Cooper’s most famous work is considered The Last of the Mohicans (1826). The main character, Natty Bumppo (also known as Chingachgook), is a former fur trader who has become a member of the Native American tribe known as the Mohicans. His tribe is fighting against British colonization efforts by creating alliances with other tribes throughout New England and Virginia. Natty Bumppo is captured by British soldiers but escapes and returns home to tell his fellow Mohicans about how he has witnessed atrocities committed against them by colonial forces: scalping women and children alive; burning their villages; taking young girls as their wives; raping women; and murdering men who refuse to give up their guns or leave their homes without permission.
The Last of the Mohicans is one of America’s most famous novels, and its story has been very well-received since it was first published. Despite this, there have also been controversies regarding its depiction of Native American characters – so much that some schools and libraries banned the novel for being too violent or racist.
The novel “The Last of the Mohicans” is set during the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War lasted from 1754 to 1763, with the pivotal battles taking place between 1756-57. It was a series of conflicts between England and France over control of North America.
Cooper was born in Burlington, New Jersey in 1789 and lived most of his life in Cooperstown, New York. He published his first novel, The Spy (1821), followed by several others including The Pioneers (1823) and The Last Of The Mohicans (1826).
