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Born in Burlington, N.J., 1789, James Fenimore Cooper moved to Cooperstown, N.Y. — a community founded by his father, Judge William Cooper.

Cooper was expelled from Yale for pulling pranks, and eventually headed to sea with the Navy. After his father died in a duel, Cooper became a gentleman father but the family fortune was soon lost and he turned to writing.

He became a popular and prolific author. His most enduring series of work is "The Leatherstocking Tales," which includes the novels The Last of the Mohicans, The Deerslayer and The Pathfinder.

Cooper's work is a staple in the American canon of literature and has influenced many popular films.

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