James Fenimore Cooper was an American writer of the first half of the 19th century. He was born on September 15, 1789, in Burlington City, New Jersey, and died on September 14, 1851, in Cooperstown, New York. Cooper is best known for his historical romances depicting colonial and indigenous characters from the 17th to the 19th centuries. These works brought him considerable fame and fortune during his lifetime. He attended Yale University for three years, where he was a member of the Linonian Society. Cooper lived much of his boyhood and his last 15 years in Cooperstown, New York, a town founded by his father William Cooper on property that he owned. Late in life, Cooper became a member of the Episcopal Church and contributed generously to it.