NLS Minibibliographies

The Leatherstocking Tales by James Fenimore Cooper

Content last modified September 1991

Introduction

The Leatherstocking Tales, by American novelist, historian, and social critic James Fenimore Cooper, relate the adventures of frontiersman Natty Bumppo. Known as Leatherstocking, Hawkeye, and Pathfinder, among other names, Bumppo is introduced as a young man in The Deerslayer, the first novel in terms of content but the last to be published. The novels tell of his adventures living a life of freedom in the wilderness of New York and of his retreat from the advance of civilization. They end with his old age and death in the Great Plains region of the West. Reflected in the series are Cooper's views on the importance of individual freedom in society.

Considered classics of American literature, the Leatherstocking Tales set the pace for future writers of western and frontier stories. They have been widely translated and portions have been dramatized on "Masterpiece Theatre."

Following is a list of the five Leatherstocking Tales in chronological order of their contents as given in the tenth edition of the Wilson Fiction Catalog. All editions are available from NLS network library collections.

The Deerslayer; or, The First Warpath

The first of the Leatherstocking Tales depicts Natty Bumppo in his youth. It is a rousing story of warfare between the Iroquois Indians and the white settlers in the Lake Otsego region of New York before 1745. 1841

RC 22249

BRA 8381

The Last of the Mohicans

Follows Natty's exploits against the Huron Indians in the Lake Champlain region. 1826

RC 19920

BRA 12110

The Pathfinder; or, The Inland Sea

Tells of Natty's adventures in the French and Indian War and of the first and only time he falls in love. 1840

RC 11072

BRA 4180

The Pioneers; or, The Sources of the Susquehanna

Filled with descriptions of hunting and trapping, this novel continues the story of the old hunter known as Leatherstocking. A romance ensues between Natty's friend, Oliver Edwards, and Elizabeth Temple, the daughter of a landowner. 1823

RC 10816

The Prairie

Portrays the last days of Leatherstocking, now an exile whom civilization has driven westward to the prairie beyond the Mississippi. Here the old scout becomes a trapper. 1827

RC 12233

BRA 1265

Compiled by Ellie Friedman
Revised by Joyce Y. Carter

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Posted on 2006-02-24