James Cooper and Washington Irving allow us to perceive the contrast between a new America and the old world different ways; Cooper through new American idealism and Irving via a transitory approach. Cooper's work goes beyond our limited reading. He provided the first truly American novels written with the Leatherstocking Tales, a series of novels which included The Last of the Mohicans. In these tales Natty Bummpo's persona characterized the new America in bold fashion: Individualism, bravery, courage, and a fearless outlook on life. It also portrayed events, like the French Indian War, through the eyes of a man who was raised by Indians, with a unique perspective on those events. The main theme of the novel was the contrast between two cultures,
Tindall, George Brown, and David Emory Shi. America: A Narrative History. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 1997.
This chapter, “Three Old Worlds Create a New, 1492 – 1600,” covers the social, political and economic events that occurred in the worlds that made up America between 1492 and 1600. This chapter explores the history of the small societies that became the United States in broad contest of European exploration and exploitation. There existed conflicts between European kingdoms and this led to interest in colonies that strengthened the emerging nations. The curiosity of Europeans helped introduce them to African and American societies that had evolved over the centuries. The social and cultural collisions of these worlds changed and profoundly influenced Western history.
Edward, Rebecca and Henretta, James and Self, Robert. America A Concise History. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2012.
Tindall, George, and David Shi. America: A Narrative History. Ed. 9, Vol. 1. New York: WW. Norton & Company, 2013. 185,193. Print.
Tindall, G.B. & Shi, D.E. (2010). America a narrative history 8th edition. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p.205-212.
A mixture of processes and voyagers transformed America into a “new world”, catching the world by surprise. America would not have developed to the period of existence today, if it was not for this growing period of the “old” and “new” worlds.
Most Americans probably believe our times are different from Washington Irving’s era. After all, almost 200 years have passed, and the differences in technology and civil liberties alone are huge. However, these dissimilarities seem merely surface ones. When reading “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” I find that the world Irving creates in each story is very familiar to the one in which I grew up. The players may have changed, and institutions have mostly replaced roles traditionally taken on by people, but the overall pieces still fit the rural lifestyle of contemporary America.
William Bradford and John Smith’s two pieces both convey America as a place to escape the European world but completely fail to contain congruency on what early America was like in this time period.
Davidson, James West, et al. The American Nation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003
The Last of the Mohicans is a historical novel by James Fennimore Cooper. The story took place in 18th century North America during the French and Indian War, where a white man adopted by the last members of a dying tribe called the Mohicans unwittingly becomes the protector of the two daughters of a British colonel, who have been targeted by Magua, a sadistic and vengeful Huron warrior who has dedicated his life to destroying the girls ' father for a past injustice. The main characters in this story are Hawkeye and Magua- the hero and the villain. Hawkeye, the protagonist of the novel, goes by several names: Natty Bumppo, La Longue Carabine (The Long Rifle), the
Tindall, George and David Emory Shi. America: A Narrative History Brief Ninth Edition-Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. Document.
James Cooper is a popular American writer. By 1851, he became one of the most famous writers in the world. After achieving initial success, he moved to Europe for about seven years, where he continued to write impactful books. The Last of the Mohicans was written in 182...
... An American History of the World. 4th ed. of the book. W.W. Norton, 2012, 671. 2.)
Tindall, George Brown., and David E. Shi. America a Narrative History. 8th ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2007. Print.
Tindall, George B., and David E. Shi. America: A Narrative History. 7th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 2007.