The Pioneers
by James Fenimore Cooper
Although the pioneers were the first of the Leather Socks books to be published, the time frame covered (mainly 1793) makes it fourth in chronological order. The story is set on the fast-paced frontier of New York State, and a middle-aged leather sock (Natty Bumppo) coincides with Judge Marmaduk Templeton and Elizabeth Temple (Cooper's sister) of Cooperstown, whose life coincides with that of the author's father, Judge William Cooper. The story begins with a dispute between the Judge and Leather Stockings over who killed the money, and as Cooper considers many changes to the fictional Lake Otsego, environmental management, conservation and use issues prevail. The plot develops when Leather Socks and Chingachhook begin to compete with the Temples for the loyalty of a mysterious young visitor, "Oliver Edwards", a "young hunter" who eventually marries Elizabeth. Chingachhook dies, pointing to the grieving figure of a "dying Indian," and Natty disappears at sunset. Despite all its strange grievances, 'The Pioneers' can be considered one of the first environmental novels in the United States. (source: Wikipedia)
