Wyandotté

by James Fenimore Cooper

First published 1843

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3.2(44)

On the New York frontier, retired British officer Hugh Willoughby has built the Hutted Knoll as a family estate far from the centres of colonial politics. The outbreak of the American Revolution destroys that isolation as servants, neighbours and relatives choose sides, leaving the household exposed to military attack and to old grievances carried by the Indigenous figure known as Nick or Wyandotté.

The novel treats revolution as a civil conflict within one household as much as a contest between armies. Willoughby’s past actions, the loyalties of his dependants and Wyandotté’s complicated mixture of resentment and attachment all shape the siege, showing how personal obligations can survive political division without preventing violence or tragedy.