The Last of the Mohicans

James Fenimore Cooper was born on September 15, 1789 in Burlington, New Jersey, living most of his life in Cooperstown, New York, which was named after his father.Cooper attended Yale at the age of thirteen, but was expelled in his third year, after a prank involving explosives. At seventeen, he joined the U. S. Navy, which was in its infancy, and became an officer from a warrant signed by Thomas Jefferson himself.In 1811, he married Susan Augusta de Lancey and they had seven children. In 1820, Susan bet James that he would be able to write a novel better than the one she was reading, publishing "Precaution" anonymously that same year. His next book was "The Pioneers" in 1823, which began his five book "Leatherstocking" series.In 1826, the family moved to France, where he continued to write. In 1833, he returned to Cooperstown and restored his family mansion. He became on of the first American authors to include African and Native American characters in his books. He died of edema on September 14, 1851, a day before he turned 62, in Cooperstown.