Set in the forests of upstate New York during the French and Indian War, James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel has become one of the most enduring works of early American literature. It helped define the frontier myth, shaped American ideas about Native peoples, and influenced generations of writers, filmmakers, and cultural storytellers.

Today, as we mark its 200th anniversary, we explore its themes, its historical context, and its complicated legacy.

So in this episode, I’m asking… what is The Last of the Mohicans?

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Special guest for this episode:

Professor Thomas Ruys Smith, a scholar of American literature and culture at the University of East Anglia. His work spans the 19th century, with particular expertise in the intersections of literature, history, and national identity. He has written extensively on American storytelling traditions, frontier mythology, and the cultural imagination of the early United States.

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Highlights from this episode:

02:09 - Standing the test of time

06:21 - America's newfound sense of self

10:36 - The story of The Last of the Mohicans

15:40 - Romanticising colonisation

21:23 - What the frontier means for America

27:09 - White male heroes

31:29 - Native American representations

35:57 - National identity isn't just black and white

40:32 - A more colourful America

47:05 - I'm freakin' Hawkeye

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Additional Resources:

The Last of the Mohicans — Free eBook
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/940
LitCharts: Themes and Analysis
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-last-of-the-mohicans (litcharts.com in Bing)
SparkNotes: Summary and Themes
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mohicans/
Novelguide: Theme Analysis
https://novelguide.com/the-last-of-the-mohicans/theme-analysis (novelguide.com in Bing)
Montclair State University: Theme PDF https://cyber.montclair.edu/Resources/B2F9F/501012/ThemeOfLastOfTheMohicans.pdf (cyber.montclair.edu in Bing)
Encyclopedia Britannica: Cooper Biography
https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Fenimore-Cooper (britannica.com in Bing)
Library of Congress: Cooper Collection
https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-fenimore-cooper/about-this-collection/ (loc.gov in Bing)
American Literature: Cooper Overview
https://americanliterature.com/author/james-fenimore-cooper (americanliterature.com in Bing)
The Cambridge History of American Literature — Cooper chapter
https://www.cambridge.org
Oxford Bibliographies: James Fenimore Cooper
https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com
The Cambridge Companion to James Fenimore Cooper
https://www.cambridge.org
Playing Indian by Philip Deloria (on Native representation)
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780300080674 (hup.harvard.edu in Bing)
The Invention of the American West by Richard Slotkin
https://www.amazon.com/Regeneration-Through-Violence-Mythology-1600-1860/dp/0806132290 (amazon.com in Bing)
National Park Service: French and Indian War Overview
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/french-and-indian-war.htm (nps.gov in Bing)
History.com: French and Indian War
https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/french-and-indian-war (history.com in Bing)
Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA)
https://naisa.org
Smithsonian NMAI: Native Representation in Literature
https://americanindian.si.edu (americanindian.si.edu in Bing)
The White Man’s Indian by Robert Berkhofer
https://www.amazon.com/White-Mans-Indian-Images-American/dp/0674957867 (amazon.com in Bing)
Roger Ebert Review of the 1992 Film
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-last-of-the-mohicans-1992 (rogerebert.com in Bing)
The New Yorker: Revisiting the Novel
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/revisiting-the-last-of-the-mohicans (newyorker.com in Bing)
BFI: Michael Mann’s Adaptation https://www.bfi.org.uk

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And if you like this episode, you might also love:

Who Are Native Americans?

How Did Slavery Impact Cherokee Nation?

What is Thanksgiving?

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