently in his novels. Cooper was also influenced by and wrote about places in the Hudson River Valley, such as the Van Wyck House.

at sea
inherited fortune then a comfortable life
wrote lots of novels

because he oneday was disgusted by one novel

the frontier life): The Pioneers, The Prairie, The Last of

the Mohicans, The Pathfinder, The Deerslayer
Central character: Natty Bumppo (several names for same character: Hawk-eye, the Pathfinder, the Deerslayer, Leatherstocking) (a typical frontier man: honest, simple, innocent, generous) (represents brotherhood of man, nature and freedom)
Theme: modern civilization advancing on the wilderness and the contradiction between them

the frontier area personally.)
B. Style: powerful, yet clumsy and dreadful
C.

Wooden Characters
D. Use of dialect, but not authentic (criticized by Mark Twain)

Army as officers’ headquarters.
Military trials were held here
Orders for

the army were issued from the house.
Visited by many notables including: Washington, Lafayette, Van Steuben, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.
Used by the Quartermaster Department for outfitting Continental troops with clothing.