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Alex and I discuss the underrated first novel of James Fenimore Cooper's 'Leatherstocking Tales,' ***The Pioneers, or The Sources of the Susquehanna; a Descriptive Tale. ***We discuss James' father 'self- made' landlord father, William, who settled central New York after obtaining massive amounts of land following the flux of the American Revolution. William and James, slaveowners. Coopers lamentable race science fixation and commendable proto-Marxist materialism. Judge Temple as the first Dick Cheney. The American frontier myth. Maple trees as short-term and long-term commodities. No settlements without commodification. Environmentalism as a test of gentility. Maple sugar: the market solution to carribbean sugar slavery.

@Alecks_Guns, @MattLech

@LitHangover

Sources:

Barbara Mann and Alan Taylor, April 23, 2001. Writings of James Fenimore Cooper on C-Span ( https://www.c-span.org/video/?163765-1/writings-james-fenimore-cooper )

Taylor, Alan. 1995. William Cooper's Town: Power and Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic. New York: A.A. Knopf.

The Pioneers read by Gary W. Sherwin ( https://librivox.org/the-pioneers-by-james-fenimore-cooper/ )