The Last of the Mohicans
Cooper, James Fenimore
Published: 1826
Type(s): Novels, History, Adventure, War
Source: http://www.gutenberg.org
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About Cooper:
James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851)
was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He
is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and
the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring fronti-
ersman Natty Bumppo. Among his most famous works is the Romantic
novel The Last of the Mohicans, which many consider to be his
masterpiece.
Source: Wikipedia
Also available on Feedbooks for Cooper:
• The Deerslayer (1841)
• The Pathfinder (1840)
• The Pioneers (1823)
• The Prairie (1827)
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Introduction
It is believed that the scene of this tale, and most of the information ne-
cessary to understand its allusions, are rendered sufficiently obvious to
the reader in the text itself, or in the accompanying notes. Still there is so
much obscurity in the Indian traditions, and so much confusion in the In-
dian names, as to render some explanation useful.
Few men exhibit greater diversity, or, if we may so express it, greater
antithesis of character, than the native warrior of North America. In war,
he is daring, boastful, cunning, ruthless, self-denying, and self-devoted;
in peace, just, generous, hospitable, revengeful, superstitious, modest,
and commonly chaste. These are qualities, it is true, which do not distin-
guish all alike; but they are so far the predominating traits of these re-
markable people as to be characteristic.
It is generally believed that the Aborigines of the American continent
have an Asiatic origin. There are many physical as well as moral facts
which corroborate this opinion, and some few that would seem to weigh
against it.
The color of the Indian, the writer believes, is peculiar to himself, and
while his cheek-bones have