Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Cooper, James Fenimore

COOPER, JAMES FENIMORE, an American novelist; born in Burlington, N. J., Sept. 15, 1789; studied at Yale College, and entered the American navy as a midshipman at the age of 16. In 1821 appeared the novel of “Precaution,” but it was not till the production of the “Spy” and the “Pioneers” that he began to take a high place among contemporary novelists. The “Pilot," “Water-witch,” “Pathfinder,” “Deerslayer,” “Last of the Mohicans,” and “Red Rover” are familiar names to the novel-reading public. After visiting Europe and serving as consul of the United States at Lyons for three years, he returned to Cooperstown, N. Y., where he died, Sept.

14, 1851. Besides his novels he wrote a history of the United States navy, and some volumes descriptive of his travels.