William Cooper's Town

Power and Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

Look inside
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
Winner of the Bancroft Prize
Winner of the Albert J. Beveridge Award


This innovative work of social history, biography, and literary analysis is a study of two men, father and son, who embodied the contradictions that divided America in the early days of the Republic.  William Cooper seemed to manifest the nascent American dream: from humble origins he rose to become a wealthy land speculator and a U.S. congressman.  His high-handed style of governing resulted in his ultimate fall from power and political disgrace.  His son James Fenimore Cooper tried to come to terms with his father's failure in his immensely popular novel The Pioneers, and to reclaim through his imagination all his father had lost.  In this book, Alan Taylor uses this story to illustrate the clash between gentility and democracy that was a result of the Revolution, and to show how Americans found a resolution in the creation of new social reforms and new tales that evolved with the expansion of the frontier.

"Marvelous. . . . Taylor's intellectual grasp never fails." —The New Yorker
  • WINNER
    Bancroft Prize
  • WINNER
    Pulitzer Prize
  • WINNER | 1996
    Albert J. Beveridge Award (AHA)
  • WINNER | 1996
    Pulitzer Prize
© Dan Vaillancourt

Born and raised in Maine, Alan Taylor teaches American and Canadian history at the University of Virginia. His books include The Divided Ground, Writing Early American History, American Colonies, and William Cooper’s Town, which won the Bancroft and Pulitzer prizes for American history. He also serves as a contributing editor to The New Republic.

View titles by Alan Taylor

About

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
Winner of the Bancroft Prize
Winner of the Albert J. Beveridge Award


This innovative work of social history, biography, and literary analysis is a study of two men, father and son, who embodied the contradictions that divided America in the early days of the Republic.  William Cooper seemed to manifest the nascent American dream: from humble origins he rose to become a wealthy land speculator and a U.S. congressman.  His high-handed style of governing resulted in his ultimate fall from power and political disgrace.  His son James Fenimore Cooper tried to come to terms with his father's failure in his immensely popular novel The Pioneers, and to reclaim through his imagination all his father had lost.  In this book, Alan Taylor uses this story to illustrate the clash between gentility and democracy that was a result of the Revolution, and to show how Americans found a resolution in the creation of new social reforms and new tales that evolved with the expansion of the frontier.

"Marvelous. . . . Taylor's intellectual grasp never fails." —The New Yorker

Awards

  • WINNER
    Bancroft Prize
  • WINNER
    Pulitzer Prize
  • WINNER | 1996
    Albert J. Beveridge Award (AHA)
  • WINNER | 1996
    Pulitzer Prize

Author

© Dan Vaillancourt

Born and raised in Maine, Alan Taylor teaches American and Canadian history at the University of Virginia. His books include The Divided Ground, Writing Early American History, American Colonies, and William Cooper’s Town, which won the Bancroft and Pulitzer prizes for American history. He also serves as a contributing editor to The New Republic.

View titles by Alan Taylor

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month

For National Depression Education and Awareness Month in October, we are sharing a collection of titles that educates and informs on depression, including personal stories from those who have experienced depression and topics that range from causes and symptoms of depression to how to develop coping mechanisms to battle depression.

Read more

Horror Titles for the Halloween Season

In celebration of the Halloween season, we are sharing horror books that are aligned with the themes of the holiday: the sometimes unknown and scary creatures and witches. From classic ghost stories and popular novels that are celebrated today, in literature courses and beyond, to contemporary stories about the monsters that hide in the dark, our list

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month

For LGBTQIA+ History Month in October, we’re celebrating the shared history of individuals within the community and the importance of the activists who have fought for their rights and the rights of others. We acknowledge the varying and diverse experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community that have shaped history and have led the way for those

Read more