James Fenimore Cooper
by Nate Pavlick
Background Info
Popular American Writer
Sep. 15 1789- Sep. 14 1851
Hometown Hero from Cooperstown Ny
After going to boarding school he attended Yale College but ended up getting expelled because of a prank that he was accused.
Married to a decedent of a wealthy loyalists family
Founder of the Bread and Cheese Club
He created his 1st novel due to a bet that he made with his wife
Historical Info
Cooper was one of the first major American novelists to include African, African-American and Native American characters. He treated the Natives in a complex way and highlighted the tense relationship that the frontier settlers and Natives shared. Cooper's lasting reputation today is due to the five Leatherstocking tales. He often gives contrasting views of Native characters to emphasize their potential for good and also to show their tendency to create mayhem. In 1831, Cooper was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Honorary Academician.
Religious Belief
Cooper was a believer in the Episcopal Church Later in life he became the warden and the vestryman of the church. Which means that he donated generously to this church and later supervised and redesigned the church.