The Chainbearer; Or, The Littlepage Manuscripts

"The Chainbearer; Or, The Littlepage Manuscripts" by James Fenimore Cooper is a story set after the American Revolution, mostly told through the eyes of Mordaunt Littlepage. He shares his family’s story and tackles problems in America during that time, like disagreements between wealthy landowners and their tenants. The story looks at ideas such as social class fights, hopes for the future, and how society was changing. Mordaunt Littlepage begins by telling about his parents, Cornelius Littlepage and Anneke Mordaunt. The beginning of the story shares what the family went through during the Revolutionary War, touching on Mordaunt's understanding of family connections, allegiance, and how people's loyalties shifted during that time. People like The Chainbearer, and Captain Andries Coejemans, a hardworking surveyor, appear in the story. The story shows personal and social connections, as well as the strong emotional bonds that keep the Littlepage family together during the troubling times as America transitions.